Rochester Mural Festival’s eight finalists unveiled their work in the form of mini-murals at a Meet the Artists dinner on Saturday evening.
The artists, who began work on their creations on Sunday, will be working all week until the final siren sounds next Sunday.
This year is the eighth instalment of the event, which was first staged in 2015 and has again attracted some of the nation’s top mural artists.
With the support of the Rochester Business Network the festival has continued to attract national attention and through Rochester historian Murray Phipps, its past is kept in tact in a series of “murals booklets”.
Paint us a Song is the theme of the event, the Saturday dinner launch allowing artists to explain the inspiration behind their work.
More than 100 volunteers will be involved in staging the week-long event, acting as support staff for artists and in a range of other duties.
Cafe Rochester will be delivering lunch to the site for the week and Rochester’s heritage courthouse will be the home of the Rotary Club’s many activities.
External judges have been enlisted to make the final decision on the winner, which will be announced next Sunday afternoon.
More than 100 people were at the launch for the mural festival, which involves a variety of community groups who act in support of the dedicated organising committee.
Artists are afforded the luxury of having support from accommodation providers Rochester Motel, Rochester Wine Cabin and Hayes’ Rochester Caravan Park, while others are billeted out to friends of the mural festival.
Tasmanian artist Grenville Freeman’s creation is titled Sounds of Then (This is Australia) — a song by Gang Gajang from 1985, chosen by the artist to create a “typically Australian” look to his mural.
Italian-born Marco Pennacchia, who arrived in Australia as a gelato maker, created his mural from the Massive Attack hit of 1998, Teardrop.
Echuca mural partnership, Maryann Jenkins and Joyce Dempsey, has created a mural from the Patti Page song of 1953 — How much is that doggie in the window?
Ms Jenkins said it was a very nostalgic song that she remembered from her childhood.
“There have been lots of dogs purchased during COVID and they are very important to their owners. We know each of the dogs in the mural personally. Joyce wanted to put a cat in it, but I wouldn’t let her.”
Husband-and-wife team Rebecca Murray and Grahame Wilson created a mural around the 1971 Cat Stevens hit Morning has broken.
They explained it as an uplifting song that created joy through its melody.
Jared Farrow’s Holy Grail-inspired mural, a smash hit by Hunters and Collectors from 1992, was described as a cross-generational song that would appeal to most people.
Two-time winner Kerry Nicholson’s Lucy in the sky with diamonds features his granddaughter. The creation was borne from the The Beatles 1967 hit song, which he said wasn’t one of his favourites — but allowed him to include his granddaughter.
Echuca’s other mural artist in the event, tattooist Reggie Rankin, was inspired by her niece’s comment about chirping birds in the backyard.
“My five-year-old niece was sitting in the backyard and after I was going crook about all the noise they were making, she said ‘that birdie’s got talent’.
“So that became the name of the mural,” she said.
Chris Duffy’s mural is titled Rocket Man, in honour of the Elton John 1972 hit.