Mural adds a splash of colour to St Leonards

BELLARINE artist Vicki Clissold has recently helped brighten the St Leonards township by using the previously unremarkable Murradoc Road public toilets as a mural for a special piece of art with local significance.

The mural was commissioned by the St Leonards Beautification Committee. They worked with Friends of Edwards Point to develop the creative concept and brief for the mural, while St Leonards Primary School Students also helped decide the themes and images the mural would include.

Ms Clissold said her work was influenced by members of the local community well beyond the brief.

“Working on this mural in the main street of the township allowed me to interact with the local community as they passed by, providing not only encouragement and support but additional sources of invaluable information.

“This enabled me to apply relevant characteristics directly to the work customising the narrative accordingly.”

Ms Clissold said she wanted the artwork to bring a sense of positivity in the way it captured the local community.

“My aim for this mural was to provide locals and visitors with a sense of community and originality. Something that might evoke or create a memory, but above all to bring a smile to faces.”

The mural is part of the St Leonards Streetscape Beautification works plan.

This plan will see several further improvements made to Murradoc Road, including drainage improvements, street furniture, garden beds, bike racks, an information sign, a town welcome sign, and pedestrian crossing improvements.

The federal government has also committed $70,000 to installing CCTV cameras along the road, and a further $430,000 towards a foreshore pavilion in the town.