Currawarna receives new artwork to celebrate local community

Residents and community members gathered last week to celebrate the installation of a public artwork made for the community – an aluminium, stainless steel and timber bench located at the Currawarna Community Centre.

The project was funded through Council’s Public Art Plan’s City, Suburbs and Villages Project 2023/24.

Council’s Cultural Officer Lauren Reynolds says the Currawarna community were integral to the project and creating the final design for the artwork.

“The community wanted something that was practical, but visually appealing, and we came up with the idea for a bench seat with a creative element,” Ms Reynolds said.

“Council called for Expressions of Interest from experienced artists for the project and Carla Gottgens was selected by the Public Art Advisory Panel and this recommendation was then endorsed by Council.

“A workshop was hosted in the Currawarna Community Centre that was open to the village community where participants played around with ideas of water and the shapes and patterns it makes.

“This then influenced the creative elements of the bench.”

Community member Barbara Johnston and Linda Inwood contributed to the design at the community workshop, along with other community members of all ages, and they are proud of the final result.

They are encouraging everyone to come along and check out the bench, located conveniently near the Currawarna Community Centre barbecue area and play space.

Artist Carla Gottgens said the artwork, titled The Surface, celebrates the nearby Murrumbidgee River, which is a core aspect of the local culture.

“The Murrumbidgee is part of the Currawarna community; it’s the place to fish, the place to wander, the place to stay away from when the water is high and fast, but also the place to sit and enjoy the sound of the river,” Carla Gottgens said.

“On the surface of the river, eddies (currents) form as the water moves around fallen branches, stones and riverbanks creating an everchanging array of patterns.

“The Murray Cod, a common freshwater fish of the river, displays its dorsal fin softly above the water’s surface, with the currents moving gently around it.”

The bench is made of timber, aluminium and stainless steel;  the artist used laser cuts to show the features of the fish and water in the steel inserts and seat backing.

These artistic elements were created with the Currawarna community in a workshop held in June 2024 where stories of the river were shared at the local community hall through words and drawings.

“The river is a part of growing up in Currawarna and the community here is very connected to the natural environment,” Gottgens said.

“This bench is a tribute to the close network of Currawarna residents and a welcome invitation to all visitors.”