While we can't draw if our lives were to depend on it, we do love art (or, at least some art). So, being in Brisbane was a delight for us on multiple levels. In July of 1999, the city council enacted the "Art Built-In Policy" which stated that any new government building costing over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars MUST allocate two percent of its budget for public art. But, they did not stop there. Brisbane further promotes art through several community projects; "Art Force" allows local artists to display their original works for one year on traffic signal boxes throughout Brisbane; "Brisbane Canvas" provides for a range of commissioned art to be painted on walls and bridge supports; and "Public Art Trails", a series of walking trails within the Central Business District focusing on different themes ( e.g. The Brisbane River, contemporary art, cultural heritage, etc.). Even "graffiti" is promoted (somewhat), but only in designated areas. All of the art depicted in the attached photos were found along the city streets; out in the open for all of the public to enjoy (or not). We were delighted at how much Brisbane supports art. It made our explorations of the city that much more enjoyable, and there were many pleasant surprises. Once we became aware of this forum for public art, we were more open to noticing it. Many people just passed them by, but we rejoiced in taking it all in. We must give credit to Tina, one of Brisbane's Volunteer greeters, who brought this to our attention during a free walking tour. If it had not been for her, we might not have been as cognizant of all of this wonderful street art. "The Pillars" are part of the Brisbane Canvas project of commissioned art... ...and includes some fantastc art of indigenous peoples. It also includes wonderful wall paintings such as "Beastman" depicted here... ...as well as this piece by Finton MaGee... ...and this piece in South Brisbane. Other pieces are more contemporary in nature, such as these giant stainless steel balls mad from traditional Australian pressure cookers ( which we found in several places around the city). Then there were these mechanical looking animals that resembled something from the Terminator movies. Just down the street from St. John's Cathedral is this piece, entitled "The Guardian" created by Cezary Stulgis. Even some of the architecture lent itself to a public display of art. We found this "Butterfly" building (our term for it) along the Queen Street pedestrian promenade. Embedded in the sidewalk of the Riverside Walkway in South Bank were a series of colorful mosaics. Also in the South Bank Parklands area was this tightrope cyclist sculpture (the cyclist looked like it was made of paper marche, but we couldn't be sure). Outside of the Gallery of Modern Art is this sculpture by Michael Parekowhai entitled "The World Turns." Boomerangs are iconic symbols of indigenous peoples of Australia. This larger-than-life version sits at the entrance to Musgrave park, the traditional meeting place for the aboriginal tribes of Brisbane. Situated at the lower end of Wickham Park are several bronze statues, including this pyramid. A number of lamp posts within the Central Business District (CBD) have sculptures embedded in them, such as this one on Adelade Street, with a bat. As soon as we saw the first one, we found ourselves looking at every lamppost we came around to see what surprises we could find there. Constructed completely from recycled materials, this oversized kangaroo is next to the Roma Street bus and train terminal. This Nautalis shell sculpture on the Queen Street pedestrian promenade is part of the Public Art Trail. Located on the edge of King George Square (opposite City Hall) is this tribute to three notables of Brisbane's history; author Henry Hoey Davis; suffragette Emma Miller; and Chief Justice Sir Charles Lilly.
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Carl and Lorraine Aveni are two retirees planning on traveling through Europe for at least one year.
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