Art brightens foreshore footpaths

Published 5:00am 9 January 2023

Foreshores across the Moreton Bay Region are a little brighter thanks to the new Art At Large: Foreshore Footpaths program.

Nine local artists were commissioned to create site-specific temporary public art for footpaths that skirt the shoreline of Moreton Bay.

Mayor Peter Flannery says the Art At Large: Foreshore Footpaths program brings together the community’s love of original art and the region’s green and blue spaces where people enjoy exercising or spending their recreation time on the bay.

“Our community has told us that they have a strong interest in the arts and that the natural beauty of the region is the most important reason for choosing Moreton Bay as a place to live,” he says.

“From Bongaree to Deception Bay, Scarborough to Woody Point, the nine original artworks explore the diverse ecosystems, built environments, vistas and experiences of being on the bay.

“It not only makes our region a more vibrant place to live and visit, but the program is also a great opportunity for artists to add a professionally commissioned temporary artwork to their portfolio.”

See the gallery below

Mayor Flannery says each artist has delivered their own unique response to the Moreton Bay foreshore and people can scan a QR code at each piece to discover the story behind the work.

Artist Yuriyal Eric Bridgeman is interested in the connections between sport, culture and pattern.

His piece, The Pod at Redcliffe Lagoon, combines the features of the football, the dolphin, and the colours of the Redcliffe Dolphins jersey.

On the Deception Bay foreshore, Annalisa Aum’s Peaceful travels features some of the creatures who share the foreshore.

Scarborough local Blair Garland’s Want a cuppa? brings the quirky architectural elements of iconic local beach cottages to the foreshore footpath.

Mayor Flannery says investing in local art is important.

“This initiative was designed to support local artists to create artwork at a large scale for display across a 25m-long section of footpath, and each artwork is fabricated in vinyl and applied to 30 percent of the footpath area.

“Council paid each artist a commission fee and engaged experienced public artist Simon Degroot to provide mentoring support for the artists.

“Art At Large: Foreshore Footpaths provides a unique opportunity for local artists to have their artwork seen by thousands of people in the region.

“We believe art is for everyone. And getting outdoors to see these artworks will be good for your health and wellbeing. You can run, walk, skip or cycle to see the Foreshore Footpaths artworks.”

Find out more about the art locations here.