Muwerang Mosaic Project
Project background
Alongside Bay Road is a 36 metre long balustrade wall that runs beside the edge of the Muwerang (Inman River).
The wall is close to the road and prone to graffiti. Following community consultation on a range of potential public art projects, the creation of a large scale mosaic piece that depicts the Ngarrindjeri and Ramindjeri’s connection to Muwerang was chosen as the most appropriate art feature for the Bay Road Barrier.
Ongoing consultation and conversations have been had with Local Ngarrindjeri elders and the Ramindjeri Heritage Association about Muwerang and the Bay Road Barrier Project.
The Muwerang Mosaic project has produced a large scale, high quality public artwork for Victor Harbor, while also providing an opportunity for skill development and a way to deepen our community's cultural awareness. It offers a significant cultural acknowledgement of our Traditional Landowners.
Image: Bay Road balustrade wall along the edge of the Muwerang (Inman River)
About the artists
Local artists Mike Tye and Cedric Varcoe were identified by the City of Victor Harbor Arts and Cultural Advisory Group as the most appropriate artists to work with the community on this large scale mosaic project.
Mike has extensive experience in large scale community public mosaic projects, and local Ngarrindjeri artist Cedric Varcoe's work is very well known and loved by this community. The pair have a successful history of working together on previous community mosaic projects. The artwork will be created through consultation with Ngarrindjeri and Ramindjeri Elders and the community. Both artists were very excited at the potential for a large scale high quality public artwork that deepens our community's cultural awareness .
The mosaic was completed by Mike and Cedric in 2023 with the help of volunteer participants. Volunteers assisted the artists with tile cutting and tile placement.
Image: Volunteers assisting with tile placement and tile cutting during a mosaic workshop at the Men's Shed
The City of Victor Harbor would like to thank local resident Jann Aldridge who generously donated $1,000 to this project.
Council also received $25,000 in funding from Country Arts SA to support the Muwerang Mosaic project. This is the second project Country Arts SA has supported in Victor Harbor that Mike and Ngarrindjeri/Ramindjeri Elders have created. In 2014, Mike and Didge McHughes created the Ngarrindjeri/Ramindjeri health and wellbeing mosaic mural at the Victor Medical Centre (Old Courthouse).
We would also like to acknowledge the Victor Harbor Men’s Shed and Goolwa Community Centre who are supporting this project by providing their venues for use by the artists.
