The City of Fremantle is proud to announce the completion of the Our Voice | Our Mark public art project, with three vibrant new murals now transforming public spaces across the city.
The project brought together three Western Australian artists and students from three local high schools in a creative mentorship program designed to support the next generation of artists.
Artists Olive Cheng, ArtbyRow (Adam Cicanese) and Jordan Rush were selected through an open expression of interest process and worked closely with students from John Curtin College of the Arts, Fast Track and The Studio School throughout the year.
Across Terms 1 and 2, the artists mentored students from Years 7 to 11, guiding them through concept development and artistic practice. In Term 3, the teams collaborated to paint three large-scale, site-specific murals at:
- Parmelia Park toilet block, created by Olive Cheng and John Curtin College of the Arts students
- Horrie Long Reserve basketball court, created by ArtbyRow and Fast Track students
- FOMO carpark, created by Jordan Rush and The Studio School students
The artworks were designed to respond to their surroundings, reflecting the history, culture and character of each location, while contributing to a strong sense of place and community connection.
The project was proudly supported by the City of Fremantle and the Western Australian Government and aligns with the City's Arts, Culture and Creative Strategy 2024-34 and Youth Plan 2024-28, which aim to nurture creative talent and provide real-world creative opportunities for young people.
Funding was provided through the WA Government's Creativity for Schools Program, which supports partnerships between schools and professional creatives to build creative learning practices in Western Australian schools.
Reflections from those involved highlight the impact of the project:
- ArtbyRow (Adam Cicanese) said, "I wanted to show them that it's okay to take creative risks, to give things a go, and to create public artworks for their friends, school, and community to enjoy and engage with. The combination of the mentorship program and the mural painting process allowed us to come together as a team to create something that wasn't just about my individual practice as an artist, but about what we could achieve collectively as a group of young creatives."
- Josie Law, Year 10, John Curtin College of the Arts, said, "I love public art as it can brighten up and add creativity and colour to any urban space. I have participated in a few mural projects, with the public artwork at Parmelia Park being my favourite. I loved being able to help create something colourful and inspirational for the South Fremantle community."
- Edie Liddon from The Studio School said, "My favourite part was watching it all come together at the end of the process. It was super satisfying to see it up on the wall after all the planning."
- Artist Jordan Rush said, "I enjoyed watching the students build confidence over the time we were together. When we were doing workshops in the first stages of the project, some students were apprehensive about painting detailed things. By the time we were doing the mural, those same students were volunteering for the more complicated details of the mural."
The City of Fremantle thanks and acknowledges the commitment of the teachers, staff and students from John Curtin College of the Arts, Fast Track and The Studio School who made this project possible, as well as the artists who generously shared their skills and time.
The City is thrilled with the finished murals and invites the community to visit the sites and experience the new artworks across Walyalup | Fremantle.
