Proud Yaegl woman and Southern Cross University (SCU) alumna, Frances Belle Parker has been selected to ground Aboriginal art and stories along the spectacular Northern Beaches coastline walk.
Spanning 36km of coastline between Manly and Palm Beach, the Northern Beaches Coast Walk is a continuous path that passes beachfronts, spectacular headlands, residential communities and coastal villages. The Aboriginal Art & Storytelling Project is the first major commission for the Coast Walk Public Art Program.
‘This is an amazing opportunity to be able to create public artwork that tells a deeper part of the coastline’s story,’ Frances said.
‘Through engagement with the Northern Beaches’ Aboriginal community, I hope we can tell stories that are relevant as well as convey the underlying messages of the country and the people who walked this land before us.
‘I plan to explore the themes of middens and the whale songlines through the artwork. I’ll also be using some elements of my cousin’s work, the late Jessica Birk, who lived on the Northern Beaches and loved everything about it. In a sense the work becomes a tribute to the amazing artist she was.’
A practising artist for the past twenty years, Frances came to prominence after winning the Blake Prize [awarded for art that explores spirituality] in 2000 at just 18, making the then-teenager the youngest ever winner and the first Indigenous recipient in the prize’s history.
From 2005 – 2011 Frances was a finalist in the NSW Indigenous Parliament Art Award and was a finalist in the 2006 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award. She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts through UNSW, Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours) through SCU and a Masters of Indigenous Studies (Wellbeing) at SCU.
Frances is deeply inspired by her Mother’s (Yaegl) land) and Ulgundahi Island in the Clarence River where her Mother grew up. This island inspires much of Frances’ artwork. Her art practice spans painting, sculpture and installation and she has exhibited in locations as diverse as Beijing, Andorra and at Sculpture by the Sea in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
She has also been an arts administrator, working as the Indigenous Arts Development Officer at Arts Northern Rivers from 2008 to 2010.
For the Aboriginal Art & Storytelling Project, the Northern Beaches Council invited Aboriginal artists to submit proposals for a series of contemporary public artworks and visual storytelling systems to highlight the significance of Aboriginal culture and place along the Coast Walk.
Mayor Michael Regan said, ‘We are excited to see how Frances’ artwork will develop and respond to Aboriginal culture, the local community and natural surrounds of our extensive coastline.
‘Her project will enrich Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people’s experience of the region, without compromising environmentally fragile and culturally sensitive sites.’
The Coast Walk artwork is currently in the design development stage. Frances will engage with local Aboriginal stakeholders and communities over summer and aims to finish the artwork in mid-2022.
