TOGETHER: Kirsty O’Brien and Robin ‘Tallman’ Wakkajinda painting a mural in Bell Street.
IF YOU have passed through Bell Street in the Ipswich CBD recently you couldn’t help but notice the area is coming alive with art.
Ipswich Central Partnership is the group of volunteers behind the project.
Recruited by Ipswich City Council to implement placemaking projects around the inner city area, they have been working on Bell Street since last year.
They started with a clean-up day, planter box painting by the community, and then they recruited indigenous artist Robin ‘Tallman‘ Wakkajinda to join the team.
He has been helping to paint the bus stop seating in beautiful designs inspired by the Street’s colourful and diverse community.
Council has brought in more plants, and local secondary schools have done murals and designed and built planters.
This has generated the theme, Living Breathing Gallery, and the gate across the driveway of the old hotel building was a great place to signpost this with a new mural.
Kirsty O’Brien of Ipswich Central Partnership said the pattern colours and shapes represent change and growth that Ipswich has undergone recently.
“People are keen to see change in our city and new things. The grass trees represent the ancient history of this place on the banks of the river, the slow and steady patterns of the seasons, and the tough resilience of the people. “
“The important part of the art in Bell Street is the contribution from the people of Bell Street, the ones there using transport or health services or just passing through.
“They inspire by contributing ideas and talking about what is important to them, by joining in painting, or just with positive comments and smiles.
If you are a local resident or have a business or work in Ipswich central, and you want to get hands on with projects, you can join Ipswich Central Partnership.
