Latest Shell Cove mural installation building community one stroke at a time

Shell Cove’s latest mural installation is providing a glimpse into how young people connect with the area while helping build community one stroke at a time during the school holidays.

With mentoring by Figtree artist Tegan Georgette and painting by Shell Cove school holiday group Make Your Mark Youth Mural Painting, the new Shellharbour Marina mural came from a series of concept development sessions held during the July school holidays.

The project by Shellharbour City Council and Frasers Property is one in a series of creative installations and events for the area, with another two new mural pieces to be completed this month.

Frasers Property community development manager Tina Britton said during the school holidays Tegan was able to help mentor young people as they developed their visual arts skills in mural painting.

“It was an opportunity to express themselves and define how they connect to the place,” Tina said.

“During the concept development we talked a lot about what Shell Cove and the area meant to them.”

Enjoying working with the children, Tegan said she had long wanted to create murals so undertook a mural mentorship through Shellharbour City Council.

Earlier this year that led to her co-working on one of the marina murals and then completing another herself on the mural walk along the marina foreshore.

“It made me realise I wanted to offer programs to help even younger people come into murals, because it’s a really great way to express yourself and feel seen as well,” she said.

Tegan said the group of budding artists, aged nine to 15, spent eight hours in the design process coming up with the mural concept.

“The process included a discussion about Shell Cove and how they feel here and realistic ideas of what they’d like to see in Shell Cove, but also imaginative ones with no limits,” she said.

“We had ideas from a music festival to a day where everyone dresses how they want, to ice cream fountains in the sky and rainbow bike tracks.

“We’ve combined those realistic elements of what they would like to see here as young people, with those extraordinary, imaginative and creative elements.”

With two painting sessions already done and one more to go on 10 October to bring their vision to life, Tina and the group were being joined by community members during “helper sessions” to transform the blank canvas.

She said in addition, passersby were providing positive feedback to the budding artists and using the QR codes to learn more about the story behind each mural.

Once complete, it will be followed from 18 October by a mural from muralist Claire Foxton, along with a mural from students from Shell Cove Public School and Stella Maris Catholic Primary School reflecting local marine life.

Tina said that would then leave one mural along the mural walk to be completed at the end of the year, with the concept already being worked on.

“These were always meant to be temporary while construction is happening behind them to make this whole foreshore a little bit more interesting for people who are out walking,” she said.

“We’re looking at options as to whether to photograph the existing pieces and get them printed onto banner mesh, or we may relocate them elsewhere in the precinct.

“We’re hoping to then maybe restart again next year.”

The Waterfront Shell Cove development director Mathew Gulliver said the Make Your Mark Youth Mural Painting group had provided a wonderful opportunity for young people to develop their ideas and then play a key role in its delivery while learning from the best.

“Shell Cove has natural beauty in abundance and now it’s also fast developing its own cultural identity through events like this along with the likes of markets, community groups and programs,” Mathew said.

“It’s all part of what makes this community the full package.”

Shell Cove visitors can also take in the sculpture walk PromenART, which is on show until 30 October.

To be part of the experience, book into a “helper session” on 10 October to assist the team in bringing their concept to life. Or learn about PromenArt.