The small Dukes Highway town of Coonalpyn is getting a major face lift.
A public art campaign ‘Creating Coonalpyn’ is underway to reinvigorate the Coorong town through a focus on rural renewal on arts with the aim of illustrating the stories, history and culture of Coonalpyn.
The centre piece is going be a 30-metre high mural on the Viterra-owned grain silos, inspired by the Brim Silo Project by world-renowned artist Guido van Helten.
The flagship project is a sky-high mural covering the front five cells of the Coonalpyn Silos, with artwork to begin February 2017.
Coorong District Council Mayor Neville Jaensch said the $85,000 initiative would not only put Coonalpyn on the map, but also create a sense of civic pride and connection for local people.
“Each day, thousands of vehicles pass through Coonalpyn along the Dukes Highway.
Our 30-metre high silo mural alone will literally stop these travellers in their tracks,” he said.
Mr Jaensch said the economic and community benefits from Creating Coonalpyn are immeasurable.
“The diverse range of projects will help develop local skills, activate and beautify local spaces, establish a unique tourism icon and create new jobs,” he said.
Coorong District Council Chief Executive Officer Vincent Cammell said the project was a perfect response to a range of economic and community pressures.
“Design and installation work on some of the projects has started already, and will be progressively completed between now and May 2017,” he said.
The suite of six community arts projects are being led by the Coorong District Council, supported by the Regional Arts Fund and Country Arts SA. It has also attracted generous philanthropic donations and resources ensuring projects come to fruition.
- View the YouTube film developed following Guido van Helten’s completed Brim Silo project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMEaG6eUyL4
