OUR WORK
The Station
Wagga Wagga's New Creative Workspace
Client
Eastern Riverina Arts
Dates
March 2023
Our Brief
Eastern Riverina Arts employed our curatorial and design eye in the development of a new creative industries hub ‘The Station’ at the former Wagga Wagga District Ambulance Station.
The client’s objectives throughout the design and curation process were to prioritise engagement with the local Riverina artistic community; integrate art and design throughout the facility; commission local artists and extend them beyond their usual medium; and maximise budget by commissioning works with a functional purpose.
To this project, we brought our experience in strategic curation in the public realm and cross-cultural arts engagement. Our intuitive understanding of design and art integration in the built environment allowed us to curate spaces to inspire the local artists who would use them, and commission pieces embodying the site’s value to the regional community.
Services
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Curating in the public realm
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Art, craft and design integration in the built environment
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Participatory arts opportunities
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Coordinating stakeholder needs across diverse communities
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Collaborating with cross-disciplinary creative teams
The Project
ArtsPeople developed a Creative Vision that fulfilled the client’s imperative of cohesively incorporating local Riverina artists’ work into the refurbishment of functional spaces within the historical building site, including an Acknowledgement to Country commission in the site’s welcome space.
Our recommendations for nine key areas across the site aimed to maximise the client’s budget while minimising resource demands. Identifying these hotspot opportunities for design and curation, and developing directives for them, utilised our intuitive ability to design for the user experience.
The vision we presented to the client spanned both artwork opportunities and graphic design elements to create visual cohesion across the site. These include site-specific sculptural installations, participatory experiences, wayfinding, signage, and marketing materials outside and within the building. The result was an artist-led focal-point for both regular tenants and visitors new to the space.
We also provided examples of First Nations artists’ work that would harmonise with the facility, fulfilling the client’s desire to involve local indigenous artists and create a strong indigenous visual presence. We recommended the site’s historical charm be preserved and enhanced, acknowledging its significance to the local Riverina community.
“You really got to the heart of how the building will be used and where there are opportunities to make it warm, functional, and inviting through art integration. Your fresh eye on our local artists reminded us of the great talent we have in our community. Our interior designers are on board with your design ideas too – the project is in a really good space thanks to your proposal. Thank you so much!”
– Tim Kurylowicz, Executive Director, Eastern Riverina Arts