10 October 2024
Public artwork celebrating ‘family and connectedness’ brings visitors and locals together at newly redeveloped Goolwa Wharf Precinct.
With a submission that thoughtfully connects the past to the present, emerging artists Amber Cronin and Anika Gardner – alongside contemporary Ngarrindjeri and Narangga artist, Cedric Varcoe – are celebrating the successful installation and launch of their public artwork at the newly redeveloped Goolwa Wharf Precinct.
Looking to deepen their connection with the Helpmann Academy and emerging visual artists, the Langley Family had a bold, ambitious idea in 2020 to commission a large-scale public artwork in the heart of the Goolwa Wharf Precinct. The Langley Family had many fond memories of holidaying in Goolwa over the years and wanted an artwork to be reflective of the quality family time that they and many families had experienced in the township.
Together, the Helpmann Academy and the Langley Family brought the project to Alexandrina Council.
Over the period from June to December 2021, a select group of artists were required to develop their concepts that responded to the themes of ‘family and connectedness’ and present to a judging panel.
With a submission that thoughtfully connects the past to the present, in early 2022 emerging artists Amber Cronin and Anika Gardner were declared the successful recipients of the Helpmann Academy Major Public Art Commission for the Goolwa Wharf Precinct, with their artwork, Hearthstone.
“I’ve cherished Goolwa for years, making countless memories with my family here, so seeing this public art project come to life fills me with immense joy. Supporting artists like Amber Cronin, Anika Gardner, and Cedric Varcoe in bringing their vision to the Goolwa Wharf Precinct has been a truly rewarding experience. I believe art has the power to transform spaces and evoke powerful emotional responses, and this project beautifully connects the area’s rich history with a hopeful future. I couldn’t be prouder to help create something that reflects the love and warmth of Goolwa,” shared Sarah Langley of the Langley Family.
This significant commission, valued at $150,000, came at a time when Australia’s arts and cultural sector has been devastated due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic and the economically precarious position many artists – especially emerging – found themselves in.
Helpmann Academy CEO Jane MacFarlane was instrumental in facilitating this major commission.
“I am so proud of the work we do at the Helpmann Academy to provide career-defining opportunities for emerging artists. Large-scale, public artwork commissions like this do not come around often. To partner with one of our long-term donors as well to celebrate their connection to Goolwa was a pleasure and privilege,” said Jane.
The judging panel were impressed by the way Amber and Anika spent extensive time connecting with a wide cross-section of the Goolwa community – from local residents to business owners and Ngarrindjeri community representatives – to gain a deep and genuine understanding of the area. Hearthstone strongly met the themes of ‘family and connectedness’ as visitors to and users of the Goolwa Wharf Precinct will experience.
“Goolwa Wharf is a special place for the Ngarrindjeri peoples, and it holds a special place in the history of our State and our community so Alexandrina Council is delighted that we can celebrate the revitalisation of this site with such a significant piece of public artwork,” said Alexandrina Mayor Keith Parkes.
Hearthstone is a sculptural work imbued with a sense of discovery and curiosity. The emerging artists have created an artwork of ‘deep remembering’ that visitors and residents alike will delight in. Hearthstone features designs from contemporary Ngarrindjeri and Narangga artist, Cedric Varcoe.
Mayor Parkes said, “Hearthstone has been a grassroots collaboration with the Helpmann Academy thanks to the Langley Family who have such fond memories of their time in our community, Council, and the artists Amber and Anika and our own Cedric Varcoe whose connection to Ngarrindjeri Country as expressed in his art throughout our community is well known and appreciated. Council is really proud of what we’ve done to redevelop the wharf precinct, and this artwork really reflects and reveals the stories of our environment and our history.”
For Anika to experience has had a positive impact on her career and overall skills development.
“This commission has been a huge learning opportunity! From upskilling in metal fabrication skills to tig welding brass and stainless steel to learning how to manage the pragmatics of a large-scale project. It has been really great to see how people from Goolwa have started to engage with the work even through install, and I am super excited to see how it helps to facilitate Cedric Varcoe’s drawings sharing the indigenous histories and stories of the place,” said Anika.
Anika continued, “it takes an incredible and enthusiastic team to bring about a work of public art… flexibility and adaptability are vital skills!”
For Amber, the level of trust given to her as an emerging artist and collaboration she experienced are some of the big takeouts she will remember.
“It is rare to be trusted to work on such a large-scale project at this early point in a career, so it was an honour that the curatorial team and stakeholders from Goolwa, who know Goolwa so well, saw the value in this public work of becoming part of their place. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to conceptualise something for this special and unique place and see that all the way through from idea to realisation. I learnt so much over the course of this project and had the opportunity to work with such a broad spectrum of professionals and stakeholders that it feels like a massively collaborative project.
It was amazing having an opportunity that we could work so closely with the site and stories of Goolwa and the surrounding Alexandrina area, as well as having the privilege to work so closely with Cedric Varcoe on integrating these stories he holds back into the landscape. It was wonderful learning from him and seeing the site through his eyes, I hope that audiences will continue to have this experience through the work itself.
The team at Alexandrina Council and the local install team were so amazing to work with, so hands-on and have taken such ownership of this artwork that I feel like it belongs to them and belongs to this place. I am so glad that it has found its home in Goolwa and the stories of the place are right where they should be,” comments Amber.
There are three main elements to Hearthstone; family gatherings nodes (etched granite stones), reed like forms (steel and bronze) and alluvial stones (granite boulders).
These sculptural motifs are a nod to the natural lightness and buoyancy of the place, a sense of water flow and with an appreciation of the effects of changing seasons that are present on the Goolwa Waterfront (sun, cloud cover, wind, and wet weather).
The node stones are engraved with drawings and stories of place from the first people of Goolwa, collected and presented through working collaboratively with Ngarrindjeri, including Jekeyere, Kuti the cockles, Nori the pelican and The Seven Sisters.
Hearthstone is positioned near Signal Point within the Goolwa Wharf Precinct. It links place throughout the precinct area, creating a sense of story with repeated sculptural and landscape motifs. This approach is inspired by Goolwa as a location itself: as a node along the river artery, a connective point for families, wildlife, industry and memories through history.
Hearthstone was made possible through the generous support of Alexandrina Council and the Langley Family.
Images: by Naomi Jellicoe