Emma Pritchard, Clarence Valley Independent

Stunning drawings and paintings by First Nations artists from the Clarence Valley will be projected onto the Sunshine Sugar building in South Grafton each night from October 22 until November 6.

Celebrating the life cycle of the endangered coastal emu, glorious creations by proud Yaegl artists Kahlua Charlton, Gareth Charlton and Aneika Kapeen, proud Bundjalung artist Maisie Monaghan, and proud Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung artist Deborah Taylor have been delighting spectators who have been stopping to admire the impressive visual display. 

Gabbie Moyer and her partner Tallon Crest viewed the projected artworks last week and said they would love to see it become a permanent fixture.

“I thought it was a fantastic way to utilise an otherwise boring space on the side of a building near one of the main entrances to Grafton,” Ms Moyer said.

“It’s also great to see local Indigenous artwork being recognised on such a massive scale, literally.”

“It should be made permanent,” Mr Crest added.

“I reckon it would bring a lot more people into Grafton, and it looks so amazing.”

The attraction is part of the Building Bridges project which celebrates the Clarence River and local Indigenous culture, and is funded by the NSW Government through the Stronger Country Communities Fund.

Clarence Valley Council (CVC) has collaborated with local First Nations artists, Sunshine Sugar, Esem Projects, Transport for NSW, and the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) to create the mural.

The best vantage point to view the projection is from the shared path on the southern side of the new Grafton Bridge, which is wheelchair accessible from Through Street, South Grafton, and Greaves Street, Grafton. The artworks can be viewed from sunset until late at night.

This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 26 October 2022.