Maylands artists celebrated

Giant planter boxes filled with native plants, trees and greenery now line the centre of Eighth Avenue in Maylands as part of the City's Place Activation Plan for the town centre. The work of local artists will be featured on the sides of the planters through the City's new 'Art on Eighth' initiative.

Mayor Dan Bull said the project was a great way to showcase the work of local artists and bring greenery to the streetscape at the same time. "Art on Eighth celebrates Maylands as the creative hotspot of Perth's inner east.

"At the City's place activation workshops the community told us they want to see Maylands become a lush green town centre while continuing to celebrate the arts culture that is so prevalent here.

"Street trees will be grown in the new planter boxes as a trial for areas limited by space or underground services. We know that trees have traffic calming effects as well as improving walkability along streets, which is ideal for Eighth Avenue.

"If you're an artist who has a connection to Maylands, I encourage you to get in touch with the City's Place Manager to express your interest in exhibiting your work through Art on Eighth."

The planter boxes are part of the City's overall revitalisation of Eighth Avenue, which has already seen improvements to the median, road resurfacing, new street furniture, and upgraded street bins. The planters are being trialed in the median in the first instance, with planters to be considered for the verge in the future.

The first artist to be featured in the Art on Eighth project will be Eva Fernandez who was born in Toronto, Canada and now lives and works in Maylands. Eva's work has been exhibited publicly in Brookfield Place and Arcade 800 in Perth City, as well as at the Art Gallery of WA, and the National Gallery of Victoria and Adelaide. Her art explores the complex history and cultural legacy of colonialism – as depicted in her ‘After the Tea Party’ works which are currently displayed along Eighth Avenue.