Call for creatives to add colour to Kalbar

The heritage-listed Wiss Bros Emporium whose northern wall will provide the blank canvas for a public artwork

Scenic Rim Regional Council is drawing on the creative community for designs for a public artwork to adorn a local landmark and add colour to Kalbar.

Expressions of interest are now open and close on Wednesday 28 February for concept designs by artists and artistic teams for a mural on the Welge Street side of the heritage-listed Wiss Bros Emporium.

The building's 23-metre long northern wall has already been repainted, providing a blank canvas for the artwork that aims to capture the spirit of the township and its rich history.

Built in 1909, when Kalbar was known as Engelsberg, reflecting the German heritage of the region, Wiss Bros Emporium fronting George Street is an important example of Queensland architecture and has been at the heart of the local community through its growth over more than a century.

The mural project aims to celebrate Kalbar's rich sense of community and its place in the fertile Fassifern Valley through an artwork that reflects the creative excellence of the Scenic Rim.

The commission will be awarded on the basis of artistic merit, the artist's experience in delivering public artworks and their management of public art projects.

As the first stage of selection process, artists are asked to provide a written concept of their proposed work and how it responds to the project brief, a CV demonstrating experience in public art commissions and high-resolution digital images of previous public artworks.

These submissions will be shortlisted by the Scenic Rim Arts Reference Group, with up to three artists or artistic teams selected to further develop and present their concept designs for the site, with the final selection to take place in April 2024.

Details of the project brief are available on the liveatthecentre.com.au/ website on the Public Art tab under Grants and Cultural Initiatives or Live at the Centre: Public Art