The Coorong District Council built a state-of-the-art civic centre in Tailem Bend (utilising funds borrowed from LGFA) and in  addressing the bare walls in the new precinct , made a community call-out for loan art. The response was unexpected and overwhelming, leading to the establishment of the council’s Accidental Art Gallery. After realising art was important to it’s community, a new fulltime art resource resulted from a successful funding submission to Country Arts SA.

The Council’s $100,000 “Creating Coonalpyn” program emerged, leading to a suite of community led art projects, including its flagship project, the silo mural, incidentally, now South Australia’s largest art canvas.

The now completed silo art continue to encourage a large number of visitors to pause on their trip, view the silos and have a coffee at the newly opened Coonalpyn Silo Café and other eateries in the town.

Coorong District Council Chief Executive Officer Vincent Cammell said this project not only brought about a sense of community pride and belief for the future, but turned the town into an overnight tourist destination

The vision of the Council was recently recognised when the project won the 2017 National Award for Excellence in Local Government in the Arts Animates category, adding to a list of other State Awards for the Council.

This information has been proudly provided by Nat Traeger, Director Community and Corporate, and Judy Thompson, Finance Manager, Coorong District Council.

LGFA continues to provide loan facilities to the Coorong District Council.