Public Art

Northern Grampians Shire Council recognises that public art projects have a special role to play in connecting communities. Public art and community art projects that are tailored to diverse sectors such as young people, older people, children, diverse cultures etc, lead to an enhanced sense of wellbeing of the participants, as well as greater community awareness of these sectors of our community. 

To better assist community and council deliver public art the Public Art Guidelines were endorsed by council in July 2023. These have been updated in 2024 to better reflect the role of the Public Art Reference Group (PARG), which was introduced in 2023. The PARG is currently seeking more members and Expressions of Interest are open until December 9, 2024.

The Public Art Guidelines(PDF, 448KB) align with the key objectives of the Arts and Culture Strategy 2020-24, which presents a vision for the arts, culture and creativity in the shire that seeks to:

• Support opportunities for participation in arts and cultural activities to help connect our communities.
• Support raising the profile of local artists and the arts community.
• Enable the activation of town centres and rural communities though celebrating place.

The strategy aims to promote inclusion, collaboration and participation in arts and cultural activities across the whole shire.

Council will support Public Art projects that aim to:

• Build community resilience by increasing community connectedness and inclusivity.
• Activate public space and interaction throughout the shire, providing economic benefit through tourism.
• Interpret historical sites and tell important local stories by reflecting the cultural and social fabric of community.
• Encourage community and visitor engagement with a particular place.
• Explore and encourage awareness of global, national, or local issues and themes.
• Develop opportunities for collaboration between artists, property owners and relevant authorities to promote shared ownership and preservation of public art.

For further information contact Tina Baker via email at tina.baker@ngshire.vic.gov.au or call (03) 5358 8700.