When Yass Public School decided it wanted to hire a mural artist to help make the grounds a welcoming and interesting place for students, things began well – until Covid hit.

 

“While we thought we had secured an artist, the school shutdowns in 2020 and larger lockdowns of the community meant our artist could not get to the school,” says Belinda Banfield, speaking on behalf of the school’s Parents and Citizens Association (P&C). 

 

“Once the lockdowns had lifted, and life returned to normal, our chosen artist was too busy to fit in our project.”

 

Maxim and Rozelle’s striking mural at Yass Public School in New South Wales, Australia.

 

 

The P&C had the cash in hand, thanks to fundraising and a grant from the Yass Valley Council, and discussed finding a local artist to take the reins.

 

“However the project was honestly floundering and we were concerned we would not be able to get it done.”

 

The search for a mural artist to hire

 

In a desperate attempt to get the project moving again, Belinda googled ‘mural artists’, which led her to Book An Artist.

 

“I was able to search through the work of artists on the site and find examples of mural work they’d done before,” she says.

 

When first listing the job on the platform, the P&C thought it may not get any responses due to Yass’ regional location in the Southern Tablelands of NSW.

 

“I was shocked then to get a response from Maxim and Rozelle (artists based in Brisbane) almost straight away,” says Belinda.

 

More responses followed, with at least 10 artists expressing interest. 

 

But perhaps the artists’ willingness to travel to the small town was not so surprising. 

 

Even the cast and crew of Netflix series Queer Eye visited back in 2018, helping to make over a local farmer, and revamp an old pub.

 

Deciding which artist to commission for the school mural

 

Belinda says the decision eventually came down to two artists, based on their previous work and profiles.

 

The school had already run a competition amongst its 350 students to gather themes or ideas for the mural, and provided these responses to the artists, who each came up with a draft.

Max and Rozelle in front of their finished mural.

“The design by Max and Roz just stood out, we loved it,” she says. “It was contemporary and colourful – exactly what we wanted, even though we hadn’t known what we wanted.” 

 

Students and parents watch the commissioned artwork come to life 

 

Maxim and Rozelle were able to get started on the school mural quickly, as they were visiting nearby Canberra for an exhibition.

 

They completed the mural, which features the local bridge, school buildings, students and the school motto of ‘Respect, responsibility and participation’, in just four days. 

 

The students of Yass Public School in front of their new mural artwork.

Belinda says watching the mural unfold sparked much excitement among students, and community engagement from those passing by.

 

“Each recess and lunch time, Max and Rozelle would have a group of admirers watching them, and we also encouraged our parents to stop by and have a look at the progress.”

 

She says the end result is “a beautiful piece of art which shows off the best of our school”. 

 

Next up? Inspired by the project’s success, the P&C is considering approaching the local council with the idea of making Yass a ‘mural town’, and getting the rest of the community involved.

 

Belinda’s tips for other schools considering a school mural and how to work with an artist

  • Set your budget first
  • Have some ideas about a theme, but be prepared to be flexible because artists are talented people who know their stuff
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for a draft, but be prepared to pay for it – artists’ time should be valued. 
  • Treat the project as a collaboration.

 

Ready to transform your school with a custom-designed mural? Collaborate with one of our local artists.