Zig Zag Community Arts - ARTZ in the Park School Holday Projects July 2009

Two projects for young people aged between 12 and 19 involving physical creative skills -
Blacksmithing and Mural painting - to create a permanent Art Structure in Stirk Park

A Zig Zag Community Arts and Youth Action Kalamunda Project Collaboration

Stirk Park is a treasured public space that everyone in Kalamunda appreciates – it is also the home of the annual Zig Zag Festival held on the last Sunday of October every year. This year Zig Zag Arts coordinated a project to design, make and install a new artwork in the park which young people participated in a series of workshops to help us create something wonderful.

The finished artwork forms a balustrade around the ‘Checker Board Stage’ in Stirk Park and incorporates wrought iron panels and original murals to create a permanent attraction in the park.

Poster by Brody Rahaley (Mural workshop leader)
Poster - Artz in the park July 2009

Blacksmithing workshops were held over 2 weeks, shaping steel into deliberate shapes, made a decorative wrought iron pallisade.

ARTZ-IN-THE-PARK-IronworkSketch

ZZCA Blacksmithing at Anderson Street Forestfield 6July2009 p1

Work in progress (in spite of the rain) at the Anderson Street Forestfield Community Centre blacksmith forge.

ZZCA Blacksmithing at Anderson Street Forestfield 6July2009 p2

ZZCA Blacksmithing at Anderson Street Forestfield 6July2009 p2

Learning to hit the steel consistently, making gumleaves.

ZZCA Blacksmithing at Anderson Street Forestfield 6July2009 p3

Elliott Barber (workshop leader) getting the third forge alight.

ZZCA Blacksmithing at Anderson Street Forestfield 6July2009 p4

Black Smithing 6 July 2009 finished gumnut

TK cutting a gumnut off the end of a pipe, and the finished gumnut welded to its stem.

ZZCA Blacksmithing at Anderson Street Forestfield 13July2009 p1

ZZCA Blacksmithing at Anderson Street Forestfield 13July2009 p1

Week 2: welding the shapes together, and fastening them onto the panels.

ZZCA Blacksmithing at Anderson Street Forestfield 14July2009 p1

Finished "vines" hanging up for painting.

Mural Art Project Four Workshops in the two weeks of school holidays had participants develop the designs for mural panels to express their view of the stage in Stirk Park.

Starting work on the final murals panels

Starting work on the final murals panels

Painting the designs onto the panels in a range of media including aerosol paint was made tricky by the frequent showers,

Painting a panel, with the building well tarped

Painting a panel, with the building well tarped

and the preparation of surfaces and protection from stray paint.

Murals workshops in Headingly Road Kalamunda 14July 2009 p1

Finishing the final designs in the second week, there were times they could work outdoors on the park side of the building.

Murals workshops in Headingly Road Kalamunda 14July 2009 p2

Murals workshops in Headingly Road Kalamunda 14July 2009 p2

But they still were having to work quickly in the gaps between the showers.

On Site
And on the final day, it all came together:

the park
the panels
the paintings
the proud crews

Putting up the panels on site 16 July 2009 p2

Fixed to the footings, and welded together.

Putting up the panels on site 16 July 2009 p1

Murals meet the metal for the first time.

Dedication Ceremony 25 July 2009

Setting up, committee on the sausages, Band on the stage

Setting up - a committee on the barbeque, and a band on the stage

Derek & his dad were the first band to play

Derik and his dad, Ray Martin, were the first band to play.
Derik's son was involved in the Blacksmithing workshops

Cutting the barrier tape to declare the project complete

Cutting the barrier tape to declare the project complete

Shire of Kalamunda President, Donald McKechnie, cuts the ribbon with Kalamunda Rotary President John Milton watching and Celia Cheffins (project coordinator) leading the cheers to declare the project completed!

Shire of Kalamunda President Donald McKechnie unveils the plaque

Shire of Kalamunda President Donald McKechnie unveils the plaque

Shire president Donald McKechnie unveils the plaque

Brody Rahaley and Elliott Barber - Workshop Leaders

Brody Rahaley and Elliott Barber receive acknowledgement as the Workshop leaders for Murals and Blacksmithing repectively (pictured with Marie Jaquier - Zig Zag Committee).