Three artists with strong connections to the Geelong community have been selected to create artworks as part of the South Geelong to Waurn Ponds Duplication.
Wadawurrung artists Billy-Jay (BJ) O’Toole and Kait James will have their designs featured on the new rail bridges being built as part of level crossing removals at Surf Coast Highway and Fyans Street.
Local artist James Price will deliver the artwork for the upgraded South Geelong Station’s new pedestrian overpass and ramps.
Surf Coast Highway
Local landscape, coastline and traditional names are prominent in BJ O’Toole’s design for the Surf Coast Highway rail bridge.
His art has been regularly featured in the region since designing the first Geelong Cats Indigenous guernsey in 2014.
BJ has a close connection to the region, growing up on Wadawurrung Country and having spent the last 10 years living across Torquay and Mount Duneed and travelling the Surf Coast Highway daily.
Discover more about Billy-Jay O’Toole’s previous work.
Fyans Street
Kait James has based her design for the Fyans Street rail bridge on the Silver Wattle that grows throughout Wadawurrung Country, particularly along the Barwon River.
The leaf of the silver wattle will feature on more than 200 concrete panels on the rail bridge’s approach walls.
Kait’s art features prominently in the Geelong region, including 193 tea towel panel designs featured on the exterior panelling of the redeveloped Geelong Arts Centre and a five-storey Sheoak stairwell and meeting room art installation at Wurriki Nyal, Geelong’s Civic Precinct.
See Kait James’ previous work.
South Geelong Station
Local artist James Price will feature local sport and community in his design for the new pedestrian overpass and ramps as part of upgrades to South Geelong Station.
A full-time artist who grew-up in Victoria’s regional south-west, James is no stranger to local sport having played for the Geelong Falcons in the then TAC Cup competition in the late 1990s.
His design aims to represent how sport connects things at all different levels and is often the way people connect with their community.
Learn more about James Price.
Themes for the artworks were chosen in collaboration with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and community feedback, to ensure each artwork is significant to the location and the community.
With the first three artists revealed, expressions of interest are now open for two art opportunities as part of the upgrades at Marshall Station. Learn more or apply now.
Learn more about the Geelong Line Upgrade.