FOUR large scale black and white photographs have been installed on empty walls in the heart of the city as part of a project supported by the Mount Gambier Creative City Cultural Fund.
Installation of images from the Les Hill photographic collection by Jessica Elise Designs artist Jess Tucker was made possible by a $12,000 grant received in March this year through the fund, which provides funding to artists, community groups and non-profit organisations for projects responding to local needs and issues.
Sourcing the images from the Les Hill photographic collection at the Mount Gambier Library to connect with the installation locations, the photographic murals can be seen at The Rail, the alley wall alongside Canopy Interiors, the car park wall on the Gavin McEachern building and the wall facing Macs Hotel on the Elders building.
“Once everything was approved, I scanned the originals to be high resolution and overlayed the text on the images, which I believe to be an important part of the photographic murals,” Ms Tucker said.
“Often photographs are just left online now, on people’s phones or hidden away in people’s albums – we have such a rich history in Mount Gambier and an amazing collection of old photographs taken by Les Hill.
“I think it is so special and I wanted people to be able to appreciate them in the locations they were taken.”
The talented local artist said she aimed to highlight local history to inform tourists about the heart of town and remind locals of yesteryear.
“It will hopefully stir memories in people and encourage the curiosity of younger generations about the memories of their older family members,” Ms Tucker said.
“Collections like these often get forgotten, so I wanted to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“We need to make sure that we not only keep our history alive, but also remember to continue to capture our city in the present.”
