Thirty-four public art experiences have been recognised as the best in the country for art-loving visitors at the Australian Street Art Awards.
The Australian Street Art Awards is a tourism awards for public art program which encourages Australians to explore the world-class street art and public art that is freely accessible all year round and found in every corner of the country.
Gold Award winners of the 2023 Australia Street Art Awards include a mega-mural by day and show by night silo, a group of jolly giants, an exhibition of ‘knitted graffiti’, and a Big Koala that has bigger shoes to fill.
Heading the list was the Quirindi Silo Art and Light and Sound Show in the heart of NSW, which won the Best of the Best top gong after taking out Gold in the Best Mega Mural category earlier in the evening. The ‘Best of the Best’ is handed to the Gold winner which impressed the judges the most, as determined by the highest cumulative score from all category winners.
The Awards saw 34 public art experiences across Australia recognised, including two which were inducted into the Hall of Fame for winning three consecutive Gold Awards – Frankston’s Street Art Walking Tour and the SWELL Sculpture Festival on the Gold Coast. This is the first year that the Australian Street Art Awards has inducted any winners.
While all states and territories except ACT are well represented on the winners’ list, Queensland proved it was top of the charts when it comes to ‘must visit’ places for art loving tourists. Almost one third of all accolades (10 of 34) went to Queensland outdoor art experiences.
The Awards announcements included the Outstanding Contribution to Australian Art Tourism Award. This discretionary award is granted to a person who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to transform one or more destinations through outdoor art.
This year’s recipient is Margret Meagher. Since 2000, Margret has been a leader in the international field of arts, health and creative ageing. In 2010 she embarked on developing a public art project in Port Macquarie NSW. Four years later, Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail launched with 50 one-metre-high fibreglass sculptures hand-painted by artists. These days it encompasses 88 sculptures and is the region’s most popular tourism attraction.
Awards Director Liz Rivers said, “All these art experiences and their creators contribute significantly to making Australia a more vibrant, creative and interesting country – somewhere visitors want to explore more keenly.”
“Smart communities promote their outdoor art, and outdoor art events, as a unique experience – an attraction that visitors can see in only place, and that makes their destination immediately identifiable, highly attractive and a drawcard for art-loving tourists,” Ms Rivers said.
“Investing in outdoor art as an attraction mechanism also makes economic sense as art is typically less expensive to create than more traditional tourism attractions while the pay-off is handsome,” she said.
Domestic arts tourists are high value visitors – they stay almost one-and-a-half times longer and spend about one-and-a-half times more per day than domestic tourists overall, according to an Australia Council for the Arts’ Domestic Art Tourism: Connecting the Country Report.
2023 GOLD WINNERS:
• Best of the Best: Quirindi Silo Art and Light & Sound Show, Liverpool Plains NSW (Artists: Peter Ryan, Kate Rutter, Illuminart)
• Best Community Art: Kapunda Post Office Mural, Light Region SA (Artists: numerous)
• Best Entrance Art: Hawker Entranceway, Flinders Ranges and Outback SA (Artist: Juanella McKenzie)
• Best External Mural: Adnate x Luther Cora Mural, Gold Coast QLD (Artists: Matt Adnate and Luther Cora)
• Best Landmark Sculpture: The Big Koala, Spirit of All Koalas, Greater Port Macquarie NSW (Artists: by Pauline Roods and John Belfield)
• Best Mega Mural: Quirindi Silo Art and Light & Sound Show, Liverpool Plains NSW (Artists: Peter Ryan, Kate Rutter, Illuminart)
• Best Monument or Memorial: The World at Goldtower Central, Charters Towers QLD (Designer: Paul McIver)
• Best Rural Art: Wool Bay Water Tank Mural, Yorke Peninsula SA (Artists: Sam Brooks, Harley Hall and Mark Harding)
• Best Sculpture Park or Trail: Thomas Dambo’s Giants of Mandurah, Peel Region WA (Artist: Thomas Dambo, Producer: FORM)
• Best Small Town Street Art Festival or Event: Jumpers & Jazz in July Yarnbombed Tree Exhibition, Southern Downs QLD
• Best Street Art Festival or Event: SWELL Sculpture Festival, Gold Coast QLD
• Best Street Art Laneway: Savages Lane on the Macleay Valley Coast NSW (Artists: numerous)
• Best Street Art Tour: Frankston’s Street Art Walking Tours, Frankston VIC
• Best Street Art Trail: Collie Mural Trail, Bunbury Geographe WA (Artists: numerous)
2023 SILVER WINNERS:
• Best Community Art: Living Breathing Gallery, Ipswich QLD (Artists: numerous)
• Best External Mural: ADNATE – Jace and Kacia King, Darwin NT (Artist: Matt Adnate)
• Best Landmark Sculpture: The World at Goldtower Central, Charters Towers QLD (Designer: Paul McIver)
• Best Mega Mural: ‘Reflections’ Mural at Wellington Dam, Collie WA (Artist: Guido Van Helton)
• Best Monument or Memorial: 2022 Flood Memorial Murals, Clarence Valley NSW (Artists: Al Stark and NITSUA)
• Best Rural Art: Katherine Power Substation Murals, Katherine NT (Artist: Jesse Bell, Proper Creative) Best Sculpture Park or Trail: Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail, Greater Port Macquarie (Artists: numerous)
• Best Small Town Street Art Festival or Event: Spirit of the Land Lockhart Festival, Riverina NSW
• Best Street Art Festival or Event: Frankston’s Street Art Festival – Big Picture Fest, Frankston VIC
• Best Street Art Tour: Jimmy C Street Art Tour by Flamboyance Tours, Adelaide SA
• Best Street Art Trail: Maryborough Mural Trail, Fraser Coast QLD (Artists: numerous)
2023 BRONZE WINNERS:
• Best Community Art: MilBi Magic: Archie’s Beach Community Mosaics, Bundaberg QLD (Artists: Paul Perry and numerous)
• Best External Mural: Centenary Lane Mural, Gawler SA (Artist: Kyle Armstrong aka Whale Tale)
• Best Landmark Sculpture: iDIDIT!, Sunshine Coast QLD (Artist: Russell Anderson)
• Best Mega Mural: Yarram Water Tower, Yarram (Artist: Heesco Khosnaran aka HEESCO)
• Best Monument or Memorial: Gallipoli to Armistice Memorial, Fraser Coast QLD (Artists: numerous)
• Best Rural Art: Exmouth Sundown Silo, Exmouth WA (Artist: Tiffany Clitheroe)
• Best Sculpture Park or Trail: Sculpture on the Marsh, Derby WA (Artists: Mark Norval, Valerie Lennard and Joey Kitching)
• Best Small Town Street Art Festival or Event: Mali Heart Street Art, Wimmera Mallee VIC (Artists: numerous)
• Best Street Art Festival or Event: 2023 Darwin Street Art Festival NT
• Best Street Art Trail: Katherine Art Trail, Katherine NT (Artists: numerous)
The 2023 Awards saw the introduction of Best Street Art Experience in each state or territory, with the inaugural STATE WINNERS being:
• NSW – Quirindi Silo Art and Light & Sound Show
• NT – ADNATE’s Jace and Kacia King, Darwin
• QLD – Adnate x Luther Cora Mural, Gold Coast
• SA – Centenary Lane Mural, Gawler
• VIC – Yarram Water Tower
• WA – Reflections Mural at Wellington Dam, Collie
