LGSC have launched their new arts initiative, ‘SculptED’ on the Port Fairy Rail Trail. Following on from the success of the Ngattanwar Mural by Adnate, SculptED aims to encourage and support the development of a series of sculptural artworks across the Great South Coast region.

The initial sculpture is the culmination of a project led by LGSC 2015 Alumni Brendan Rea, Emma Mahony, Ann Cunningham and Gareth Colliton. In October 2015 expressions of interest were sought by the project team and from a number of high caliber applications local artists Becky Nevin and Jon Dixon were engaged to complete the initial sculpture.

The inaugural artwork titled ‘Charged Landscape’, has been installed on the Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail, a short walk from Regent Street. Comprising of eleven granite boulders embedded with glowing discs, the sculpture represents the stars of the Milky Way, and refers particularly to the Emu in the Sky constellation. Within the glowing discs are approximately 30 different pictures, representing the multiple histories of the site.

Becky Nevin spoke about the concept behind the work as being an investigation into lesser-known aspects of the site.

“This artwork has been conceived as a way to recognise the many overlapping histories of the Port Fairy Railway site and the broader Port Fairy community. We have created an overarching concept that allows us to represent these different aspects in a cohesive artwork; the Emu in the Sky from Australian Indigenous astronomy and a collection of images embedded in the ‘stars’ of the sculpture. These represent knowledge shared with us from local historians, Aboriginal Elders, geologists, ecologists and fishermen”.

The project was achieved with seed funding from the Hugh Williamson Foundation and financial support the Isobel and David Jones Family Foundation, The Gall Foundation, Warrnambool City Council, Glenelg Hopkins CMA. Generous in kind support was provided by WAG, Bamstone, The Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail Committee, Gunditjmara Co-op, and The F Project.

Next time you are in Port Fairy take a short walk along the Rail Trail (from Regent Street entrance) and experience ‘Charged Landscape’ both day and at night.

This project was supported by Glenelg Hopkins CMA, through funding from the Australian Govenment’s national Landcare Programme.