‘Paint the Town’ is a street art festival in Wingecarribee, where nationally established artists and local talent come together to create murals that reflect the town’s journey to recovery since the 2019 Black Summer fires.
In a special collaboration with Southern Tablelands Arts, festival founder Joe Quilter brought ‘Paint the Town’ to life in April 2023, with the support of the Black Summer Bushfire grants and Wingecarribee Shire Council. The festival is a vibrant celebration of creativity, culture and resilience, representing the voices and insights of community members impacted by the bushfires.
Amongst the rich tapestry of artwork born out of ‘Paint the Town’ is a new mural masterpiece on the wall of Highland FM 107.1’s broadcast Studio 1, by the esteemed First Nations artist, Dashanti Carr.
Highland FM recognises the profound significance of the mural piece titled ‘Wiinnagadhaag Dhuluw’, meaning ‘Song Lines’ in Wiradjuri language. As station manager Adam Stokeld observes, ‘as the paint dances across the wall, the artwork becomes a vessel carrying the voices of the past, present and future. It echoes the sentiment that art has the power to transcend boundaries, to bridge divides and to foster a sense of unity and belonging within a community.’
The newly commissioned piece invites the station’s broadcasters and visitors to embark on a journey of discovery and understanding. It is ‘…a testament to the importance of valuing and celebrating the diverse histories, cultures and achievements that have shaped our collective identity’, explains station manager Adam Stokeld.
Highland FM was a recipient of our Round 1 Development & Operations grant 2023/24.
Image: Highland FM Station Manager, Adam Stokeld, and First Nations artist, Dashanti Carr, in front of mural artwork at Paint The Town Festival 2023.