Bright sparks come up with 10 new Shire mural projects

Public art

Shaun Hollis

Journalist

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Artists across the state have been working with Ergon Energy to paint artworks on power boxes. Picture: Ergon

Those intrusive green power boxes across the district are set to be transformed into works of art following an agreement between Ergon Energy and Douglas Shire Council.

The two organisations have been working on a pilot program to allow up to 10 murals to be painted on power boxes and installed in a variety of as-yet-undecided locations in the Shire, with more to come if the trial is successful.

Mayor Lisa Scomazzon told this week’s council meeting the project was a “great initiative”.

“We can put a little bit of history through our town,” she said about possible subject matter for the art pieces.

“We’ve got the cane season, there’s heaps of Indigenous art, so it will look really good.”

Cr Abigail Noli said negotiations with Ergon had been going on for at least a decade, but now all the “roadblocks” were out of the way.

“It seems they’ve come to the party,” Cr Noli said.

The council will now submit an application to the Federal Government’s Regional Arts Fund to secure up to $30,000 for the “Creative Spark” public art project.

A formal process will be developed to help install decorated power boxes across the Shire. 

The pilot project will be refined over time to help demonstrate the “potential for broader implementation”, a report tabled in the council meeting reads.

Ergon Energy states that any artist can apply to decorate one of their boxes after completing a few steps, including: Contacting the council to make sure the work complies with their specific public-artwork guidelines; Ensuring you have the appropriate insurance to do the work, and; Having the design endorsed by Ergon.

 

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