Galuwa Recreation Centre Public Art

Published on 03 October 2025

Lane Cove Council’s Create Lane Cove: Cultural Plan has a vision: Lane Cove, its people and its places have a strong sense of cultural identity, connection and expression.

Through this vision, Council strives to provide the community with access to public art throughout the LGA. With Galuwa Recreation Centre soon to be completed, we have developed a multi-faceted public art plan to enhance the space and link the creative arts with recreation and community.

Ngara, Yana, Breathe – Mural by MadWings

Council has commissioned First Nations collective, MadWings (Maddison Gibbs and Jason Wing) to create a digital mural for the entrance of the centre. Through a competitive EOI process, the mural was selected for its celebration of movement, community, and the living spirit of Lane Cove.

Inspired by the rhythms of the land and the energy of Galuwa Recreation Centre, the work honours the theme Ngara (Listen), Yana (Walk), Breathe, a tribute to the Cameraygal people and their enduring connection to Country.

Dynamic forms and layered textures reflect movement: running, stretching, playing, capturing the joy of shared activity. Organic shapes, drawn from Lane Cove’s creeks and bushland, symbolise breath, balance, and renewal, speaking to the wellbeing of people, community, and environment as one.

First Nations inspired motifs of land and water are woven throughout, inviting viewers to pause, listen, and reflect. By walking past, entering, or breathing within the space, visitors become part of the artwork’s meaning.

Bold and contemporary, the mural marks the entrance as more than a threshold to activity. It is a gateway to growth, celebrating Lane Cove as a place where people and nature thrive together. It invites all to walk with awareness, breathe with gratitude, and listen with heart to the stories carried by the land.

Cove and Community – Poem by local poet Olive Moon

Council has also commissioned a dedicated poem for the centre which will be displayed digitally in The Outlook room in the centre. Also chosen via a competitive EOI process, Council awarded the commission to Greenwich poet, Olive Moon:

Story Threads – Woven Art by Dr Virginia Keft in collaboration with the local community

Story Threads is a collaborative artwork between Dr Virginia Keft, a proud Muruwari woman and award-winning artist, who ran eight community Weaving & Yarning workshops in Lane Cove as part of our Weaving Climate Stories project. Participants were guided through the art of weaving while sharing stories, with their individual pieces later woven together by Dr Keft to create a collaborative community artwork titled Story Threads. The finished work was unveiled at the Weaving Stories Film Festival and entered into the Lane Cove Art Collection.

Local schools also joined intergenerational excursions, where students and older community members came together to connect through weaving, storytelling and cultural exchange. These experiences created space for new perspectives, reduced social isolation and celebrated the value of intergenerational connection.

Story Threads stands as a vibrant symbol of community, Country, and the enduring power of storytelling. Story Threads will be hung in the main entrance stairwell in the centre.

Ephemeral Community Art Project with Alex Cox

To celebrate the opening of the new recreation centre, Council is hosting three community art workshops to develop some ephemeral/temporary art installations to bring the centre to life and add some local personality to its grandeur.

With workshops in September, October and November, multidisciplinary artist Alex Cox is leading hands-on community art workshops that celebrate creativity, play and collaboration. Using repurposed sporting gear, participants create bold, imaginative artworks exploring themes of climbing, growth and community strength.

People of all ages can join in, transforming old tennis rackets into colourful wall art through painting, collage and mixed-media techniques. The free sessions provide an opportunity for people to connect, share ideas and contribute to a collective artwork that reflects the spirit of the new community space.

Sydney-based artist and experienced facilitator Alex Cox brings his background in visual arts, music and community engagement to the workshop, creating an inclusive and welcoming space where everyone can participate and take pride in the creative process.

Check our events page to register for October and November events: https://www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/Community/Events-and-Festivals/Council-Events

Climbing Men by Solaris

Council has acquired an assemblage of forty climbers from by elusive art Solaris, a striking installation of small-scale climbing figures that animate the walls of Galuwa. The work is both a literal and symbolic translation of “Galuwa,” evoking the physical act of ascent while speaking to the human condition. Each figure embodies the vulnerability inherent in climbing to great heights, yet together they form an interconnected network that reflects strength, solidarity, and resilience. The piece invites viewers to consider how fragility is lessened when people move in unison, supporting one another in the shared journey upward.

These striking figures are crafted from high-quality casting resin. Suspended on robust 1.6-meter adjustable wires, the Climbing Men seem to scale walls with purpose and grace. Solaris had conceived these sculptures during a hike in rugged mountains. As he navigated treacherous paths and ascended steep cliffs, he was struck by the sheer willpower and determination needed to overcome such challenges. It was in these moments of reflection that the vision for the Climbing Men took shape. He aimed to encapsulate the essence of human perseverance within each figure.

Sculpture

We are also in the process of commissioning two sculptural works for the outdoor garden beds to further enhance the space. Keep an eye out!