A bland brick wall at Jamberoo Public School has been transformed into a beautiful piece of artwork, thanks to artist Sam Hall.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
READ MORE: Mikey Freedom leaves his stamp on Kiama cafe
The local talent wanted to incorporate images that were synonymous with both the school and the broader Jamberoo community.
The mural took about 30 hours across three weeks to complete.
“I came here and I was trying to figure out what birds I wanted to paint, and a galah and a kookaburra both flew past me,” he said.
“I painted those guys to give me a bit of inspiration to figure out where I was going to go from there.
“Then I decided to throw in some mountains, with some chooks, and a bucket pouring some water, then I added a few trees that are symbolic for the school.”
It’s good to show kids there’s a career in art, that it’s not just something to stuff around with, there’s actually genuine opportunities to live out your dream.
- Sam Hall
October’s downpour caused a bit of heartache for Hall.
“Getting a month of rain was very unexpected, I had planned a lot of the work for the middle of October when it really poured with rain, so that was a bit hard, plus a few windy days thrown in,” he said.
Hall was glad to be able to give back to the community.
“It’s good to show kids there’s a career in art, that it’s not just something to stuff around with, there’s actually genuine opportunities to live out your dream,” he said.
Jamberoo Public School principal Chris Speirs said the mural had the “wow factor” they wanted.
“It’s amazing,” he said.
“We had a bit of a dead space in the school, so we wanted a space where as soon as visitors and families walked in, they go ‘wow’ – that’s exactly what Sam’s produced.
“It reflects the school itself and obviously the Jamberoo community, which is exactly what we were after. There’s the rainforest, the natural fauna and also the school motto ‘A small school making a big difference’.”
The project was part funded by Jamberoo Public School, First National Coast and Country, along with Glenbrook’s Brett Whitford.
Kiama MP Gareth Ward said the mural was a great tribute to arts and culture.
“Sam is a very talented artist, you can see that on display,” he said.
“It’s an inspiration for kids who were able to be part of it, and to see it come to life in front of them.
“This is a great way to liven up what would be pretty ordinary spaces, and to bring them to life using creatures that are synonymous with this part of the world – everything from farmyards to our natural flora and fauna.
“We’re really lucky to have someone like Sam in our community, who is so talented to be able to share that with the school and the students who clearly have embraced his art – it’s very impressive.”
