Art projects
Our long-term vision for Croydon Main Street is to transform the area into a destination for art lovers.
So far, the following actions have been taken to help achieve this goal:
- We have installed a number of public artworks in the precinct as part of our Living History art project, which you can find out more about below
- The Reignite Croydon – Laneway Lights project is now illuminating three laneways adjacent to Main Street, Croydon with dynamic artworks.
- We installed two light boxes at San Carlos Walk to display the works of local artists
Croydon’s Living History art project
In April 2018, a board was formed to develop Croydon’s Living History art project.
Our aim is to restore, nurture, and celebrate Croydon’s rich history as an urban settlement through the installation of contemporary public artworks for new generations to enjoy.
The artworks are installed throughout Main Street and the laneways of Croydon’s shopping precinct.
Hide and Seek
Upon completion of the Devon Street carpark in Croydon in 2022 and following a public call for expressions of interest, the artist Damian Vick was selected by Maroondah City Council to design and fabricate two large-scale sculptures based on the McCoy’s Skink.
Vick is a Melbourne-based artist with extensive experience in large-scale sculptures in metal. His work has been commissioned by numerous local government authorities including the City of Casey and the City of Frankston. Affixed to the exterior walls of the building, the works have been created through a process of a laser cut components welded together and then finished with a powder coating. The works pay homage to the McCoy’s skink, a notable breed that derives heat from nestling in compost and leaf matter during the winter months.
Skinks featured strongly as part of the artist’s personal experience growing up in Croydon. Designed to match the material palette of the building, the sculptures appear to be camouflaged within the architectural context, playfully insinuating a game of ‘Hide and Seek’.
The Fruit Thief
The Fruit Thief is an interactive wall mural by Roger Archbold and Andy Drewitt that depicts the wings of a fruit bat. The winged mammals were prevalent when large areas of Croydon were occupied by fruit orchards.
The fruit bat is native to Australia and plays an important ecological role by dispersing the seeds and pollen of native Australian plants.
The Carnifex
The Carnifex is an artwork by Roger Archbold that can be viewed on San Carlos Walk, off Main Street. It depicts the fearsome Thylacoleo Carnifex, a marsupial lion who is likely to have lived and hunted in the area.
More information about this artwork can be found on the Carnifex website.
The Chemist
The Chemist, located on Main Street, is an artwork by Andy Drewitt that recognises the work of Croydon pharmacist Jim Burns. The band-aid motif symbolises Jim’s powerful work as a healer in the community. For 50 years, his methadone clinic has given a second chance to hundreds of people battling addiction.
Sound of Flight
Anthony McInneny’s perforated and shot stainless steel sculpture encourages the viewers to lift their eyes, and their thought, to the sky and to take flight. Located at 95 Main Street, Croydon
Artists
Roger Archbold is an award-winning creative who lives and works in Maroondah. Roger has worked for some of Australia’s largest advertising agencies and his design work has won Gold Awards in Graphis Design 2014 and Graphis Typography 3, and a Platinum Award in Graphis Logo 9.
Andy Drewitt is a multimedia artist living and working in Maroondah. He has produced work for Melbourne Museum, The Age, AFL, State Library of Victoria, and RMIT. His work has been recognised with two Walkley Awards, two Quill Awards, two Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers Awards, and a United Nations Media Peace Prize.
Gateway 3.0
Constructed from steel, Sam Songailo’s archway artwork has hundreds of patterned shapes cut into it that are filled with diffusion acrylic and backlit with LEDs that can be individually controlled and richly animated. Powerful wash lights complement the artwork by lighting the surrounding area and illuminating the length of the lane way. The arched form is an historical motif traditionally associated with symbolic meanings such as transition, transformation, and passage. In the context of the Reignite Croydon project, the archway artwork taps into these traditional symbolic meanings and provides a powerful visual representation of renewal and transition. The archway serves as an engaging art piece that also provides a volume of light that illuminates the lane way, enhancing perceptions of safety and increasing activity within the area at night.