By Tanya Faulkner
Upwey community members are being encouraged to have their say for a proposed project by a local ‘action’ group.
The Upwey Community Group (UCG) is looking at replacing the three ageing murals on the side of the Pearl Garden restaurant in the Village Green and putting some art works on the six shade sail poles.
The idea came about following several community meetings over the past few years to discuss ways to improve the community, of which the murals were a recurring topic.
Leader of the Upwey Community Group’s arts working group Linda Fullager said the general consensus from their community feedback is the desire for more high-quality art in the community.
“The idea is to brighten up the whole area, and to match the other mural on the bank side of the space,” she said.
She said the group’s idea is for the artwork to celebrate our diverse backgrounds and cultures.
“We want to showcase a balance of indigenous, multicultural pieces to showcase the inclusivity of the community,” she said.
The UCG will be applying for one of the Yarra Ranges Council Grants for Community to cover the costs of the Moving Forward Together art project.
They’ve also taken to Facebook to extend inclusion in the project to the wider community, sharing a number of posts and polls for the community to have their say on the matter.
Overall the feedback appears positive, with some comments saying its a “fabulous idea” but also share their desire to continue showcasing the original pieces, which are said to have been made by Upwey Primary School.
One proposed idea for the previous works as shared by UCG on their Facebook was to photograph them and have them digitally enhanced to be displayed elsewhere.
The group is currently seeking community feedback to ensure they carry out this project to suit the desires of Upwey, and have shared a poll on Facebook for members to have their say.
Ms Fullagar said the group’s idea is to refresh the artwork that currently exists in the Village Green, by engaging local artists to come in and create murals for the space, inclusive of the poles holding up the sun sails.
Upon completion, she said they would like to then interview the artists who created the pieces to be shared on Youtube, and to include QR codes leading viewers to the interviews, and be able to hear the stories about the pieces directly from the artists.
The Upwey Community Group are inviting locals to a community afternoon tea to discuss what residents are interested in getting involved in, as they set up working groups, and want to know the overall idea of what do people want to achieve together.
Residents can drop in on Sunday 16 July from 2pm – 4pm to share their ideas, and have a cuppa and some afternoon tea, at the Blue Hills Community Centre.
Those who also want to share their thoughts on the mural project can go to Upwey Community Group on Facebook or forms.gle/CswPAjZ4FPS8oLsS6
