OBSCURE colours will be splashed on an Allendale East Area School wall as internationally-acclaimed artist Fin DAC visits the South East next week.
When the school’s visual arts teacher and artist April Hague saw a proposed mural by the Irish artist fall through in Millicent, she jumped at the opportunity straight away.
“I just felt terrible for the Imagine Millicent committee and the town,” she said.
“I personally thought it was a fantastic opportunity and was so excited when I heard about it.
“I just thought we could not let it go and knew there was someone’s wall Fin DAC could paint out there.”
Ms Hague said she initially thought about Mount Gambier first until the school came across her mind.
“I mean he was pretty much doing it for nothing so I thought why not,” she said.
“I then thought about it a bit more and as I run a street art unit here lots of kids are really interested in his type of art.
“I just suggested if he wanted to do a mural at our school and it went from there.”
Ms Hague said the school cohort and staff are all passionate about creativity and the arts.
“I knew our principal Kylie Smith and leadership team would go for it straight away,” she said.
“I think the whole opportunity originally occurred because he was travelling from Melbourne to Adelaide painting walls and he wanted a place in between where he could stop.
“I contacted him over Instagram just to see what he would say and after being initially concerned about the time-frame he seemed to go for it.”
Ms Hague was in shock when Fin DAC started asking her to send photographs of wall options.
“I just thought no way this could be happening,” she said.
“It has been in the past week where we have been communicating and it is all ready to go early next week.
“He said he will bring some professional spray guns and I have organised his accommodation and a scissor lift.”
Ms Hague said the perfect wall was found.
“Fin DAC said the wall had to be a tall just because of the designs he paints,” she said.
“As they are usually portraits a tall wall for head and shoulders just suits a little bit more.
“The bigger the wall is the better it will be though.”
Ms Hague said she knew his work well and believed the mural would follow in his style.
“His work follows similar themes involving portraits of women who are quite often Asian,” Ms Hague said.
“I do not know if the Millicent design was of a Japanese or Chinese woman but we teach Chinese here and I thought it would be quite culturally fitting.”
Ms Hague said the students are “super excited” and are in shock.
“He has asked me if there is some people who can help him paint,” she said.
“Myself and the other art teacher will help out but the kids will be involved as much as they can.
“I think it will take about a week but he seems like a typical artist and knows he can not rush things like this.”
Ms Hague said the project would benefit the broader Limestone Coast’s arts culture.
“Fin DAC is internationally recognised and is a highly-acclaimed street artist,” she said.
“He has many followers not just on social media but in general who seek out his work so they may come to the region to see the mural.
“It will be a good tourism boost and although not visible from Bay Road, you can still see it from the side of the school.”
