Whyalla City Council, Media Release, 14 August 2023
Whyalla City Council has released a new book showcasing its historic art collection to the public in its entirety for the first time.
‘City of Whyalla Art Collection, the corporate art collection catalogue’ offers a captivating journey through the history of Whyalla’s Art Collection starting from the 19th Century to the more recent pieces created in the 2020s.
Author of the book, Tourism Assets Development Officer Paul Mazourek, provides many insightful descriptions of about 82 artworks that are registered as part of the corporate collection and 11 artworks that are included in the Whyalla Maritime Museum Collection. These pieces include the first artwork acquired by the Town Commission in 1945 to the more recent acquisitions from contemporary Barngarla artists.
The Town Commission governed Whyalla successfully until 1970, when it was replaced by the local governing body – The Corporation of the City of Whyalla. The first artworks acquired by the Town Commission were donated in 1945, with more paintings donated during the 1950s and 1960s. The acquisition of artworks rapidly increased from the 1970s with the introduction of the city’s sponsored Whyalla Art Prize competition. Some of the artworks were exhibited in the City Library and in the Council’s chamber and offices.
Examples of the artworks catalogued throughout the book include a caricature of the Whyalla Town Commission created by Lionel Coventry in 1945; a painting of the town centre by Cris Stolz in 1972; and artwork ‘Creation of the Gulf – Douglas Point Hill’ created by Breanna Croft.
While Council doesn’t have a space to display the art properly, the book provides the ideal way for locals and visitors to view all these artworks in the one place, making it an important historical publication.
Visit the Whyalla Visitor Information Centre or Visitor Information Centre Pod to flick through the pages and purchase your own copy for just $16.50 inc. GST.
