General News
18 July, 2022
Avoca students to collaborate on new mural
Avoca Primary School students will be joining Dja Dja Wurrung and Yorta Yorta Artist Troy Firebrace to design and paint a mural in the town’s Cambridge Street next month — and the community is being invited to take part as well. Mr Firebrace...
Avoca Primary School students will be joining Dja Dja Wurrung and Yorta Yorta Artist Troy Firebrace to design and paint a mural in the town’s Cambridge Street next month — and the community is being invited to take part as well.
Mr Firebrace, a Shepparton-born artist, was asked to design and paint a pavement mural on Cambridge Street by the Pyrenees Shire Council, and will be working with Avoca students on the artwork.
Avoca Primary School visual arts teacher Joan Quinlan said the school is excited to assist with the mural.
“Involvement with the community is a high priority for the school,” she said.
“Any opportunity to be involved in any community project is really important to us.”
Ms Quinlan said Mr Firebrace’s recent visit to the school left a buzz in the classroom.
“Watching the kids’ interactions and how their stories were being validated after Troy asked them to visually use symbols recording a story of their history in Avoca was great,” she said.
“The children were engaged in it all. They created their own stories to hand to him so he can consolidate them and incorporate them into an artwork.
“Watching the confidence in the children while discussing their ideas with Troy was incredibly valuable. The kids were so engaged in his presentation and art work.
“It was an incredible opportunity for the kids to interact and engage with a professional First Nations artist and be able to discuss his work and the symbolisms he used.
“We had explained the concept to them before but Troy has really put life into it.”
Mr Firebrace’s identity and art is shaped greatly by his culture and he said he’s looking forward to creating a mural that will shine a light on the ancient history that streams across the Avoca river and into the surrounding bushland, while he encapsulates the rich culture of the area.
“I live and breathe as an Aboriginal man, so my way of living and being with Country sways on my art practice, especially around exploring concepts using modern materials,” he said.
Along with the mural, the project will include the planting of more shade trees, and placement of seating and installation of feature lights linking Avoca’s High Street, the river frontage and the Chinese Garden.
Mural painting is set to take place on August 6 and 7, depending on weather.
The mural art project is thanks to the Pyrenees COVID Outdoor Activation Project, funded by the Victorian Government.
Community members are invited to come along and help to take part in pavement painting.
To keep up-to-date on painting days visit the Pyrenees Shire Council Facebook page.