A Place for Artists and Art Lovers

NASTIA GLADUSHCHENKO Where the flowers go (detail) 2020, Froma Lane, Katoomba. Commissioned by Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Froma Lane Street Art Project

The Blue Mountains Cultural Centre has commissioned five street artists to paint new murals in Froma Lane, transforming the space into a corridor of colour and art, and connecting Katoomba Street with the Cultural Centre steps.

The artists were commissioned as part of Wollemi Weekend, a series of events bringing the community together safely to support local creatives. The five artists involved are Nastia Gladushchenko, Jodee Knowles, Man.De (Mandy Schöne -Salter) Claire Nakazawa and up-and-coming artist Sama Cooper. Their works reference themes of flight, movement and nature. The artists join Maria Harding who adorned the Cultural Centre steps with an image of a female Bower Bird in flight earlier this year.

A series of artist interviews will be posted to the Cultural Centre’s online initiative, VIRTUAL INSIGHT, offering behind the scenes footage and discussing the role of street art in revitalising urban spaces. Edible Garden – watch this space!

Earlier this year the Cultural Centre put a call out for a new volunteer Green Team to help plan, implement and care for an edible rooftop garden. It is hoped the garden will provide fresh, seasonal produce to the Gallery Café and learning opportunities for the local community. A combination of edible natives, garden vegetables and herbs will be planted over the next month to make the most of the warmer weather. A launch date is penned for Saturday 28 November, at the Courtyard Picnic and Talk Program which highlights local growers, community gardens and artist -led environmental initiatives through talks, activities and food! The event will include a crop swap where members of the community can come and swap food grown in their own backyard with produce from other growers.