Arts Project Australia has partnered with Civic Outdoor to roll out a series of large-scale billboard art installations across Melbourne, featuring some of Arts Project Australia’s prolific contemporary artists.

“Arts Project Australia is excited to be partnering with Civic Outdoor to broaden the reach of artwork created by our artists,” says Arts Project Australia director Sue Roff. “The impacts of COVID-19 has dictated our studio and gallery close over the last six months; this partnership provides our gallery with a high-profile way to exhibit art across Melbourne.”

Artists include Julian Martin, Mark Smith, Eden Menta, Monica Lazzari, Anthony Romagnano, Samantha Ashdown, John Bates, Robin Warren, Warren O’Brien, Lachlan Turk, Boris Cipusev, Miles Howard Wilks and Jordan Dymke. The multi-disciplinary range of artworks features bold landscapes, mesmerising abstractions and humorous wordplay.

Audiences can find the billboard art installations in Preston, Kilsyth, Collingwood, Sunshine, Wantirna, Bayswater, Bentleigh and Bundoora until Sunday 4 October. Following, the artworks will continue to be exhibited on billboards across Melbourne until the end of 2020. Civic Outdoor has generously provided space on their suite of digital billboards free of charge to assist Arts Project Australia in operating under COVID-19 restrictions.

“The art industry has suffered immensely from the impacts of the pandemic,” says Civic Outdoor’s Leah Whitford. “The opportunity to present artwork by Arts Project Australia artists in these challenging times is but a small gesture from Civic Outdoor to help create ongoing exposure and awareness of such a wonderful organisation.”

Although Arts Project Australia’s gallery and studio have been closed since mid-March, the organisation has grown in its digital deliveries, with director Sue Roff recently commenting, “Arts Project is extraordinary in the face of adversity.” A remote studio program has allowed artists to develop their practice at home, while the gallery has published weekly online exhibitions, stockroom updates and artist interviews. The billboard art installations form part of a sustained effort to keep the Melbourne community engaged with the art produced at the innovative organisation .

Find out more about Arts Project here.

Read the feature in Melbourne’s Time Out here.