Bayside Council seeks suitably experienced First Nations public artists or artist-led teams, to design and install an artwork on a wall at a new town park under construction at 4 Guess Avenue, Wolli Creek.

In your submission, Artists must respond to key themes about the history, geography and use of the waterways at Wolli Creek, add to the vibrant visual presence of the new park and highlight the significant Aboriginal Heritage of Wolli Creek.

The Cooks River was used for trade between inland people, fishing, and gathering shellfish. It is understood that four different clans lived around the river, including the Darug, Bidjigal, Gameygal and Cadigal people.

This project looks to bring First Nations’ art to the forefront of a site located in the heart of Bayside with original artwork that explores the river and its importance in this part of Sydney.

We encourage artists to propose either a painted mural and/or a fabricated metal sculpture.

The artwork must suit the scale of the wall and fit within the proposed use of the park and the themes outlined below, but it’s not essential that the artwork covers the whole wall.

The wall is on the northern boundary of the park and measures approximately 9 metres high by 36 metres long, with an area of 327 square metres. See image below.

Artists are asked to consider how their artwork explores one or more of the following:

• The River Provides – the river is a local supermarket, chemist, tool shop
• The River Transports – Bayside is a migration hub and cultural exchange
• The River is Time – the tides mark the movement of time where the past, present, and future exist as one.

Download the First Nation’s town park EOI for more information on submission themes and requirements.

Artist EOIs must be submitted by 5pm Monday 31 July, and meet the following criteria to be considered for the project:

1. Your EOI must be submitted before the deadline, 5pm Monday 31 July
2. Provide examples of any previous large-scale artworks completed (maximum 10 images)
3. Provide an artist CV that outlines the experience meeting the demands of this project
4. Provide two referee contacts
5. Provide evidence of Insurances: Public Liability $20M, Professional Indemnity $10M
6. Include a short written Concept Statement outlining vision, intent, and inspiration that responds to the theme: The River. This could include rough digital or drawn sketches of the proposed ideas. We recommend artists visit the site to familiarise with the area before submitting.
7. Include a brief statement summarising your knowledge of the local area and any connection to local communities. It’s not expected that artists are from Bayside, local Elders have requested the successful artist have an awareness of the area and appreciation for the communities of this place.

Expressions of interest

How to submit your interest:

Email: arts@bayside.nsw.gov.au

The closing date for submissions is 5pm Monday 31 July 2023.

Next steps

The selected artist/s will be informed.

More information

For more information, please email Council's Arts and Culture Specialist at arts@bayside.nsw.gov.au.

Accessibility

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If you would like the key information and submission form in another format, please our Engagement team on (02) 9562 1597.