We recognise that art in public spaces (streets, squares, buildings, foreshores and parks) fosters a better quality of life as well as a strong sense of identity in the community.

Through the Percentage for Art Scheme, initiated by the Government to improve urban environments in Western Australia, one per cent of the total estimated cost of construction projects in the EPRA Redevelopment Area is allocated towards public art.

What is Public Art?
Public art is artwork specifically commissioned for a defined site that is visible from and contributes to the public realm. The artwork can be permanent, temporary or ephemeral, functional or non-functional, as defined by the individual brief.

In some instances it may take subtle forms, such as landscaping or street furniture. Alternatively, urban designers, landscape architects and artists may be commissioned to create imaginative buildings, street furniture, landscape features and stand-alone works of art.

Many pieces express the respective area's industrial and Indigenous history - some constructed from materials found on the redevelopment sites or salvaged from old buildings and others reflect and celebrate local Aboriginal culture, as the East Perth foreshore was a prominent meeting and camping place for the Noongar people.

EPRA Examples

• Northbridge has been home to a diversity of cultures for the past 100 years. To reflect this, a range of public artworks feature throughout the area. One of the highlights is the stunning polished concrete and water sculpture 'Nexus' in the Plateia Hellas.
• In Claisebrook Village, an interactive Art Walk runs through the suburb, showcasing an eclectic mix of 27 separate pieces from 17 artists. One particular public art feature is the winding pathway along the Victoria Gardens riverbank, Illa Kuri, which describes the chain of lakes and wetlands that stretched across the landscape before the city was built.

Public Art Policy & Strategy
We initiated and implemented a substantial public art program when EPRA was formed in 1991. This has grown over time to include a separate Public Art Strategy for each redevelopment project. These area-specific strategies support Planning Policy 1.9 - Public Art and also reflect the heritage and individuality of the communities involved.

Find out more about the Public Art Strategies for each EPRA Project.

Related Information