Public art is becoming a key component of the cultural interpretation and community building in new development areas. The Ponds Arts Strategy has a broad focus including the development of public art projects in key localities such as entry points to the suburb, the creek line, neighbourhood parks, community spaces and the parklands corridor. The arts strategy works hand-in-hand with the landscape strategy. It supports regional and emerging artists and, as the program evolves, will have increasing community involvement.
A dramatic art piece called Float, positioned at the entry to the development and featuring twelve gigantic upturned umbrellas, has become a talking point for residents. Seating shaped like a local owl has delighted children in one of the local neighbourhood parks. Aboriginal artwork called Gathering and Under Story is to be installed by the local Darug people and other local artists in 2011, to acknowledge the Aboriginal heritage of the area.
A national public art competition featuring the theme of the ‘culture of water’ is currently being run and is attracting attention from the country’s best environmental artists. The winning art work will be the centrepiece for a water based park in The Ponds and will mirror the neighbourhood’s water management and sustainability practices.
The community has embraced the public art and they use it to find their way, give directions to visitors (“turn right at the umbrellas”) and it subconsciously reinforces many of the design principles which have guided Landcom at The Ponds.
Go to People Places People TV and view more on The Ponds Public Art with Marla Guppy.
