Silo art at Brim germinates into 200km trail

AN innovative mural project on an old silo in a Wimmera town was so popular that the local shire has found five more unused silos to create a 200km-long towering gallery of outdoor public art.

Artist Guido Van Helten (left) and Yarriambiack Shire Mayor Ray Kingston.

A 200KM outdoor gallery of sky-high art will be developed in the state’s northwest with the creation of the Silo Art Trail.

The art silo at Brim, 20km north of Warracknabeal, won admirers around the world, and now another five abandoned or little-used grain silos in the Wimmera-Mallee Region will also become blank canvasses.

Yarriambiack Mayor Ray Kingston said the new art silos would be at Rupanyup, Roseberry, Sheep Hills, Lascelles and Patchewollock, which, along with Brim, would create a six-silo mural trail.

The next big canvas at Rupanyup.

The $300,000 project would be funded by state and federal money, plus corporate input.

“When you’re talking about the biggest regional art project in Australia’s history, the word excited doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about this project and the opportunity it brings,” Mr Kingston said.

He thanked the Brim community for their support of the original project.

The Brim silos are now a major tourist attraction for the region.

Artist Guido Van Helten completed his high-rise mural last December.

The next silos on the trail are set to be painted late this year.

@Ian.Royall