Powerful art trail in town

The streets of Katanning will light up with colour next month as several prominent WA artists stop through as part of FORM’s PUBLIC Silo trail.

From November 2 to 7, street artists Brenton See, Chris Nixon, Darren Hutchens and Mel McVee will paint the town with murals, lighting up a series of Western Power electrical transformer boxes and walls.

The artists will team up with international light calligrapher Karim Jabbari, who will be facilitating engagement workshops aimed at connecting youth with creativity for social good.

PUBLIC in Katanning is a partnership between FORM and Western Power designed to enhance cultural tourism in regional WA and give back to the towns in which the company operates, encouraging economic growth.

FORM executive director Lynda Dorrington said the Katanning project was an evolution of FORM’s PUBLIC program of art and activation.

“The PUBLIC Silo Trail brings world-class street art to grain silos, transformer boxes and iconic infrastructure across regional Western Australia,” Ms Dorrington said.

The trail will also collect stories about the lives of people behind the State’s agriculture, rail and electrical network in the towns it passes through for a social documentary project called Homegrown Stories.

Street artist Chris Nixon said the sole purpose of PUBLIC was to bring the community together through art.

“It starts a conversation about public art, which is a really good thing and it offers different styles and perspectives of the one location,” he said

“What FORM is doing by having these regional outlets of PUBLIC is to have a greater reach long term by taking it outside the main city.”

Nixon also said this type of art had the most impact in regional towns.

“I think the regional towns are more hungry to see this type of art, and I am currently working on my concept for the mural in Katanning,” he said.

FORM and Western Power are very grateful to also have the generous support and assistance of the Shire of Katanning.