Three ideas shortlisted for Murray Bridge silo artwork
Artist Sam Bates, AKA Smug, has suggested three concepts at a community meeting about the upcoming project.
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Three possible designs have been put forward for the artwork to be painted on Murray Bridge's silos.
Artist Sam “Smug” Bates heard from about a dozen locals at an online community meeting last Monday night.
He presented three broad ideas for the silo artwork, based on feedback the Murray Bridge council gathered through a recent survey:
- Portraits of three or four people, ideally of different ages, backgrounds and so on
- An image of a father and daughter fishing in the River Murray
- A nature scene, with birds and animals
Mr Bates was most excited about the idea of the fishing scene, but said he remained open to locals’ ideas.
“I’m a portrait artist,” he said via a video link from the UK.
“I specialise in painting people.
“Obviously if you ask a portrait artist for concepts, they’re going to be people-based.”
The council’s survey, done late last year, suggested that the River Murray, Ngarrindjeri culture and local history were the themes most people wanted the artwork to show.
Nature and the bunyip had been the most popular suggestions from local schoolchildren.
Opinions were mixed among those at the meeting.
Councillor Clem Schubert made it clear he’d rather see a more traditional mural showing aspects of the district’s farming history, boat restorer Steve Moritz suggested something relating to river trade, while reconciliation advocate Peter Crowley wondered if an image of the late Ngarrindjeri elder Albert Karloan or pioneer Mary-Ann Edwards would be appropriate.
The artist and Murray Bridge’s councillors are due to come up with a final concept design at a meeting next Monday.
Mr Bates will then paint a small-scale draft of the artwork for public circulation after the council’s March 15 meeting.
Things will move quickly after that – he is due to come and paint the silos in April.
The silo artwork project will be jointly funded by the Murray Bridge council and the federal government.
