Lismore’s Laneways Precinct is coming to life with the first piece of artwork installed in Eggins Lane over the weekend.
The Antechinus Family by 2021 Brunswick Nature Sculpture Walk winner and installation artist, Andrew Cullen, features a series of cheeky wire sculptures of this endangered marsupial that is native to Lismore and its villages.
This enchanting and colourful artwork in Eggins Lane is sure to be a hit with the kids as they follow the Antechinus family scurrying along buildings and roofs in the laneway.
The Lismore Laneways Project is designed to help reinvigorate our inner-city laneways precinct and attract more visitors. The project is funded through a $510,000 grant, which is part of a $1.5 million grant from the NSW Government for the ongoing revitalisation of the Lismore CBD.
Over coming weeks, visitors to the Laneways Precinct will see more artworks installed to give the area even more life and more reasons to visit.
All the artworks are by artists from the Northern Rivers.
In the Heart by Lismore artists Holly Ahern and Eden Crawford-Harriman is a quirky and playful piece that is sure to bring a smile to visitors to our CBD. It will be located on the corner of Magellan and Carrington streets.
Inspired by Lismore City Council’s much loved Come to the Heart logo, the artwork features two large vibrant pink arms embracing a pulsating heart with “YOU ARE HERE” in bright neon inviting all to come and experience the “heart” of Lismore.
Built from recycled plastics with ground-breaking 3D printing, this work was fabricated by the world class workshop Studio Kite in the hills of the Northern Rivers.
At the centre of the laneways is a wall-mounted corten-steel panel work by Bundjalung weaver and designer Tania Marlowe.
Her artwork reflects and acknowledges First Nations Bundjalung culture. It is based on a weaving story around cultural continuation, bringing customary practice into the modern world. Set with solar-powered LED back lighting, this work will be a graceful and elegant addition to the Laneways Precinct.
Lismore City Council’s Manager, Liveable and Active Communities, Tony Duffy, said the artworks will stand the test of time and like other public sculptures, will be embraced by the Lismore community and become genuine place markers and way finders long into the future.
Executive Director of Arts Northern Rivers Jane Fuller applauded Lismore City Council for commissioning local emerging and established artists for the project.
“These remarkable Laneways works amplify our arts and culture experience in the CBD. Cultural expression and past-times are a central part of our everyday lives and these works are playful, reflective, powerful and full of our stories,” she said.
“We have a resilient and vibrant arts and culture community which is known widely for its unique cultural style and enriched Indigenous culture and history. This is a fabulous addition to our unique Laneways experience, and I encourage everyone to experience these artworks,”
Other works included in the Laneways Precinct project are:
- New street furniture installation and landscaping in Carrington Street and Eggins Lane
- Replacement of existing small bins in Carrington Street with dual bins and decorated with local artwork on both sides
- Installation of decorative lighting in Carrington Street and Eggins Lane
- Installation of retro phone booth “activation pods” in Carrington Street
- Installation of wayfinding signage and murals throughout the precinct
- Refresh of existing road pavement paint in Carrington Street
