Local students help paint Footscray

Photo courtesy of VU in the Community, photographer Dennis Murphy Photo.

Footscray City Primary School has received a fresh lick of paint as students joined renowned artists, Heesco and Chuck Mayfield, to paint a large 40 metre wide by 10 metre high mural on the back wall of the school’s gym.

Activating the corridor nestled between the gym and train line for pedestrians and train travellers, the mural, which was co-designed by students and artists, celebrates life-long learning and the benefits of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) focused education. The mural features an astronaut in a colourfully decorated suit moving from the past into a bright future, led by Bunjil the Eagle as a welcome and optimistic symbol for our community moving forward. The prominent emblems embedded into the mural reflect the STEAM approach to learning and celebrate the local area. The design emerged from a series of weekly workshops with 60 students from Footscray Primary School, Footscray City Primary School and Footscray High School. Through the workshop process the students learnt about street and public art, developed visual concepts about STEAM learning and gained practical experience using stencils, rollers and other street art techniques. The project is part of Maribyrnong City Council’s StreetWORKS program and was delivered in partnership with Victoria University, Footscray City Primary School and the Footscray Learning Precinct. The initiative supports and promotes the arts while contributing to the visual amenity of our neighbourhoods and has the added benefit of reducing graffiti and tagging.