Sunday, 10 March 2024
‘Quirindi Silo Art and Light & Sound Show’ is Named Australia’s Best Public Experience
An artistic silo with a difference in Quirindi, created to attract visitors and dazzle residents, has won a triple gong in the 2023 Australian Street Art Awards.
The Australian Street Art Awards, established in 2018, recognise destinations like Quirindi for promoting outdoor art to make their destination and our collective country a more attractive place to visit and explore. Public artworks entertain visitors and engage their community as well as driving regional tourism and augmenting slower travel that connects with place and meaning.
The‘mural by day, show by night’ Quirindi Silo Art and Light and Sound Show received the Gold Award for the Best Mega Mural at the 2023 Australian Street Art Awards and the Best Street Art Experience in NSW Award, both announced before this celebrated silo was crowned as the Best of the Best in Australia.
The Best of the Best Award is granted to the nominee with the highest score from all winners.
Quirindi Silo Art and Light and Sound Show nudged out the world’s largest dam mural, ‘Reflections’ Mural at Wellington Dam in Collie WA (Silver), and the Yarram Water Tower in Victoria’s Gippsland (Bronze) to receive the Gold gong.
The Australian Street Art Awards, a tourism awards for public art program, encourages Australians to explore the world-class street and public art that is freely accessible all year round and found in every corner of the country.
Awards Director Liz Rivers said “Artworks are unique and therefore clever communities promote their outdoor art, including welcome art,as a unique attraction that visitors can see in only one place.”
“That makes investing in outdoor art as a visitor attraction mechanism good economic sense, especially when you consider that these art assets aret ypically far less expensive to create and maintain than more traditional tourism attractions,”she said.
TheQuirindi Silo Art has set itself apart from other artistic giants. A picturesque town in northwest inland NSW, Quirindi has a distinct mural thanks to lead artist Peter Ryan’s highly stylised, vibrant elements that encase the front of the silos.
Then each night a 20-minute light and sound show with more of Peter’s art shares with visitors the story of the town. Visitors watch in awe as kangaroos bound, raindrops flow, sunflowers bloom and fireworks explore in a choreographed digital display.
Art lovers are high value visitors who spend about one-and-a-half times more each day than other domestic tourists and stay about 50 percent longer, according to an Australia Council for the Arts’ Domestic Art Tourism: Connecting the Country Report.
The judges congratulated the Quirindi Silo Art Committee and the Rotary Club of Quirindi for creating a mega mural with a distinct difference.
“We love the innovative stance taken to use funding to support more than just the painting of the silo. The illustrative vibrancy of the silo art together with the changing nature of the light show together are great tools to drive longer stays and repeat visitation”, the judges said.
“Each of the communities acknowledged through these Awards have made their mark as a must-see destination for art lovers,” Liz Rivers said.
The Australian Street Art Awards was the tourism industry’s first, and remains the largest, recognition program for excellence and innovation in art tourism.
Judges’ feedback to nominees will include ways to finesse their offering and attract more visitors through their public art.
Head to the Australian Street Art Awards website for updates, go to illuminart’s Quirindi Silo Art project page, or visit them on Facebook.
It’s a pleasure to be a part of these awards and stand with all of the amazing communities whose wonderful efforts celebrate the uniqueness of Australia, bringimg much enjoyment, adventure and deeper connection for curious Australian and overseas travellers. Find out all the winners of this year’s awards at ASAA.
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