ArtGusto redesigns Geelong’s art scene

EMERGING artists have transformed 30 metres of blank wall in Geelong’s CBD into a colourful mural celebrating artist of all abilities.

Artists from ArtGusto and Platform Arts have collaborated on the community project in the laneway off Gheringhap Street.

The blank canvas was divided into four parts that represented each season, with artists from both studios working together to create a flowing piece.

Founder of ArtGusto Sharon Bromley says the idea behind her studio was to provide an opportunity and space for intellectually disabled artists to work and have their talents taken seriously.

“We have been going for nearly six years and it came about because there was a need in the community for supported art studios,” she said.

“We provide a studio for artists and we help them develop where they need to and look for opportunities within the community to sell their work and exhibit it, as well as other community projects.”

The project, which originally began in 2019, was put on hold during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic before re-starting earlier this year.

“We struck up a relationship with Platform Arts who are a youth art organisation and we thought it would be a good to collaborate with both our groups of artists,” she said.

“It was a really good experience for not only our artists but also the Platform crew to see what sort of challenges our people face.

“It worked really well because everyone is an artist so when you have that common interest it just works even though there are things that we don’t have in common, we all have art and that’s what makes it stick together.”

The public art project borrowed the talents of 10 artists from ArtGusto and around four from Platform Arts who artistically reflected the environmental elements of each season with their own individual flare.

“We came up with ways that some of our artists could still incorporate their particular styles,” she said.

“Some of our artists like Jordan only wants to paint dragons so we came up with these circles in the mural so people could concentrate on their own ideas within that space but still be a part of the big picture.”

Ms Bromley said the project, like many things in the industry, faced major setbacks however the end result was well worth the wait.

“It was such a good project, it was really good to be able to have that collaboration,” she said.