PUBLIC art aimed at reinvigorating the Beardy Street Mall remains under wraps a year after being commissioned.
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Armidale Dumaresq Council ran a competition in March last year calling for artists to submit plans for artwork for the Mall.
Three entries were submitted.
A tall, slim sculpture by Armidale artist Jonathon Larsen won the competition.
His work was scheduled to be installed near the stage at the eastern end of the Mall.
Under the competition’s rules, Larsen was tasked with producing 10 images of his work, which was to have a minimum 10-year design life and be resistant to vandals and the elements of weather.
“Ideally, the artwork will enliven and enhance the chosen site and will promote community interaction and inclusiveness,” a commissioning brief advised.
“The design will need to take into consideration the function of the Mall stage and its relationship to the post office and Old Court House, both heritage listed buildings.”
It also had to be detachable to accommodate any future redevelopment of the site.
An initial lacklustre response to the competition saw its deadline for applications extended.
Ultimately, Larsen’s work was chosen. His previous works have been exhibited in the New England Regional Art Museum and he has worked on projects with Beyond Empathy.
But his sculpture has still not been installed and a Council spokeswoman could not provide a date for installation.
Nor could Mayor Herman Beyersdorf.
“I imagine that after the March council meeting everything will be clarified, including the likely timeline for installation,” Cr Beyersdorf said yesterday.
Some of the street furniture surrounding the stage will have to be relocated to accommodate the sculpture.
A risk assessment has also been carried out and Council has agreed to pay Larsen $5000 to complete the project.
Larsen did not comment on the saga but suggested “comparing the approach and outcomes of surrounding shires in the public art arena”.
“[Public art] requires community involvement, allocation of resources for staff, mapping, policies to be written,” he said.
“The main thing is proper amounts of money found for art projects.”
