With the twin aims of bringing the community together and restoring the amenity of a picnic area, in 1998 Armidale celebrated Local Government Week by launching a project titled ‘Building Bridges across the Community’.
The project involved the creation of five murals on the Stephens Bridge uprights at a site adjacent to a playground and picnic shelter frequented by families. The uprights had been the target of graffiti and the plan was to recreate them as an attractive feature and in the process bring local people together to carry out the work.
Three local artists spearheaded the project. They visited schools and encouraged students to join in workshops that shaped the ideas for the murals. The result was a fun project for local children and others in the community who came together to reclaim the bridge uprights. Other activities were also organised as part of the project.
The bridge painting spanned a full year. The first two murals were commenced during Local Government Week in August 1998 and completed at the local Carnivale festival in September that year. The remaining three murals were completed last year during Local Government Week.
