Hawthorne Canal Mosaic Mural (2011)
Hawthorne Canal Mosaic Mural was an Artist led project and collaboration between community volunteers, Railcorp, Leichhardt Council, and community groups. Led by Artists Noula Diamantopoulos and April Keogh, it commenced in 2005 and was completed in 2011. Volunteers aged from 4 to 75 worked on the project contributing over 5,000 hours of time creatively placing over 475,000 mosaic on its walls. Before it was installed this tunnel was miserable, dark and vandalised. Now it is a glowing example of community art and best practice community safety intervention.
44 Mosaic panels are located in a 112 square metre pedestrian tunnel located near Hawthorne Canal in Leichhardt. The tunnel leads from Lords Road, Leichhardt (adjacent to Kegworth Public School under the Rozelle Goods Line) to the Hawthorne Canal footpath network.
Take a walk or hop on your bike to see the Hawthorne Canal community artwork for yourself.
Participants included: Kegworth Public, St Fiacres Primary, St Columbus Primary, St Joan of Arc Primary, Leichhardt Public School, and the Leichhardt Campus of Sydney Secondary College. Sydney College of the Arts were also involved with the Ceramics Department stepping in and firing the many of the ceramic sea creatures. The Department developed a new kiln firing technique for the artwork, using recycled glass to form the seaweed. Community mosaic sessions ran at Noula Diamantopoulos' studio in Rozelle for over three and a half years.
Watch the film of the project evolution by UTS student Katherine Buskariol.