Artwork has begun on the Albacutya Silo, marking the first silo in Hindmarsh Shire to join the Silo Art Trail.

The Silo Art Trail was originally conceived and curated by renowned street art and mural art company Juddy Roller in partnership with Yarriambiack Shire in 2016. Since 2018 Wimmera Mallee Tourism have worked closely with Yarriambiack Shire Council to strategically manage the expansion of the trail across the Wimmera Mallee region. Silo Art Trail sites have since been added in Buloke and West Wimmera Shires through the State Government’s “Pick My Project” funding.

The Albacutya Silo site, ten kilometres north of Rainbow, presents an important strategic position in establishing a tourism route link between the Yarriambiack silos and West Wimmera silos. It has been funded as part of the State Government’s “Wimmera Southern Mallee Destination Management Plan” implementation funding leveraged through the Wimmera Southern Mallee Regional Partnership. Viewing site works are being funded by Hindmarsh Shire Council.

Through the establishment of artwork at Albacutya Silo, Juddy Roller have continued to uphold their original Silo Art Trail concept of developing the world’s largest outdoor art gallery by utilizing the Wimmera Mallee’s silos as blank canvases for leading national and international mural artists to create unique large scale artworks.

As the first silo art in Hindmarsh Shire, Managing Director of Juddy Roller, Shaun Hassock and Wimmera Mallee Tourism representatives identified an opportunity for the Albacutya Silo to celebrate the start of a new section of the trail with art work that offered a significant point of difference.

The Albacutya Silo will importantly help to create renewed interest in the existing Silo Art Trail as a curated art gallery to the many local and regional residents who have already travelled the Silo Art Trail whilst at the same time adding a long awaited missing link.

The main point of difference between the Silo Art Trail art work and many of the community murals that have been commissioned by local communities is that the Wimmera Mallee Silo Art Trail leaves the design of the art work to the discretion of the artist, allowing for freedom of expression and artistic style of the artist.

Melbourne artist Kit Bennett has been engaged for the Albacutya Silo Art project. Whilst the project was delayed by the Melbourne COVID travel lock down, Kit developed themes and designs celebrating women and family on farms.

Drawing inspiration from the silo’s owner and incorporating ties back to Rainbow and the local area, the artwork will present a fun, quirky, colourful and exciting style that will attract the interest of both young and old, and the family touring market. It will present a significant point of difference to existing Silo Art Trail artworks.

The artwork is predicted to take three to four weeks to complete. Visitors are welcome to see the artwork in development, however access to the silo site is prohibited. A viewing area has been established approximately 50 metres to the east of the silos.

Hindmarsh Shire Council Mayor, Ron Ismay said “Council is excited that Hindmarsh is finally on the Silo Art Trail. This new artwork will begin to create the important tourist link from the original Yarriambiack silo art through to the recently completed works in West Wimmera Shire, bringing increased tourism and visitors to our shires townships while increasing interest and marketing opportunities for the entire region-wide Silo Art Trail.”