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Acknowledgement of Country — WestConnex would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we have built WestConnex and our public art and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and invite everyone to share, be proud and be empowered by their culture.

Down to Earth by Gordon Young

Artwork

Campbell Street, St Peters

Down to Earth by Gordon Young

05:07

The work celebrates the cultural significance of brick for the local community.

Gordon Young’s work Down To Earth creates a Writers Walk along a section of Campbell Road, St Peters. In a series of seven text-based sculptures, the Writers Walk presents a diverse mix of found and original, historical and contemporary texts including lyrics, poetry, diaries and stories.

The work celebrates the cultural significance of brick for the local community. Constructed from bespoke handmade bricks, the artwork materiality directly references Sydney Park’s iconic heritage brick kilns, chimneys and vast clay pits, as well as the urban character of St Peters brick homes.

Headshot of the artist Gordon Young

Gordon Young

Carlisle, United Kingdom

Website

Gordon Young is one of the UK’s leading artists in the field of public art. With over 20 years’ experience he has created projects as diverse as a series of 20m sculptural / climbing walls in Blackpool, a forest of typographic trees in Crawley Library, a Wall of Wishes in a Bristol school, and a cursing stone in Carlisle.

Down to Earth by Gordon Young

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Gordon has a collaborative approach to working and has built up over the years strong and fruitful relationships with a diverse range of people.

Gordon’s latest and most ambitious project to date is the Comedy Carpet, a 2200m2 granite typographical pavement made up of jokes, songs and catch phrases of comedians and writers which is now permanently installed on the new promenade in front of Blackpool tower.

Concept

      Fabrication

          Installation

          Installation of this artwork is underway and is expected to arrive in the coming months. Check back for more information soon!
          Thumbnail image of artwork titled St Peters Fences Playground by Mike Hewson
          Previous artwork St Peters Fences Playground Mike Hewson
          Thumbnail image of artwork titled To Be – Ikigai by Andrew Rogers
          Next artwork To Be – Ikigai Andrew Rogers

          Acknowledgement of Country — WestConnex would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we have built WestConnex and our public art and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and invite everyone to share, be proud and be empowered by their culture.

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          Virtual education platform for one of
          Australia’s largest public art programs

          The Transurban Public Art Program - Canal to Creek includes 21 signature artworks that have activated new and existing parklands between St Peters and Beverly Hills. Artworks include contemporary sculpture, artist-designed playgrounds, large-scale murals, a writers walk and an immersive lighting installation.

          Named ‘Canal to Creek’ after the waterways that connect the art sites, each work is a site-specific exploration of the relationship between people and place.

          Alexandra Canal defines the eastern end of the program and Wolli Creek, the western end. Both are part of the same water system that is linked by the Cooks River and Botany Bay. The role of the natural environment on our experience of place is a recurring theme for Canal to Creek artists. In some way, all of the eighteen artists pick up on a cultural thread that supports local identity and belonging. 

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          Movement of Shells, Movement of Time

          Marilyn Russell and her mother, Aunty Esme Timbery

          The WestConnex M4-M5 Link Tunnels project team (Acciona Samsung Bouygues Joint Venture) collaborated with Bidjigal artist Esme Timbery, one of Australia's most significant shell artists, and her daughter Marilyn Russell to design the façade of the ventilation facility to be built at St Peters. This is expected to be completed by 2023.

          The design aims to create an educational piece for the local community; it presents a story of creativity and history. Through the use of colour and modern fabrication, a traditional expression is kept alive with a contemporary flair for future generations of Sydney to enjoy. The artwork celebrates the culturally significant shell making tradition that is unique to the Sydney Indigenous community of La Perouse.

          Aunt Esme and Marilyn

          Linear Park

          The M5 Linear Park is comprised of parklands that border the M5 East corridor from King Georges Road Interchange to Bexley Road at Bexley North.

          In February 2021 Transport for NSW completed the Linear Park Enhancement Project which delivered complimentary gym equipment and amenities to these existing parklands to develop the recreational needs of the community. Upgrades have included new transport links, outdoor play and fitness equipment, new seating, tables and drinking fountains as well as sporting fields and courts.

          This program was run simultaneously to the WestConnex Public Art Program and the parklands now hosts several of the public art installations from Canal to Creek in the suburbs of Beverley Hills and Kingsgrove.

          Read more

          St Peters

          As part of the WestConnex M8, a new above ground interchange has been built in St Peters. The site was transformed from a contaminated landfill into a future-proofed state-of-the-art above ground motorway network with important connections to future projects linking to the airport, southern Sydney and a second harbour tunnel crossing.

          Building St Peters Interchange was the catalyst for the remediation of the contaminated Alexandria Landfill site which has now been transformed into accessible public space for the first time in decades. Approximately 400,000m³ of waste has been treated, capped, and safely retained on site allowing for the sustainable delivery of more than 6-hectares of accessible green space including 650,000 new trees, shrubs and bushes.

          The new green space is also the home to many of the public art installations from the WestConnex Public Art Program – Canal to Creek.

          Read more

          Westconnex M8

          The WestConnex M8 is the longest continual tunnel in Australia and was opened to motorists on 5 July 2020. The M8 is stage two of the wider WestConnex network and will be linked with the M4 via the M4-M5 Link Tunnels, currently under construction.

          Read more
          WestConnex Project Map

          WestConnex Project map

          Interactive map

          Entries for the 2022 Canal to Creek Prize have now closed. To view entries please visit the gallery

          Launch prize intro

          Criteria

          Overview of Eligibility criteria

          Canal to Creek Prize art competition criteria: only year 7-10 can apply, artwork must be original, artwork can be 2D or 3D, any materials can be used, please submit 1-3 photos of artwork plus an artist statement

          • The Canal to Creek Prize is open to high school students from Years 7 to 10.

          • Artworks must be original and respond to the Canal to Creek Prize 2022 theme, ‘Connections’.

          • Artworks can be two-dimensional or three-dimensional (e.g. paintings, sculptures, digital).
          • Any art material or combination of materials may be used.
          • Artworks to be submitted in a JPG or PNG file, at least 1500 pixels wide.
          • Artworks must have the ability to be digitally reproduced by Transurban for promotional purposes.
          • Entries will need a title and an accompanying artist statement, limited to 100 words. Your statement should include why you have decided to create this piece of art and what inspired you.

          Read full terms and conditions

          Tips for taking photos of your work

          Your Canal to Creek Prize entry will require at least one photo of your artwork. Here are some handy tips to best help capture your masterpiece.

          Canal to Creek Prize art competition tips on taking photos of your work: Avoid shadows by making sure your artwork is lit evenly, fill the frame with as much of your artwork as possible, make sure there are no people in the photos of your artwork

          Prizes

          Prizes per year group

          There are fabulous prizes to be won for the first, second and third place in each Year group (Years 7 – 10), as well as an overall student winner and one overall school winner. Prizes for each category will be as follows:

          Prizes for the Canal to Creek Prize art competition: 1st place iPad tablet, 2nd place $250 Eckersleys Art and Craft voucher, 3rd place $150 Eckersleys Art and Craft voucher

          Overall student winner

          The successful first place winner from each year group, will be entered into a second round of judging for the title of "Overall student winner". The successful entry for this category will be awarded a MacBook Pro*.

          *Please note, the successful overall student winner will win a MacBook Pro only.

          School winner

          One school will be selected for the overall school Prize of a $5,000 Eckersley’s arts grant. This is based on the volume and calibre of entries received from the school.

          Display of winners

          Each winning artwork will be framed and displayed at our state of the art Motorway Control Centre (MCC) for the M8. To honour and congratulate the Canal to Creek Prize winners, an awards ceremony will be held at the MCC. The winners in each Year group will be invited to celebrate their award-winning artworks and will be congratulated with a decorative trophy on the day.

          Key dates

          Key dates for the Canal to Creek Prize art competition: 15 August 2022 entries open, 4 November 2022 entries close, 30 January 2023 winners announced

          Key Info

          Key dates for the Canal to Creek Prize art competition: 15 August 2022 entries open, 4 November 2022 entries close, 30 January 2023 winners announced

          How to enter

          • From August 15, click the ‘enter now’ tab and upload your artwork.
          • Your artwork must be submitted in a JPG or PNG file and needs to be at least 1500 pixels wide (up to 5MB/ each: jpg, png, gif).
          • You also need to submit an artist statement which is limited to 100 words.
          • If your artwork is shortlisted, you may be asked to send through a higher quality file.
          • A virtual interactive gallery will be created to showcase all successful entries which will be available for the public to see. For privacy reasons, only your first name and school will be published.

          Downloads

          A3 Poster DL Flyer

          Judges

          Judging process

          Entries to the Canal to Creek Prize will be judged by one of the Canal to Creek artists, a representative from the Visual Arts and Design Educators Association, a representative from Eckersley’s and Transurban’s Group Executive of WestConnex who oversaw the delivery of the Canal to Creek Public Art Program. Meet them below!

          Artworks will be judged based on artistic merit, creativity, and fit within the Canal to Creek theme.

          Judging panel

          Canal to Creek Prize art competition judges: David Solomons, Nicole DeLosa, Christina Huynh and Andrew Head
          Canal to creek art prize

          Register your interest

          Register your interest here to receive all the latest news and information on the Canal to Creek Prize competition.

          Subscribe

          Submit your entry

          Overview of Eligibility criteria

          Canal to Creek Prize art competition criteria: only year 7-10 can apply, artwork must be original, artwork can be 2D or 3D, any materials can be used, please submit 1-3 photos of artwork plus an artist statement

          • The Canal to Creek Prize is open to high school students from Years 7 to 10.

          • Artworks must be original and respond to the Canal to Creek Prize 2022 theme, ‘Connections’.

          • Artworks can be two-dimensional or three-dimensional (e.g. paintings, sculptures, digital).
          • Any art material or combination of materials may be used.
          • Artworks to be submitted in a JPG or PNG file, at least 1500 pixels wide.
          • Artworks must have the ability to be digitally reproduced by Transurban for promotional purposes.
          • Entries will need a title and an accompanying artist statement, limited to 100 words. Your statement should include why you have decided to create this piece of art and what inspired you.

          Read full terms and conditions

          Tips for taking photos of your work

          Your Canal to Creek Prize entry will require at least one photo of your artwork. Here are some handy tips to best help capture your masterpiece.

          Canal to Creek Prize art competition tips on taking photos of your work: Avoid shadows by making sure your artwork is lit evenly, fill the frame with as much of your artwork as possible, make sure there are no people in the photos of your artwork