Public Sculpture and the Emerging Sculptors Trust
{Ken Scarlett}

An unplanned meeting at the Victorian College of the Arts towards the end of 1996, between David Wilson, Head of Sculpture Department at the VCA and the Honourable Robert Maclellan MLA, Minister for Planning and Local government, inevitably led to a discussion of public sculpture. In his typical forthright manner David Wilson expressed his disappointment at the low standard of some work that had recently been commissioned in Melbourne and decried the lack of opportunities for younger, lesser known sculptors.

The Minister responded very imaginatively to the problem, offering to set up a trust, so that past graduates and recent graduates of RMIT and VCA would have a chance to further their careers. The Minister then approached Mirvac who generously responded with a donation of $250,000. Thus the Emerging Sculptors Trust was launched in December 1996.

The stated aims of the Trust were not only to assist young sculptors, but also to assist municipalities and public bodies to acquire sculpture for their collections /environs. As an inducement for organisations to become involved in the scheme the Trust was virtually able to match the money made available, thus doubling the funds for the project.

The first commission, for the Department of Justice, was awarded to Paul Blizzard for his Fossil Stones and was unveiled in May 1998. It was an auspicious beginning to the project, as Blizzard's work, which consists of three massive blocks of basalt is both simple and strong, commanding attention on the pavement of Treasury Reserve.


Fossil Stones. Paul Blizzard


Subsequently a series of commissions have been announced, though as yet, none have been completed. One of the most challenging was the work for the so-called Speakers Corner, an area on the edge of the city centre where political rallies have been held since the Yarra Bank was set aside for this purpose in 1889. Recently part of this area has been lost because of the construction of a new bridge and roadway, built by the Melbourne City Link Authority, who have subsequently contributed $50,000 out of a budget of $80,000 for the sculpture commission.

Evangelos Sakaris, the winning sculptor has designed a series of steps or podium's for the long since departed speakers and will incise words, phrases and sentences in the stone to bring back to life the speeches and slogans of the past years.

In total contrast with this urban environment, Parks Victoria have commissioned two works to be placed in public parks in the Dandenong Ranges. The work of Mark Stoner will consist of three separate forms in ferro-cement placed in a clearing within a forest of extremely tall eucalyptus trees, while the other artist, Young Jin Kim plans to have his vertical grouping of annuli (possibly also in cement) on the lawn within the surrounds of European trees.

Simon Taylor has been awarded a commission for Williams Bay Residential Development at Williamstown and two sculptors have been awarded the commissions for the Sunshine Police and Court Complex, another commission from the Department of Justice. Kate McCaughey will carry out a major 23m long installation for the Courts Complex whilst Jan Friedman will complete a sculpture for the Police Complex.

It's evident, then, that within a remarkably short period the Emerging Sculptors Trust has achieved very positive results. The fact that the scheme is currently limited to the VCA and RMIT is partly a result of the first unplanned meeting between David Wilson and the Minister. Presuming further funding can be obtained, discussions will need to occur to define emerging sculptors so that the terms of the project can be widened to include sculptors within the community as a whole.

If the momentum can be continued, there is the potential to make Melbourne a city noted for its support of contemporary sculpture.

Please note: Since this article was written the Emerging Sculptors Trust now includes applications from graduates of B.A Fine Arts from any Victorian University within the last 10 years or who are currently undertaking post graduate studies.

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