If you think you could pick out some better public art than the much-maligned palm trees in Wollongong's Crown Street Mall, then the council could have just the job for you.
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Wollongong City Council is currently recruiting for 10 different jobs, including two permanent part time arts positions.
One of these is a 28-hour-a-week job as a "public art specialist", who could be paid up to $84,000 to plan and facilitate the council's public art program.
Some of Wollongong's public art has been controversial in the past few years, with much community outrage directed at the $430,000 "palm tree up a pole" project.
Installed in 2018, the work is called Illawarra Placed Landscape by New Zealand artist Mike Hewson and includes "tree seats" made from other naturally misshapen palms and sandstone rock formations.
The main palm tree, which is strung 17 metres in the air, was set on fire on New year's Eve but has managed to survive the attack.
However, one of the tree seats is not looking so great, after it was knocked over in the recent strong winds.
"After the cabbage tree palm was damaged in recent storms we cut back the foliage to speed up its recovery and restore its health," a council spokesperson said.
Outside of the mall's most prominent public art project, Wollongong has been celebrated for its artwork, with the city home to dozens of diverse works, located in the CBD, suburbs and places like the botanic garden.
Read more: 61 pictures from Laneways Live Festival
Several years ago, Wollongong also played host to the annual Wonderwalls festival, which attracted many renowned street artists to paint larger-than-life murals on bare walls and disused buildings.
Recently the CBD got a new injection of colour during the Laneways Live event, with a number of new signs and murals cropping up in the mall.
The largest of these is a striking project by Sydney artist Brooklyn Whelan and Sarah McCloskey, who painted a black and neon cloud mural underneath the walkway at the entrance to the mall.
Application for the Public Art Specialist position close at midnight on Monday.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
