SWELL Projects
YEAR ROUND, SWELL WORKS WITH CLIENTS AND COLLABORATORS, COORDINATING AND HOSTING NEW AND EXCITING RECOGNISED NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS FOR STAND ALONE PUBLIC ART PROJECTS.
Waterlines at the Hinze Dam
Collaboration Queensland Government’s Tourism Experience Development Fund, City of Gold Coast, Councillor Glenn Tozer, Division 9 and Seqwater
Year 2024
With a strong focus on land art, Waterlines presented an 11 day immersive experience with sculptural installations and eco programming. Two larger-than-life land art installations and soundscape kayak tour, long table forest feast, artist talks, permaculture, edible gardens, yoga and more. Featuring artists Marcus Tatton, Corrina Bonshek & Collaborators and Shannon Best at the iconic Hinze Dam and surrounding Gold Coast Hinterland (see gallery).
Feast in the Forest
Collaboration The Bower Estate
Year 2024
An exquisite collaboration between SWELL Sculpture and The Bower Estate, Feast in the Forest offered an unforgettable culinary experience set amidst the stunning landscape of the Gold Coast Hinterland. Evoking conversation, inspiring connection and learning through storytelling, this exclusive experience beautifully celebrated people, art and place.
SITELINES
Collaboration City of Gold Coast
Year 2024
An artist in residency program and symposium with a strong focus on land art followed by a public art information session, SITELINES provided opportunities for Gold Coast Artists to engage in hands on, inspiring large-scale sculpture builds and critical dialogue around public art. This unique program inspires artists to develop their own art practice for public art opportunities.
The Pelican at Miami High
Collaboration Miami State High School
Year 2024
An environmental project and installation of a striking Pelican sculpture made by Gold Coast artist Mike Van Dam. Inspired by a commitment to addressing plastic bottle waste, Van Dam meticulously shaped the steel frame to capture a Pelican in quiet vigilance, its open beak ready to catch recycled bottles.
WSL 2024 Challenger Series
Collaboration World Surf League, Bonsoy, Experience Gold Coast
Year 2024
As part of the WSL Challenger Series at Snapper Rocks, SWELL exhibited Dawn Patrol by Pete Denison. The sculpture captures the essence of a sunrise surf. The ritual of joining the dawn patrol, as surfers awaken early, eagerly anticipating the day's waves.
SWELL Smalls Art Prize
Year 2024
The inaugural SWELL Smalls Art Prize invited audiences to immerse in this new exhibition at the Broadbeach Community Space. With an application process open to local, national and international artists working in all mediums, the autumn showcase featured 60+ sculptures, ceramics, paintings and more (see gallery).
Make a Mudgeeraba Postcard
Collaboration Mudgeeraba Market Shopping Centre
Year 2024
SWELL Artist Richard Scott brought his illustrative talents to the Mudgeeraba community, hosting creative workshops to design, draw and colour your very own Mudgeeraba postcard. Sharing what makes Mudgeeraba special to you and creating a homemade postcard to send to loved ones.
SWELL at Pacific Fair
Collaboration Pacific Fair Shopping Centre
Year 2023
SWELL popped up at Pacific Fair with the larger-than-life Trumpet Flowers by Amigo & Amigo - a multi sensory playground of sound and light, inviting visitors to create sound through touch. Alongside the installation, SWELL Artists led free botanical workshops with flower pot painting, flower crown making and clay crafting (see gallery).
SWELL at Gold Coast Airport
Collaboration Gold Coast Airport
Year 2023
Created by local artist Dion Parker, this work is a selection and celebration of Lil Dusty in some of his many forms. Located at the Arrivals Terminal of Gold Coast Airport, Lil Dusty welcomed locals and visitors to the Gold Coast around the dates of SWELL 2023 (see gallery).
SWELL at Oasis
Collaboration Oasis Shopping Centre
Year 2023
Dion Parker’s upscaled and vividly red Lil' Dusty called the Oasis Shopping Centre home around the dates of SWELL 2023. The Art of Tea workshop hosted by Monte Lupo saw participants paint their very own tea cup and saucer, and enjoy a delightful high tea at Madison’s Café & Patisserie (see gallery).
William Barton & Friends at SWELL
Collaboration Div 14 Cr Gail O’Neill & Griffith University
Year 2023
The SWELL Fringe 2023 program hosted a special night of live music presented by award winning composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist – William Barton. Recognised as one of Australia’s leading didgeridoo players and composers, the following day William hosted an intimate yarning circle with Griffith Alumni.
School Holiday Workshops
Collaboration Currumbin RSL
Year 2023
In 2023 SWELL hosted creative school holiday workshops on the scenic deck of the Currumbin RSL. Participants enjoyed embellishing birdhouses and sculpting head planters with Monte Lupo. Textile expert Penny Lennon introduced workshop goers to the art of Japanese sashiko stitching and raffia weaving.
FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 Trophy Tour
Collaboration FIFA Women's World Cup
Year 2023
SWELL was proud to present parthenopi's GOAL COAST at Burleigh Beach for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 Trophy Tour, on its journey to each of the 32 qualified countries.
Mullet Season at Pacific Fair
Collaboration Pacific Fair Shopping Centre
Year 2023
Luther Cora's 'Mullet Season' exhibited at Pacific Fair as part of their 2023 NAIDOC Week celebrations. These colourful mullet fish are a a sign of happiness, abundance, sharing, and coming together.
SWELL Sculpture at Usher Cup 2023
Collaboration Usher Cup
Year 2023
The 3-day surfing event located at the iconic Snapper Rocks showcased gorgeous sculptures by SWELL Sculpture Festival 2022 Artists parthenopi and Emily Hastie. The sculptures were situated along the beachside path to inspire and delight event-goers.
Arts Magic 2022 Kids Workshops
Collaboration Monte Lupo, Destination Greater Springfield, Orion Springfield Central
Year 2022
Arts Magic 2022 was a city-wide program seeking to engage the community through creative workshops and demonstrations encouraging creative expression, guided by industrial professionals. As part of the program, SWELL's pop-up artist studio hosted by Monte Lupo at Orion Springfield Central invited children to paint a self-portrait or to create a mosaic masterpiece.
COBA 2022 Welcome Reception
Collaboration Customer Owned Banking Association
Year 2022
A collection of works by SWELL Artists were featured as part of the welcome reception for COBA 2022 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. Featured sculptures were by Clayton Blake, Dion Parker, Jeremy Sheehan, John Vanderkolk & Mark George.
Living Sculptures
Collaboration Arc Circus
Year 2022
Living Sculptures is a stunning and dynamic, Indigenous-led, site-specific contemporary performance piece fusing traditional First Nations dance and storytelling, contemporary circus, and sculpture, performed on the beach alongside the static sculptures of SWELL Sculpture Festival 2022.
industrialSWELL
Collaboration Division 3 City of Gold Coast
Year 2022
A selection of Gold Coast artists - Dion Parker, Rae Saheli, Andrew Cullen, District 23 and Mike Van Dam - exhibited their works curated together around the ‘KOKOMO’ area of the precinct. IndustrialSWELL is a nod to the great skills and craftsmanship of all of the people in the boating industry. Some of the artists involved have learned the art and worked as shipwrights, boatbuilders, boiler makers, and in other industrial areas. IndustrialSWELL showcases the transfer of skills from traditional industry to artistic sculpture. See the full image gallery
CONNECTION at Tugun Market Co.
Collaboration Tugun Market Co.
Year 2022
SWELL partnered with our local friends and supporters at Tugun Market Co. as a pop-up location during SWELL Sculpture Festival 2022. The featured work, CONNECTION by Clayton Blake, was a visual tribute to multiculturalism and a celebration of Australia's diversity.
northerlySWELL
Collaboration Division 2 City of Gold Coast
Year 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022
To extend the footprint of SWELL Sculpture Festival and connect the northern end of the Gold Coast with the southern end, SWELL collaborated with Division 2 to deliver a public sculpture in an up-close environment at the Helensvale Library and Cultural Centre.
northerlySWELL 2020 image gallery
northerlySWELL 2021 image gallery
northerlySWELL 2022 image gallery
northerlySWELL 2023 image gallery
The Art of Sustainability - The magic of working with bamboo
Collaboration City of Gold Coast
Year 2022
Site and Situation workshop 'The art of sustainability' with Juan Pablo Pinto from Cave Urban saw Gold Coast artists devote the day to creativity and hard yakka as they learned from Juan Pablo the art of working with bamboo to create a stunning installation.
easterlySWELL
Collaboration Division 10 City of Gold Coast
Year 2020, 2021 & 2023
easterlySWELL connects people, art and place within the Chevron Island community. easterlySWELL 2020 saw the innovative and engaging works of Christopher Trotter (see gallery). In 2021, Sydney based design studio Atelier Sisu featured their iridescent and mesmerising 'art-chitecture', Evanescent (see gallery). In 2023 artist parthenopi led the community art project for 'Where the Wildflowers Grow', crafting master blooms from found plastic, collectively creating a unique visual spectacular (see gallery).
westerlySWELL
Collaboration Division 9 City of Gold Coast
Year 2020 & 2021
westerlySWELL connects people, art and place, forming the western point of the SWELL compass annually as a celebration of art, culture and community. In 2020 westerlySWELL popped up with 7 artworks created by local and national sculptors (see gallery). westerlySWELL 2021 featured the works of internationally renowned artist Emma Anna and her Scrabble inspired sculptures (see gallery).
THE URCHINS AUSTRALIA
SURFERS Paradise has been inhabited by two radically upscaled hand crocheted sea urchins suspended in Appel Park as part of Festival 2018, the arts and culture program of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games running from Wednesday, April 4 to Sunday, April 15.
Embodying the spiny sea creatures of the deep, the giant artwork commission by City of Gold Coast is designed by internationally acclaimed artists Choi+Shine Architects and curated by SWELL (see gallery). CONTINUE READING >>>
THE MEDAL BLOOMS PROJECT
Client Commonwealth Games
Year 2018
For the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, SWELL commissioned Elizabeth to rework her 2006 SWELL Sculpture Festival installation on a grand scale with the 853 medal winning athletes at its core as the Medal Blooms installation. Each solitary flower stands tall yet unified. Every bloom represents a multitude of stories, growing with the achievements and triumphs of the Games (see gallery). CONTINUE READING >>>
SURFERS PARADISE ALLIANCE
Client Surfers Paradise Alliance – Sand Safari
Year 2016
Sand Safari, a Surfers Paradise Alliance signature event was at capacity. Surfers Paradise Alliance was investing in growing the event beyond the sand sculpture offering to include artworks inspired by sand and sea across different mediums.
THE POPPY ART PROJECT
Client Currumbin RSL
Year 2015 + 2016
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, SWELL produced a sculptural installation on Elephant Rock, the home of a large annual dawn ANZAC ceremony.
WOODFORD FOLK FESTIVAL
Woodford Folk Festival is an event of international standing and is held annually over six days and six nights from Dec 27th through to January 1st.
Each year SWELL supports Woodford Folk Festival by curating and installing amazing sculptural artworks within the festival village.
Woodford Festival is a place where artists inspire, community spirit engulfs and life memories are made.