Melbourne commuters say “I Do” to their fave poem

MEDIA RELEASE COURTESY: Moving Galleries

The results of Moving Galleries ‘People’s Choice Awards’ are in, and Melbourne train commuters have said “I Do” to a poem about changing love by Sean M Whelan and an installation by Kristy Hulm based on the song ‘Happy Together’.

Whelan received the award for his poem ‘everything we ever changed our minds about’ written in response to a call for short poems and haikus about change and transformation.

After an initial selection from more than 700 poetry submissions from the general public, Whelan’s prose about autumn and love was a standout among the final 30 poems displayed.

Kirsty Hulm received the award for her installation ‘Imagine Me and You I Do’ featured on Melbourne’s St Paul Cathedral.

Hulm’s work was originally part of the 2008 Next Wave Festival and was selected by Creative Spaces to join the much-celebrated Moving Galleries exhibition in accordance with its theme of transformation. Her work using the much-loved lyrics to ‘Happy Together’ explored the relationship people have with public space and the sense of loss that comes with moving silently about the city street.

“We’ve received some incredible feedback from Melbourne commuters about the art and poetry from the Transformation exhibition, which is testament to the high quality of work from all of the artists and poets – both novices and professionals,” Jack Walden, the project manager of Moving Galleries said.

“I’d like to thank the general public for their support. With more than 3000 poetry submissions to date and hundreds of votes, the overwhelming public sentiment and support for Moving Galleries helps us to foster young talent and provide a public exhibition space not normally afforded to poets and artists”.

A third prize was awarded to a member of the public for simply casting votes and supporting their favourite poet or artist. The randomly selected voter was Daniel Donahoo from Brunswick.
Each winner receives a prize worth $500.

For more information about the ‘People’s Choice Awards’ or the history of Moving Galleries, visit movinggalleries.org.

Moving Galleries is a travelling exhibition of art and poetry on Melbourne’s city trains. Similar to New York, London and Hong Kong, Melbourne’s trains offer a unique space for artists and poets to showcase their work to commuters. It also broadens commuters’ interaction with the culture of their city. The daily commute becomes an admission ticket to Melbourne’s most accessible creative space – a train carriage where every seat offers a fresh artistic and literary experience.