Sebastian Calderon, Murray Pioneer
A new art attraction has appeared on one of Renmark’s most well-known shops, with its owner wanting to honour the images of life in regional Australian communities.
A large mural was recently completed at Yates Menswear, in Renmark, painted by local artist Jarrod Loxton, and portraying South Australian entrepreneur R.M. Williams.
The painting was commissioned by store owner Bronte Yates, who wanted to update the iconic Renmark building with appropriate imagery.
“I tried to think of an iconic Australian that would be interesting to the region, and then I came up with R.M. Williams, which is a product we’ve actually stocked for more than 50 years,” Mr Yates said.
“I heard that Jarrod was a really good artist, him being a local Riverlander, but when I saw some of his work, I was impressed, and I was just blown away by how good he was.
“We were trying to figure out a design and Jarrod was the one who mentioned that his actual focus was portraits, so R.M. Williams was a perfect fit since we wanted something iconic, and with a colourful background.”
Mr Loxton is widely known within the Riverland, having painted numerous murals and silos across the region.
“We didn’t just want any Australian, it’s our iconic Australian sunset, and we wanted it contrasting but still blending together as a piece,” Mr Loxton said.
“We wanted it as one piece, so we are actually deciding what to do on the sidewall, which itself is still in the works, but the idea is to make it three-dimensional.”
Mr Yates said the mural has quickly become popular with locals and visitors to the town.
“We had plenty of interest from people and other businesses, even South Aussie with Cosi, and his posts about the mural got over 10,000 views,” Mr Yates said.
“We want to show it to everyone and hopefully create a point of interest for visitors and create good vibes.
“One thing we like about it, it’s the way it shows up. You are walking, you turn around the corner and you get surprised by this big amazing painting.
“It’s an eye catcher… which is positive and very good for tourism.”
This article appeared in Murray Pioneer, 26 March 2025.
