{"id":618126,"date":"2026-10-02T04:54:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T04:54:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/618126\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T04:54:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T04:54:20","slug":"brisbane-street-artists-tranforming-public-spaces-ahead-of-2032-olympic-and-paralympic-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/618126\/","title":{"rendered":"Brisbane street artists tranforming public spaces ahead of 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">Jarad Danby has transformed public spaces across the world with his art, and now, for the first time, he has a mural in his home city of Brisbane.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">His work inside a 200-metre tunnel in the inner-city suburb of Newstead is part of a push to celebrate home-grown talent ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A mural on a wall in a tunnel showing a silver pot and two oranges in a bowl.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/dd660972ffbad9f28baab0336d5ee96c.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">A tunnel in Newstead has been transformed with a brightly coloured mural by Brisbane artist Jarad Danby. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">&#8220;When the world comes to Brisbane, it&#8217;s important that we tell real Brisbane stories, and who is better to do that than our own artists?&#8221; street art curator Matthew Tervo said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">&#8220;They can give you an artwork that gives you a sense of that place, so when people come to Brisbane they leave with a sense of who we really are.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Two men stand in a tunnel looking at a brightly coloured mural painted on a wall.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/c68ba3f0b8c5e6a91e6b94ec3233e3fd.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Street art curator Matthew Tervo and Brisbane artist Jarad Danby. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">In a bid to reflect the area&#8217;s history in his artwork, Danby visited the local museum and selected and photographed items to incorporate into his work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">He then created a scribble grid on the wall, which gave him a reference point to be able to transfer an image he composed on his computer onto the wall at the correct scale.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">&#8220;I wanted to represent the future of Brisbane and how abundant it is going to be in the lead-up to the Olympics,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A mural on a wall showing fruit in bright colours.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/7e839e87db9ad5b5d879986f190dd905.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Artist Jarad Danby and his team carefully laid out the items on the table and photographed them before uploading the images to a computer. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">His mural features fresh fruit, and he has taken inspiration from the surrounds with a process behind each element.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">&#8220;This is my first public piece in Brisbane, so that was really special, and I was able to bring my mum and dad here, and they were jubilant,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A mural on a wall showing a scroll of white fabric and a silver pot.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/6270f2c74ca3d4136356e32cf87c7f82.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">A tunnel at Newstead has been transformed nto a work of art, inspired by locally sourced produce and objects from the past. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">The mural has been funded by the Brisbane City Council, with plans to do more in the next six years ahead of the Games.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">&#8220;As all eyes are on Brisbane for 2032 it&#8217;s important to have projects like this that showcase who we are as a city,&#8221; Brisbane Councillor Julia Dixon said.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A tree next to a underpass painted in cream, green and pink with the artists signature as 'Danby'.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2ad9b8279cdf6c9d9f5b8984fde9341d.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Jarad Danby says he wanted to incorporate the greenery in the surrounding area into his artwork. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi)<\/p>\n<p>Cost-effective solution<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">While street art is created for the public, it&#8217;s also helping to offset the cost of vandalism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">It is proving to work at an underpass in Toowong, where the council was having to fork out to cover up graffiti and maintain the beige walls before it became a mural.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A tunnel painted with colourful street art.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/e9e77d611ea1c2c83a8ed9488a5fbbb4.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">An underpass in Toowong has turned from beige to a piece of art, and it has proved effective in reducing graffiti.\u00a0 (ABC News: Mark Leonardi)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">&#8220;The budget per square metre wasn&#8217;t a lot, so we innovated and used recycled paint to achieve the outcome,&#8221; Mr Tervo said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">&#8220;The metric we were given for success is if we halved the amount of spend removing vandalism, then it would be considered successful.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">&#8220;So far, there&#8217;s only been one instance of vandalism in six months.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">&#8220;It is just proof that we are the problem as well as the solution.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A portrait of a man wearing a cap and glasses looking at a man who can be seen blurred in the foreground.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/367fde3b46e8e4827178fac1c3534c1f.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Matthew Tervo says Brisbane should be on the map as a world-class street art city. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">Mr Tervo said the focus should be on creating uniquely Brisbane street art as opposed to becoming &#8220;Melbourne lite&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">&#8220;It&#8217;s awesome for street artists but also the public because it creates a link between nature and buildings \u2026 it adds so much culture and life to a city,&#8221; Danby said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">&#8220;Brisbane should be on the map as a world-class street art city because we have some of the best artists and so many blank walls as well.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A man standing in front of a mural painted on a wall in a tunnel looking straight ahead.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/c6025a4b9a882b4555d93b1acd9c6270.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Jarad Danby says he wanted to represent the future of Brisbane in his artwork. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jarad Danby has transformed public spaces across the world with his art, and now, for the first time,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":618127,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[442,498,499,500,9689,304390,501,156,3073,304391,111,139,69,90371,161306,8165,3654,12136],"class_list":["post-618126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-brisbane","tag-brisbane-2032","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-graffiti","tag-jarad-danby","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-olympic-games","tag-paralympics","tag-qld","tag-queensland","tag-street-art"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/618126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=618126"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/618126\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/618127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=618126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=618126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=618126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}