Have you passed by the Kilcoy-Beerwah Road underpass near the sports complex recently?
If so, you would have witnessed a vibrant transformation taking place.
Every Wednesday, the tunnel has been coming alive with IFYS Qld, Ky Loh from Loh Tattoo and a group of talented students from Beerwah State High School, led by two visual arts teachers Jeanie Jordan and Angel Kosch who all collaborate to bring the tunnel back to life.
This community-driven project has revitalised the underpass and provided a platform for young people to express themselves and showcase their creativity.
Nathan Andrews from IFYS said his organisation was keen to create a project that revamped and reactivated the community space in a collaborative way.
“To do that we wanted to work with Beerwah High and get some students from the Arts program involved,” Nathan said.
“We wanted to have the opportunity for young people to learn some other skills by having Ky Loh as a local artist come and mentor them around this project.
“We also wanted to showcase that young people are part of our community and that they’re actually really creative and amazing individuals who love to give back.”
Carolyn King, who heads the BSHS Arts Department, said it has been an incredibly rewarding experience.
“We are so grateful to be able to have had the opportunity to work with IFYS on this project and for giving some of our students the opportunity to collaborate and celebrate the Beerwah community voice through their artwork,” she said.
“This has been a really wonderful chance for our young people to learn from people who are actively using their Visual Art and creative skills in this industry.”
The original mural, created around seven years ago, had deteriorated over time and faced regular instances of vandalism.
In an effort to restore it, the project also received a generous donation of paint from Beerwah’s Paint Place to help ensure its revival.
Ky told GC&M News he had been inspired by the positive attitude of the kids working on the project.
A launch to celebrate the new tunnel murals along with acknowledging the artists who brought the space to life will be held next Tuesday.