Sixteen metres of award winning art
Callum Croker, a Year 12 student from St Kilda Road has been selected, together with eight other Victorian artists, to transform a Melbourne tram into a public artwork as part of the Melbourne Festival.Melbourne Art Trams is a creative partnership between Arts Victoria, Melbourne Festival and Yarra Trams that will transform Melbourne’s iconic trams into moving works of art travelling across the city, to coincide with the Melbourne Festival. Callum was the winner of the emerging artist category, being selected from more than 150 other proposals to have his art work wrapped around a tram.
When the 18 year-old received the email saying he was a category winner, he had to read it five times over to make sure he wasn’t dreaming!
Drawing inspiration from all over Melbourne, Callum has created an interpretation of the mapping of Melbourne’s trams, which he hopes will convey that something as simple as catching a tram can be filled with joy and excitement.
While he can’t give away too much about the design before the tram is unveiled in October, Callum says the installation is quite different to what his peers and members of the Wesley community have seen from him before. Callum has created his own unique style in his Studio Art studies, and was awarded The Wesley College Society for the Arts Acquisitive Art prize earlier this year.
It’s going to be a long wait to October, but Callum admits there is something else he is looking forward to. He says with a smile, “How many Studio Arts students get to submit a 16 metre canvas for their assessment?”
Head of Senior School at St Kilda Road Morag Howard said, “Anyone who has seen Callum’s art works on display as part of exhibitions at Wesley over the last few years will know they are in for a treat. It goes without saying that we are very proud of Callum and this wonderful achievement.”
Callum’s tram will be rolling around Melbourne for six months and Wesley College encourages all members of the community to keep an eye out for it. Congratulations Callum!
