Public Art in Baw Baw Shire
Baw Baw Shire is home to a dynamic and diverse arts landscape, with a proud history of supporting creativity. Council currently has more than 220 public artworks (a very large number for a local government area) and an extensive Civic Art Collection of 122 works. Featuring contributions from local, national, and international artists, these collections celebrate our rich heritage, cultural diversity, and deep pride in place.
Public art brings our stories to life, celebrates local community identities, and enhances the visual and cultural fabric of our communities. It helps to turn locations around our Shire into quality spaces that the community wants to live, work and play in.
As a manager and advocate of public space, Baw Baw Shire Council plays a central role in shaping the region’s public art landscape. Council supports the creation and care of artworks that reflect the unique character, culture, and aspirations of our towns and people. This includes commissioning, collecting, and maintaining artworks across a variety of public settings.
What do we mean by Public Art?
Public art includes artwork of any medium (such as sculpture, projection, murals, performance or new media) that is intentionally created for and installed in a public space.
These artworks contribute to the aesthetic and cultural landscape of the community and are typically outdoors and site-specific.
These artworks can be ephemeral (e.g. a flash mob or 24-hour installation), temporary, short or long-term in nature.
Wrapped in Art Installation Update
Vinyl wraps featuring artwork on 16 electrical boxes across Warragul’s town centre have reached the end of their lifespan and will be removed in June. Originally intended as a temporary 3–5 year installation, the wraps have been in place for longer and are now deteriorating. Council will remove them and return the boxes to their original condition. While well received, this initiative is currently not budgeted to be renewed or continued. Council thanks the community for embracing this arts initiative and for their understanding.