Street Art Awards vital for domestic tourism and community connection

Two South West mural projects are in the running for a national street art award,

The Reflections mural at Wellington Dam by artist Guido Van Helten and the Collie Mural Trail are both in the running for nation-wide accolades during this year’s Australian Street Art Awards.

Founding director Liz Rivers said the south west entrants, along with all entrants, were committed to creating and using outdoor art for a dual purposes.

“To attract visitors to boost their local economies and use the artworks to engage with their own communities,” she said.

“As for the art itself, they are all either quirky, wonderfully vibrant in colour or both.

“The fact that you can get up close to each to really experience the artwork also makes it appealing” she said.

“The awards do not focus on the quality of the artwork, what’s important is how the artwork is being used to attract visitors and bring community together.

“It doesn’t matter in what region you find yourself, there’s always somewhere with good coffee, an excellent meal using local produce, visually stunning places to explore and man-made attractions that teach you about that location,” Ms Rivers said.

The awards aim to showcase Australian destinations where visitors can see remarkable, world-class street and public art that’s accessible and enjoyable all year round.

The program does this by recognising towns, cities, regions and precincts using one or more of the many forms of outdoor, publicly accessible art to promote their destination and engage their community.

The winners of the Australian Street Art Awards for 2023 are due to be announced on March 8.