Mall revamp includes pricey new artwork

The sum dwarfs any previous public art investment in the city and opens the door to proposals from established artists from across Australia.

Greer Taylor, president of the Illawarra Association of Visual Artists, said the city should expect a ‘‘powerful’’ new work to result.

‘‘That’s a very nice budget. When you start to get into the logistics of public art, there’s a lot involved. It’s not like building a building,’’ said Ms Taylor, herself a sculptor.

‘‘This is very exciting.’’

The work - likely to be a sculpture or light installation - would be built into designs for the $15million overhaul of Crown St Mall.

Wollongong’s acting Lord Mayor David Brown said council would favour a work that complemented the new surrounds and perhaps had multiple parts running through the mall. Elements that encourage people to interact were encouraged.

‘‘We are hoping that art in the mall will add to the elements of play, colour and light that are built into the design features of the new mall,’’ Cr Brown said.

‘‘It’s been a long time since we’ve done a major piece of public art.

‘‘We’ll bend the budget to work with the art work.’’

The $500,000 sum is well shy of the $23 million in private investment used to realise Chicago’s famous stainless steel sculpture Cloud Gate, nicknamed ‘‘The Bean’’.

But the budget puts within reach modest versions of Arizona’s Her Secret is Patience ($2.4 million in 2009) or Antony Gormley’s famous Angel of the North in England, worth $1.6 million in 1994.

University of Wollongong dean of creative arts Amanda Lawson said successful public art was interesting, site-specific and spoke to some aspect of the region.

‘‘As an initiative towards revitalising the city centre and playing a part in how the city defines itself, a really exciting, inventive piece of art could do a lot,’’ she said.

Wollongong’s most notable public art works include Bert Flugelman’s Spiral and Wave, outside Wollongong City Gallery, and Ken Unsworth’s Nike, which was installed at MacCabe Park in 1980 at a cost of about $10,000.

Artists have until July 10 to submit an expression of interest via tenderlink.com/wollongong.