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1 DESIGN BRIEF Artist Brief ABORIGINAL INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE Public Art Commission
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DESIGN BRIEF
Artist Brief
ABORIGINAL INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE Public Art Commission
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Shellharbour City Council is committed to acknowledging, respecting and
celebrating the local Aboriginal community. Council has an ongoing
commitment to making our city a dynamic and vibrant place where creativity
thrives. Council is seeking to commission an Aboriginal artist or designer to
create designs to be integrated into signage for the Aboriginal Interpretive
Signage Walk.
Background
What is an Aboriginal Interpretive Signage Walk?
An Aboriginal Interpretive Signage Walk is a way of communicating elements of local
Aboriginal culture and heritage to the broader community. It can assist Aboriginal traditional
custodians to share selected aspects of their culture and to help educate and celebrate that
culture. An Aboriginal Interpretive Signage Walk can include physical signs and art works as
well as online material such as recordings and additional resources – these can be provided
via platforms such as mobile phone apps.
Specially, this project will engage an Aboriginal artist or designer to create an Aboriginal
themed interpretive signage that can be placed around the edge of Lake Illawarra and
potentially other sites across the region such as Shellharbour Village, Killalea and Bass Point.
Preference will be given to a local Aboriginal artist who is connected through country or has
lived experience, however all Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists or designers are
encouraged to apply.
This is an installation project that seeks to promote local Aboriginal knowledge around the
Southern edge of Lake Illawarra.
Opportunity for Artists
Council is seeking Expressions of Interest from an Aboriginal artist or designer interested in
creating TWO artworks and/or designs that will be integrated into the following:
An Entry sign
Way finding signage (totems)
Infographics
All or sections of your artwork will be used into the signage fabrication.
See examples of signs in Appendix 1.
The final artworks should incorporate some of the elements and themes from Appendix
2. This should be outlined in the artists’ written description (refer to the application
process p.5)
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Final artworks should be:
Unique in design
Traditional or contemporary in style
Link to the surrounding area and reflect the local context, people and place
The artworks should also:
Build a sense of pride and togetherness
Celebrate Aboriginal culture and language
Respond to the unique characteristics of site, place and people
Be visually bold
Demonstrate artistic excellence
The project seeks to activate space, add vibrancy and provide a visual celebration of place
and Aboriginal culture and heritage.
The successful artist/designer will be asked to provide illustrations in high resolution .jpg that
would be suitable for a range of fabrications such as laser cutting.
Location
The placement of the interpretative signs have been approved around the Southern edge of
Lake Illawarra, with the view to expand into other appropriate areas, including, but not limited
to, Shellharbour Village, Barrack Point, Bass Point, Killalea, and Albion Park.
Proposed locations of the signs:
Refer to Appendix 3 for pictures of site locations.
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Artist Responsibilities
Council requires the artist/s to:
Undertake the development and design of the artwork
Undertake research, creative development and design
Ensure that the artwork is suitable for the site
Provide high resolution .jpg files to architect specifications
Deliver an artist statement for the work
Comply with Council's relevant Policies and Procedures, including Code of Conduct.
The artwork should also be guided by the ambitions and actions outlined in Council's
Public Art Strategy available to view at here.
Budget
The fee available for this project of $4000. This fee is inclusive of:
Artist fee
Research and development of concept
Provision of high resolution .jpg files
Artist statement.
The manufacture of the interpretive signs has an additional budget allowance for fabrication,
held by Council’s contractor. These amounts allow for the laser cut steel/timber/other
fabrication of the signage.
Proposed Project Schedule
Expression of interest due (4 weeks) March 21 2021
Artist engaged (2 weeks) April 9 2021
Artwork due for feedback, including with Asset and
Maintenance Council staff (4 weeks)
May 10 2021
Final artwork due (1 week) May 17 2021
The selected artist/s will be required to consult and liaise with council staff and undertake
regular updates to Council as required. The project concept must be practical and achievable
within the time schedule.
Anticipated construction and fabrication of the signs will be mid to late 2021.
Intellectual Property Rights
Copyright in material produced or developed for Council through community consultation
and/or discussion with Council will have a shared copyright with these community members
and Council.
Wherever Council reproduces images of the artwork or its design in electronic, print, or digital
media the Council undertakes to acknowledge the project artist.
Privacy
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Shellharbour City Council always respects your privacy. The information collected for this
application will be used for the purpose of assessing your submission, subject always to the
Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW). For more information please see
our Privacy Management Plan on our website www.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au or contact our
Privacy Officer on 02 4221 6111.
Applications
Interested artists are invited to submit an Expression of Interest for this project. Your
submission should provide the following:
Written or oral description of artistic approach and style (maximum 250 words).
Portfolio images of recent artwork (maximum ten images)
Resume, outlining relevant experience.
Expression of Interest submissions are to be received at the email address below by midnight
March 21, 2021.
Late submissions will not be considered.
Evaluation Criteria
An Expression of Interest will be assessed on the below criteria:
Artistic merit and conceptual integrity
Relevant experience and quality of previous projects
Contract The successful applicant will be contracted under a Memorandum of Understanding. A copy of this agreement will be provided to applicants on request.
Contact Details
All submissions and enquiries should be directed to:
Carmelina Nunnari, Arts and Cultural Development Officer
Further references
There are several valuable points of interest that may assist in your submission:
Shellharbour Images
Wildlife in Shellharbour
Animals and plants
Shellharbour City Council Public Art Strategy
Make, Play, Grow 2015-2019: a strategy for a more creative Shellharbour
Appendix 1- Examples
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Appendix 2- Themes of site locations and site references
FAQ’s
Appendix 1: Interpretive signage examples
Example Entry sign as seen at the Byron Bay Whale and Dolphin Trail
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Example Totem Sign as seen on the Byron Bay Whale and Dolphin Trail
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The Bass Point Walk signage artwork:
Appendix 2:
Themes of site locations and site references
Boonerah
Point
Landscape Feature: Escarpment
Cultural Feature: Lake Illawarra
Dreaming story
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Whyjuck Bay Landscape Feature: Mt Warrigal
Cultural Feature: Dharrawal translation
of “Warrigal”
Hooker Park Landscape Feature: Bevans Island
Cultural Feature: Dharrawal name of
Island
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Reddall
Reserve West
Landscape Feature: Lake Illawarra
Cultural Feature: hunting and farming
practises on the Lake
Reddall
Reserve East
Landscape Feature: Windang Island
Cultural Feature: Dreaming story of
Gangmangang (Windang)
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Strong
Reserve
Landscape Feature: Ocean
Cultural Feature: hunting and farming
practises on the Ocean
Legget Park
Look Out
Landscape Feature: Sand Dunes
Cultural Feature: Middens
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Barrack Point Landscape Feature: Five Islands to the
North and Bass Point Trail in the South
Cultural Feature: the significance of the
local area, summarising all the various
landscapes features and Dreaming
stories explained on the trail
FAQ’s
Do I have to provide my 2 artworks/designs in this submission?
No. As this is an EOI your application should only include:
An artist statement, outlining your approach to the artwork
Portfolio of your recent work
Your resume
How recent is “recent work”?
Work within the past 5 years
I’m a painter- I haven’t provided works for integration before. Should I still submit?
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Yes! We encourage all local Aboriginal artists, to submit an expression of interest. You will
work with the creative team and fabricators to ensure your final artworks will be suitable.
I’m not from Shellharbour, can I still apply?
Yes, all Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists or designers are encouraged to apply. However connection to place through family or lived experience is desirable.
How can I submit an oral description of my approach?
You can record or film a description of your artistic concept using your Smart phone. This file can be attached to the email and sent with the rest of your application. Oral description is also limited to 250 words.
Who can I contact for more information?
Carmelina Nunnari, Arts and Cultural Development Officer
Shane Venables, Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer
E: [email protected] or 0420 958 702
