Thursday, 4 March 2021
Illuminart Australia are thrilled to announce that three regional permanent projection projects that we have designed and continue to support, have been national winners in the Australian Street Art Awards 2021.
We congratulate District Council of Karoonda East Murray, the Flinders Ranges Council and the North Burnett Regional Council, for the wonderful recognition of their regional cultural tourism attractions, and hope that the awards create increased awareness and visitation of the attractions.
The Quorn Silo Light Show, Karoonda Silo Art, and the Language of the Land projection sculpture, have each taken out an award, bringing a real glow of pride to the three communities where the installations have been established. Karoonda has also taken out the best of the best! All the illuminart team, local artists and community members involved, really appreciate the recognition that the awards bring.
Illuminart co-founder and artistic director, Cindi Drennan, said “the judges will have had a big challenge to choose from so many excellent Public Art installations around Australia, and we are very proud that three permanent projections designed and supported by us, have been winners in the Australian Street Art awards. Each town is reliant on tourism and the recognition of the excellence and effort that the councils, partners, collaborators and communities put into establishing and running the installations, will bring increased visitation as well as provide valuable feedback and assurance about the quality of the projects.”
Karoonda Silo Art
Officially THE BEST Public Art in Australia, having taken out the top gong at the Australian Street Art Awards, a national art tourism program. After being announced the Gold Winner in the Best Mega Mural category at the 2020 Australian Street Art Awards on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast last night, Karoonda then went on to win the very top gong – the 2020 Best of the Best Award.
The Best of the Best is handed to the nominee that impressed the judges the most, as determined by the highest cumulative score from all category winners.
Karoonda Silo Art is the very first silo where a painted mural and a permanent projection have been brought together. It is a great place to visit in the day to see the mural and then stay for the evening to watch it come alive with illuminated artwork.
Karoonda nudged out Flinders Ranges Council’s Quorn Silo Light Show, which took the Silver Award in the Best Mega Mural category, and Bronze Winner, Yelarbon Graincorp Silo Art, nominated by Queensland’s Goondiwindi Regional Council.
The judges said, “This mural by day and light show by night project is contributing significantly to making Australia a more vibrant, creative and interesting country – somewhere visitors will want to explore more keenly”.
MEDIA RELEASE – Karoonda Wins Top Australian Art Tourism Award
Case Study – Karoonda Silo Art
Quorn Silo Light Show has won Silver (2nd place) in the category of best Mega Mural. It features a nightly show of local stories, followed by a showcase of local art and photography.
The Flinders Ranges Council is thrilled to have received Silver in the 2020 Australian Street Art Awards under the Best Mega Mural category for the Quorn Silo Art. Mayor Greg Flint said that receiving Silver in this prestigious award recognises the commitment that Council and has put into supporting the project.
“Council submitted the project under Round 1 of the Drought Communities Programme and was thrilled to have been successful to enable the project to be driven forward. Local company Illuminart was engaged to work with the local community to pull together the digital storytelling aspects. The Silo Art is a great showcase for Quorn and the wider region and has attracted the national spotlight through this award nomination.”
The innovative show uses outdoor art to transform the street scape and brings local stories to life each evening using the dual-tower Quorn silos as an expansive canvas, giving visitors access to a free educational experience that is both visually beautiful and respectful of the local heritage.
“Being a runner-up in the Best Mega Mural category further cements Quorn as a bucket list destination for visitors who love to seek out art experiences.”
20210303_Media Release – Quorn Silo Light Show Australian Street Art Awards
Case Study: Quorn Silo Light Show
Language of the Land is a free nightly light and sound show projected across a multi-panel sculpture in regional Queensland is an Australian first. Turning heads and gathering admirers along the way, the ‘Language of the Land’ was designed by digital art specialists, Illuminart.The steel sculpture, located within the grounds of the RM Williams Australian Bush Learning Centre precinct managed by the North Burnett Regional Council, pays tribute to people who live on, or are connected to, the land. Stylised bush trails, water holes, rivers and animal tracks adorn the lower half of the five-panelled sculpture while circular motfis above represent communities, stargazing and campfire gatherings. At night it comes to life with projected stories, bush poetry and anecdotes reflecting the bush way of life, in homage to RM Williams.
Twenty-two public art experiences were recognised at the Australian Street Art Awards, as the best in the country for art-loving visitors at the Australian Street Art Awards held on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
The Australian Street Art Awards encourages Australians to explore the world-class street and public art that is safely accessible all year round and found in every corner of the country. With rigorous judging by tourism leaders from across Australia and abroad, plus second-tier auditing and due diligence, District Council of Karoonda East Murray’s win has the credence of the art tourism sector.
Awards Director Liz Rivers said “Australia has a long history of creating superlative public art that captivates visitors. Until these Awards were launched in 2019 there had never been a way of rewarding and supporting places that created these art-related experiences for travellers”.
“Public art has now come into its own with people journeying hundreds or sometimes thousands of kilometres to experience a silo art trail or see a sculpture in an extraordinary landscape, such as the desert,” Ms Rivers said.