Duo bringing art to the people

Paint Jam project aims to bring artists & the community together

Pariya Ziakas and Ruth Stephenson have always been committed to sharing their passion for art. That’s why they have both been entrenched in the local education system, inspiring the next generation of artist. That’s why they have collaborated on community art projects, including the Ripley Arcade mural. And it’s why, five months ago, they joined forces to open Artscape Creatives in Mount Gambier – a creative space to run community workshops, host functions and provide artistic opportunities for creatives of all ages.

Now they have a new project in their sights and it’s happening on the weekend of December 10 and 11.

Paint Jam is a continuation of Pariya’s stobie pole art campaign from a couple of years ago and she now has Ruth on board, as well as 14 other local artists in a bid to no just spruce up the city’s stobie poles but to allow the community to watch artists at work and see just how the process work.

“Ruth and I had a look at Duo bringing art to the people Paint Jam project aims to bring artists & the community together what should be the extension of the stobie pole project and this seemed like a great idea,” Pariya said. “And we had no trouble finding artists who were interested in being involved and we have been able to bring together a diverse group of local artists, all with different styles, flair and insane talent.”

The artists will roll up their sleeves and get to work from 10am on both days with the work taking place along what Ruth and Pariya see as an art trail in the Birdsville area, Swallow Drive, Sparrow Avenue and Swan Street. The Paint Jam project will see this new work connect with the work Pariya initially completed.

“And we want to see it continue to grow – we think it would be great to follow the art trail from one side of town to the other,” Pariya said.

Getting Paint Jam off the ground has seen Pariya and Ruth work cooperatively with residents, SA Power Networks and the City of Mount Gambier and they have 21 stobie poles in their sights to be transformed.

“We want to thank all local artists for their time and commitment to this stobie pole painting art project,” Pariya said. “It is close to our hearts and we cannot wait to share this experience with you. We just want to make art accessible to people.”

The group of participating artists range from established local artists to new emerging artists and will be easily identifiable in hi-vis clothing. Pariya and Ruth do also ask that the community be aware of artists working, be respectful of artists working, ensure children are supervised at all times, be aware of traffic and respect residential properties.

And while the duo coordinate the Paint Jam weekend, they are also putting the finishing touches to Artscape Creatives 2023 program.

PAINT JAM ARTISTS

Annette Cassidy; Jamie Pakarinen, Trudi Timmerman, Saaki, Anthony Hamilton, Jennie Matthews, Leah Williams, Renee Pluckhahn, Mel Holtz, Ann Carpenter, Shirley Hogg, Bek McDonald & Liz Ferguson