Female artists flex artistic muscle across CBD

A COLLECTIVE of women from across the region have brought parts of Geelong to life with street art projects sprawled across the CBD.

Greater Geelong local Kerrie Poliness, one of the 19 City of Greater Geelong’s Women’s Street Art Commission Project participants, repainted a 45-metre grey wall at Minns Lane.

“The laneway was a venue for free live concerts hosted by the Piano Bar in between COVID-19 lockdowns,” Ms Poliness said.

“My artwork considers the laneway as a live venue where the artwork becomes a backdrop for performance, and the use of the laneway as the main entrance to the club now that events have returned indoors.

“As groups of people gather in the laneway before entering the club, they listen to music from inside, talk, dance, and mingle.

“Like this activity, I wanted the artwork to be vibrant and colourful and bring the wall to life.”

Ms Poliness’s abstract work is inspired by jazz music and a painting technique perfected by drawing at low-tide on the back beach between Point Lonsdale and Ocean Grove for more than two decades.

The $150,000 city-funded project aims to increase the representation of women in street art off the back of the pandemic.

Geelong deputy mayor Trent Sullivan said the decision to initiate the project was centralised around the challenges faced by local artists over the past two years.

“It’s been such a bleak time for so many people, so to come out of it with a project focused on colour, pride and creativity is just amazing,” Cr Sullivan said.

“Whether you’re having wine and cheese on Malop Street, picnicking in Johnstone Park, or seeing a show at one of our fabulous theatres, you’ll be able to spot plenty of unique new art works from these talented women.”

The street art can be located at Little Malop Street, Little Ryrie Street, James Street, Wright Place, Cuzens Place, Minns Lane, and Ryrie Street.