Art

INAUGURAL PUBLIC ART PROJECT GOES LIVE IN SURRY HILLS

Stroll past the Dove and Olive or the Shakespeare Hotel and you’ll catch a glimpse of two new public art installations, brought to you by the Surry Hills Creative Precinct.

Covid has been a difficult time for everyone, particularly our small businesses and local artists. The Surry Hills Public Art Project brings together these businesses, artists, property owners and the wider community through shared appreciation of creative, vibrant and engaging spaces.

The Surry Hills Creative Precinct and Margot Natoli Event + Project Management, with support from a City of Sydney Creative Fellowships Grant, put the call out to Sydney-based artists interested in producing a bespoke artwork to enhance an existing Surry Hills space. The iconic Dove and Olive and The Shakey are the ideal public exhibition spaces, situated on Devonshire Street, the central thoroughfare buzzing with trams and pedestrians.

The successful artists currently exhibiting are artist and nature photographer Angela Roberson-Buchanan (@thebirdphotog) and local artist and illustrator Jeff McCann (@jeffmccann).

Pub patrons and passers-by can scan a QR code on the artwork and become instantly immersed with the story behind the artwork and connect with the pubs, affiliated businesses and the artists themselves.

“I think the Surry Hills Creative Precinct is a really important part of regenerating Surry Hills’ greatness. We need that kind of interest and enthusiasm. They are creating things that are attracting people to the area and giving people a lot of optimism when everyone is feeling quite flat and disillusioned” – Kelly Hargreaves, 2IC at Shakespeare Hotel.

“We hope that this project will allow us to expand the concept throughout the area by connecting businesses, vacant shops and pubs with artists and rest of community” – Leigh Harris, president of the Surry Hills Creative Precinct.

“As restrictions are lifting we want to celebrate our suburb’s recovery and brighten up our community spaces with unique local art” – Margot Natoli, Margot Natoli Event + Project Management.