commissioning community projects
Community projects are typically public murals, that have a strong input from the community - either in their subject matter or in their community involvement, or both.
Commissioning a community project involves many people, the thank-you-page of a recent community project shows the breadth of involvement. We can manage the entire project, from funding through to publicity, see below.
Much of that involvement is garnered over time, however to start the process we need a rough understanding of the scope of the project:
think about what the community might want the mural to depict. With many groups involved it is often a matter of collecting different opinions of what the mural should include.
think about what groups would like to be involved - is there a local school or art class that is seeking involvement? There could be local clubs that are seeking to learn the art of mural production, or local artists who would like to be included. Are there interested historians, local identities, the local indigenous community, local clubs and groups to include.
are there any people who will be providing assistance (for example builders, local tourist information, local media, and a school contact if children are to be involved).
determine what budget is available for the project.
if there is a site already identified, measure the area and determine the base for the mural (plaster, walls, boards, bricks, metal etc). Will there be a need for scaffolding, is there sufficient natural light available, can the mural be painted off-site and then installed?
calculate a time frame for completion - allowing sufficient time for research, preparation, and painting of murals. Be aware of school holidays, exam times, seasons.
if the project is not in the Sydney basin, options for accommodation.
Contact us to discuss any questions you have, we'd be very happy to talk to you about your ideas. Our contact details are listed here.
what we do
Once we are appointed, we work to ensure a successful mural by managing the project and involving people.
The first part of the project involves meeting people - we talk with as many people as possible, and draw out their interest and personal aspirations for the project. We meet everyone who would like to be involved with the painting - such as local artists, and even the local school if required. We will always seek to incorporate their ideas and styles. We will collect images, texts, stories and anything that can be used for inspiration and inclusion in the design, and familiarise ourselves with the town/suburb and its surrounds if that is relevant to the project.
The preparation of the mural area will commence, making the surface smooth and readying it for paint application (if a mural surface must be constructed, we will organise the framework and boards).
Colour roughs are prepared, which show the proposed completed mural design. These are presented to the commissioning group, and a meeting called to give people the opportunity to comment on the design and suggest alterations. We then revise the design if required.
Once approval is given, the mural is then painted up to a finished and final state. We use colour-fast durable paints, which are sealed with varnish to ensure artwork longevity.
Along the way, we will assist with publicity, and keep all parties informed and involved through our web-site.
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