Over a period of 18 months, six artists were commissioned for the ARTWARD Artist in Residence program at various Wollongong City Council facilities such as community centres, Bushcare sites and cemeteries. Writing workshops, environmental art making, soundscapes creation, mosaics, installation art and natural dye textiles were created and delivered as part of the program.
Many of the artworks were created with the involvement of community while others were pure responses to place. The project included sound installations at Helensburgh Cemetery, a writer’s group and published book at Corrimal Library, and installation art creation at Dapto Ribbonwood Centre. Each project was captured by a videographer to provide a digital echo. Links to these clips can be found on the images and titles for each project below. The funding for this project was part of Council’s Creative CoVid19 relief package in 2020. A video overview of the project can be seen here.
Artist: Janine Bailey
Focused on sustainable communities across three different Bushcare sites, a democratic art space was created where the artist could activate the non-artist and together, make site specific artwork.
Artist: Rees Archibald
An audio installation about storytelling, weaving together the oral histories of Helensburgh people with nature recordings of birds, animals, wind and the trees from the site of Helensburgh cemetery.
Artist: Gary McDougall
In an intense 6-week workshop series, participants learnt the art of carefully considering each word and sentence to bring together a thrilling short story book titled ‘Coming Up For Air’.
Artist: Eloise Cleary
Community members discovered their potential to create art and engage in open conversation while collaboratively plaiting 30,000 discarded wristbands and lanyards from a cancelled music festival.
Artist: Joanne Fowles
Mindful foraging at local bush care sites, including Kembla Grange cemetery site, resulted in site specific plant dyes to make an installation piece, informed by theories of circular design.
Mosaic Art
Artist: Sharon Pusell
Pusell designed the Artward three-panel mosaic piece in conversation with the Windang Senior Citizen Centre community.