Newman Town Park

Newman, Western Australia

• Client: BHP Billiton
• Stakeholders and partners: Country Arts WA; Shire of East Pilbara; LandCorp; Urban Design and Landscape Architecture;
• Role of Artsource: Public art coordinator
• Artists: Cheryl Botha; Margaret Dillon; Judith Forrest; Eveline Kotai; Franics Kotai; Nancy Lumsden; Dadda Samson; Elaine Tribbick.
• Outcome: Design of public open space, community engagement program and creation of public art works
• Artwork budget: $320,000 for public art program and artwork
• Completion date: 2011

As part of a broader arts program, Artsource was engaged to create a town center park based around an artist-led design process. The process incorporated a community engagement strategy and a professional development program for Newman artists as well as the commissioning and fabricating  public artworks. An artists’ team worked with people from the community to draw out and highlight important stories, generating ideas for the artworks.

Many of the artworks and designs integrate into hard landscaping features. Artists Eveline Kotai, Margaret Dillon and landscape architect Francis Kotai designed the stage which features inserts of semi precious stones; and paving is stencilled with vibrant Martumili Arts designs. Newman residents Cheryl Botha and Elaine Tribbick contributed story text and quilting patterns to enrich paving in the park, whilst tree grates were designed by local artist Nancy Lumsden, with mentoring provided by Judith Forrest. Spectacular concrete balls, based on Dada Samson paintings, and a number of free standing bronze works created by Judith Forrest complement the landscape design and hard landscaping features.