Creativity and Culture: Museum of Brisbane’s Walking Art Tour
- Words by Kelley Sheenan
Time-travelling lungfish floating in a mosaic of glass tiles, a four-breasted female empowerment goddess cast in bronze, and a striking botanical sculpture spanning 15 metres, showcasing the cultural misrepresentation of Aboriginal people… These are just a few of the art installations that can be sighted on the Museum of Brisbane’s Queen’s Wharf Brisbane Precinct Public Art Tour. I’ve been intrigued about the new riverfront entertainment precinct and the art that now adorns the landscape, and so I jumped at the chance when an invitation dropped to join the guided walking tour.
PHOTOS: KELLEY SHEENAN
ABOVE: LINDY LEE BEING SWALLOWED BY THE MILKY WAY
Admittedly, going into the city, much less the new Star Casino, is not generally high on my list of priorities. So I was happily surprised to discover the recently redeveloped public area around the Queens Wharf precinct sports a multitude of artworks and sculptures conveying cultural, historical, social, environmental and Indigenous storytelling nestled in the landscaped urban and riverside green spaces. The 90-minute tour is presented by an expert Museum of Brisbane tour guide and ‘explores the intersection of art, history, landscape and identity’, showcasing works by First Nations, Queensland and international artists alongside historical buildings and landmarks. Shout out to our knowledgeable guide Revy, who I could have listened to all day!
TOP: (L) JUSTENE WILLIAMS SHEILA (R) MR WANAMBI DESTINY (MIDDLE) SAMUEL TUPOU LUNGFISH DREAMZ
(BELOW L) JOHN ELLIOT NEVILLE BONNER (BELOW R) TONY ALBERT INHABITANT
It was a lovely way to explore my own backyard and learn more about the history of the Meanjin lands that I live on. The spectacular artworks that now dot the revived public walkways invite you to experience the area with fresh eyes. The short (and accessible) wander around the iconic site had us taking in Lindy Lee’s star-spangled Being Swallowed by the Milky Way, Justene Williams’ gigantic four-breasted Sheila, the aluminium baking tray figure Looking Up by Tom Friedman and contemporary Indigenous artist Tony Albert’s botanical creation Inhabitant, amongst many other important works. “Brisbane is a part of my heart, and I am so grateful to have been able to work with the local community to present this work,” Tony Albert says of the piece. “It is wonderful to see a growing number of Indigenous indicators in public spaces. We need aspirations for our First Nations children to be visibly seen as a part of our landscape.”
It is wonderful to see a growing number of Indigenous indicators in public spaces
Book a tour here for a boost of creativity and culture!
THANKS TO VISIT BRISBANE FOR THE INVITE!
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On the 14th of April 2013 the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed, tragically killing 1134 workers and injuring over 2,500 more.
Every year we commemorate this devastating and avoidable loss of life and advocate for better working conditions for all during Fashion Revolution Week, which runs from 22nd-28th April in 2026.
This year there are different themes for each day of the week, with the annual Mend In Public day falling right in the middle, on Saturday 25th April.
This is your cue to gather your community, settle in and commit some time, attention and creativity to mending your clothes in the pursuit of extending their life in your wardrobe. Be it patching, embroidery, sewing or stitching, there are many ways to resolve structural and aesthetic issues in your garments that will see you donning them for years to come!
If it’s a bit tricky to get mending on the day itself (it will be ANZAC Day here in Australia) then fear not. Any time is the right time for mending so if you need to take needle in hand on another day that will do just fine!
Comment below if you know of any events you`d like to share happening in your community.
Learn more and get involved:
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From @CinnamonDaisyStudio:
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When @Laura_The_Maker reached out to me last year to ask if I’d be interested in being featured in @PeppermintMagazine I didn’t hold back. I 100% fan girled 🤣 it was obviously a yes!
Getting to talk about the positive impact sewing your own clothes has on your body image is the BEST. I started sewing my own clothes because the standard doesn’t fit me. But I wasn’t expecting to heal my body image at the same time. What a wonderful byproduct ❤️🩹
So this is just a reminder to you to go for your big dreams! They might just work out ❤️
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Our lovely community manager Em, runs us through the offer.
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Bookings for our wonderful Sew&Tell digital issue are now open – if you are an awesome creative brand that fits right in with Peppermint`s ethos of style, sustainability, sewing and substance, get in touch. Or if you know of one who might be keen – tag them below. We have packages for budgets both big and small, but spots are limited, so don`t wait too long to get in touch!
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Generous, messy, creative, spiky, warm, enigmatic… our best friends come in many flavours. But they all have one thing in common: they make the world a far better, more interesting place to be.
Inspired by Sam and Sadie’s complicated ‘forever’ bond in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by @GabrielleZevin (a firm Peppermint fave ‘friendy’ read), we’ve rounded up some iconic fictional duos from books, movies and TV - the ride-or-dies, bosom buddies, chosen family, the ‘you’re-my-person’ people.
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Because as Sadie tells Sam: true collaborators in life are rare. And very much worth celebrating.
Winner drawn Tuesday 21 April 2pm. Australian addresses only. Good luck! 📖
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Mother`s Day Chocolate Treats Subscription Special! 🌟
It`s almost time to celebrate that special person in your life who has motherly energy – mum, aunty, single parent, queer parent, grandparent, caregiver... or maybe just someone who happens to love getting chocolate treats (and hey, maybe that someone is YOU!).
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SUBSCRIBE FOR $79 AND RECEIVE:
🌟 1 x 12-month Peppermint Subscription
PLUS!
🌟 Vegan, gluten-free, 43% cocoa, Certified-Organic Taming The Jackalope Drinking Chocolate from @TheOriginalCocoaTradersCo
🌟 Vegan, gluten-free, 70% cocoa, Certified-Organic Ship To Wreck Chocolate Flakes from @TheOriginalCocoaTradersCo
🌟 Issue 64 (includes a free code for the #PeppermintDaisyDress digital sewing pattern!)
🌟 A5 art card of our exclusive ‘Together We Rise’ Issue 60 cover design by @LukeJohnMatthewArnold
🌟 All wrapped in fabric from @DoopsDesigns
Price includes postage! This special offer is available to Australian addresses only. Don`t miss out – there`s limited numbers!
🌟 Link in bio 🌟
#PeppermintMagazine #MothersDay
