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From a dormant garden bed, grew a beautiful idea for a garden mosaic; an iconic and enduring piece of art for the West Chermside C&K playground.
Always seeking opportunities to strengthen community connections, the kindergarten educators approached Craigslea State High school with the idea to collaborate on the project. Year 10 indigenous students Kaneesha, Ashley, Nyoka and Kymora were enthusiastic to work with the kindy and together they formed the dream team, to bring this wonderful idea to life.
Australian Indigenous people and the local flora and fauna were the inspiration for the design. The objective was to create a visually appealing artwork; one that would inspire children’s interest and an appreciation for Australian culture well into the future.
Craigslea Visual Art & Media teacher Peter Cooke, recognised the long shape of the garden bed as an ideal base for a river. Rivers and creeks feature prominently in indigenous art as they are the lifeblood of their environment and are sources of spiritual and ceremonial significance. Incorporating a local section of the Kedron Brook River was both relatable and well-placed to be the focal point of the design.
Pre-prep educators highlighted that the children have an innate curiosity and delight for both wildlife and fauna within the playground. To foster this interest, high school students drew designs incorporating local flora and fauna; with pre-prep children eagerly adding colour to them.
Local artist, Sandra Jewell (Sandy) who specialises in mosaics, was also consulted. Sandy worked with the high school students, guiding them in the creation of the mosaic.
The pre-prep children continued to assist the high school students with the mosaic, by helping to place the tiled designs and river pebbles into position.
The project took 18 months to complete. To commemorate its completion, the children were invited to attend a NAIDOC ceremony held at Craigslea State High school. They were painted with tribal markings and excitedly participated in traditional dances performed to music with the high school students.
Regarded as a tremendous success, the mosaic is both a visual and soulful representation of communities coming together with heart. It’s also symbolic catalyst for encouraging our younger generations to talk about Australian history, cultural diversity and togetherness.
