Council collects major state award for public art trail

Published on 24 July 2020

The Bland Shire has been recognised as one of the most creative communities in New South Wales.
The Bland but not Boring Public Art Trail was recently announced as the state wide winner of the Local Government Professionals New South Wales Local Government Excellence Award for Creative Communities.
The Creative Communities award recognises excellence in bringing together communities through art and cultural creative projects and the judges were blown away by Bland Shire Council’s submission highlighting the diverse public art projects that have been delivered across the Bland Shire in recent years.
Bland Shire Council’s submission for the Bland but not Boring Public Art Trail was among nine finalists in the Creative Communities category alongside Campbelltown City Council, City of Canterbury Bankstown, City of Newcastle, Coffs Harbour City Council, Northern Beaches Council, Penrith City Council, Sutherland Shire Council and Willoughby City Council.
LG Professionals NSW chief executive Vicki Mayo announced Bland Shire Council as the winner via a live online presentation with Campbelltown City Council recognised as highly commended for its Marama Dina project.
It is the second time Bland Shire Council has won the prestigious award after the Weethalle Silo Art project was recognised in 2018.
The Silo Art Project kickstarted the Bland but not Boring Public Art Trail and its raging success provided Council and the community with the confidence to invest further in innovative public art projects.
In partnership with the Ungarie Advancement Group, the Big Football at Ungarie was the next major project to be delivered and attracted interest from across Australia while also being recognised in its own right with a highly commended in the 2019 Local Government Excellence awards in the Community Partnerships and Collaboration category.
Diversity has been the key to the success of the Public Art Trail and Council took another bold and triumphant step in 2019 with the unveiling of the spectacular chainsaw art depicting a wedge tailed eagle and mallee fowl in McCann Park.
The construction of a mallee fowl nest sculpture in Cooinda Park and delivery of stunning 3D murals in Mirrool and West Wyalong gave locals and visitors even more artwork to explore and experience as the reputation of the Bland but not Boring Public Art Trail began to soar.
Local community groups also got behind the public art revolution with Country Hope creating its stunning illuminated Hope sign in McCann Park, the Wyalong Art Group creating a mural in West Wyalong’s Main Street and the Ungarie RSL Sub Branch transforming its park with a series of 40 painted images depicting Australia’s war history and a large rotating globe which shows where in the world residents of Ungarie have served.
Bland Shire Council has committed $10,000 in its 2020-2021 budget for a new public art initiative which is currently in development.