Here is the lastest video made by Umpel featuring Kloster Mini Garage Promotional Pop Up Shop.
Last night I managed to visit Time and Place Gallery to see an exhibition titled ‘The Line Up’ featuring superstar-style portraits of Newcastle’s top Roller Derby athletes.
Photographer Ange Stephens, or “Dangerass” when it’s time to skate with the team, has captured the spirit and aspirations of these powerful women. The works are beautifully stylised, with each Roller Derby persona captured in a dynamic positions, some even appear to be in mid-flight. The movement captured in these works is fantastic, with a larger than life size print, these local super hero’s demand your full attention.
It was fantastic to hear last night that over $2000.00 was raised, after silent auctions of the works at the opening. It is always great to see local scenes mix and last night saw Renew Newcastle project Time and Place Creatives show their support for what is, a steadily growing, local women’s sport.
I’ve only been to one local bout but I can safely vouch, I’ve never cheered so much for a sports team in my life! The theatrical element to this sport makes it the best spectator sport. Do I have a favourite? Well, Susy Pow, of course!
Want to know more about Newcastle Roller Derby? Go to NRDL for more info.
Oh and last night we saw a friendly local face riding a push-bike cabby outside. This looks like a great way to move around the CBD! If you see them cruising around, give them a holler and be chauffeured in this Eco-friendly mode of transport.
This week Street Art Walking saw the completion of a mural by Brendon Ussher. The project has been funded by Newcastle City Council’s Pride Of Place Program, with a special thanks to Saul Standerwick for assisting in kick starting the project, at the end of last year. Saul has since moved on from his role with council and we already miss sending him fun street art links. Many of the public art murals in town (like the tunnel at the beach, the lucky country murals, the council vans and more) were organised by Saul. It was truly a honour to work with him via the PoP Program and he will be missed by many, I’m sure.
The artwork designed by Brendon fits perfectly within this unique retaining wall, which is actually quiet a long wall.
Each section of the wall has a different insect, amongst the luscious green foliage. The detailed layers produce a 3D effect, with dew drops falling from the edges of the leaves.
Amongst the greenery you will find a lady beetle, praying mantis, ants and more. As the mural was being painted, many onlookers enjoyed discovering the garden features, getting excited as they mapped out these larger than life creatures. A living lady beetle even stopped by to give her nod of approval!
You can see the artwork which is located on King Street, next to Centrelink, Newcastle. Centrelink address is 279 King Street.
Street Art Walking is proud to partner with Newcastle City Council’s Pride of Place (PoP) Program to produce a new mural in the city of Newcastle. Artist, Brendon Ussher, has created a nature scene featuring colourful garden creatures that fits in nicely with the surrounding area.
This week I was contacted by a local car company, The Kloster Group, whom are having a ‘Pop Up’ Promo shop that will feature a graffitied car (artist unknown, at this stage, we will update when we know) inside a currently empty shop. Kloster specifically requested UMPEL, after finding these blogs that I (try) to keep updating with new content. It’s all pretty exciting, as it’s new territory and a different style of job. The artwork is to compliment an existing marketing campaign for Mini. Wow!
For those of you that follow my work in Gosford, you will know that I work trying to ‘fill’ empty shops, with creative projects. So there is a nice synergy here with this new project.
We have done the site inspection and UMPEL is scheming ideas. The project should be up and open for viewing after next Friday. Stay tuned for more details and images.
This week we have been measuring up, well, lanes of space.
As many of you know, we have been (literally) working in Theatre Lane, pasting up art posters to ‘lift’ the area. The project is going well, considering the torrents of rain we have been having. Today, when we were doing some maintenance, we came across a very newly dead pigeon. We won’t go into detail, just to say, this is not the first time we’ve encountered such matter on the street.
In one area of Hunter Street mall, there are a number of properties sharing lane way space. Often, these areas, become overlooked and uncared for.
Our newest project is bringing together over three property owners, equating to over 500 per square metres of space.
The areas will need serious cleaning and clearing before artists can work in the area. Today we came across many spiders (including one very huge and angry red back), weeds and a broken couch, rotten with water and whatever else.
Soon the area will be transformed from a black hole into a brighter place, filled with artworks.
Expressions of interest from artists will be called very soon. Preparing photos, measurements and maps at the moment.
We have been invited to host an exhibition in coalition with King Street Hotel in the coming months. We are super excited about the venue, and the event that will be part of this exhibition, which we will release more information about, as it comes!
In the meantime, we want to hear from locals (and others who are keen enough) who want to be part of our first collective exhibition.
There’s no rules or ideas, at this stage, so why not drop us an email with your work?
Share your ideas on what you’d like to exhibit. Maybe you have prints ready? Or you want to make some new work?
We think we want it to be street art inspired and are very open to your ideas. Email us, today!
I had a great night, representing Create, Innovate Gosford City, mingling with some great people within the Creative Industries of Australia, as well as key government staff, that can make such a difference to arts and culture.
There were live paste-ups happening whilst The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore MP, addressed the floor. It’s excellent to see businesses, council and the like, championing the use of empty spaces for creative industries.
I feel very privileged to be part of a unique Contemporary Australian art scene that is right at the fringe of the artist world. I’m not into white walls. I respect high art institutions, to a degree. Yet, it is within the low (or no) budget, where upon my heart shall remain.
This weekend Perkins Street will be closed off from traffic for The Bodhi Festival.
This is a great time to visit the Hunter Street Mall to see our artworks, whilst being part of a very special and unique event.
We have given our donation and are looking forward to visiting the ‘Abode of Peace’, which many will know as the (former) David Jones building.
