The integration of public art works into sites of significance across Bayside provides access for the community to experience art in public spaces and parks, to promote the municipality and to encourage cultural tourism.

Council endorsed five sites for future public art works at the 15 December 2015 Ordinary Meeting of Council and one of these was Elsternwick Park. The location is also included in the Progam of Capital Works in the Bayside Arts Strategic Plan 2018-2022 adopted by Council in October 2018.

The location for this project is the southern part of the park close to Head Street, as this provides the greatest potential for artwork integration. It is a part of the park that is well used by the local community with an open undulating landscape profile. The proposed artwork site is positioned near the south-east corner of the park close to the corner of New and Head Streets. It is nestled within a mounded open landscape environment, consisting primarily of open grass with scattered canopy vegetation. The location is set in from the Head Street and New Street interfaces, which accommodate residential properties to the south and east respectively.

Fragmented, short range views can be gained through the park’s scattered canopy from both Head and New Streets towards the proposed artwork. The topographical high point is free of visual clutter and highly visible from within the park itself, particularly from the extensive pedestrian pathway network that circles the lake and services key north-south access between the sporting ovals.

This corner of the park is a local public gathering area and an elevated vantage point with good aspect and exposure. It has a high level of accessibility, given the surrounding pedestrian paths and is also visible from passing traffic along New and Head Streets.

Public art enhances our urban environment and provides people with the opportunity of experiencing visual culture in their daily lives.

The Public Art & Heritage Collection Policy provides for the commissioning of visual art works of a permanent or ephemeral nature to enhance the municipality’s civic spaces and the urban environment.

The purchase and location of public art is also included in the Progam of Capital Works in the Bayside Arts Strategic Plan 2018-2022 adopted by Council in October 2018.

The ideas you submit in this engagement will inform the artists brief that will go out to public tender later this year.

The public art selection panel will use this information to inform their decision making and final selection. The panel includes a member of the Bayside Arts Board.