COMMISSION OPPORTUNITY
Council is seeking expressions of interest from suitably experienced contemporary artists to develop and install applied works for one or more walls in the courtyard area and/or the street-facing back wall of the courtyard at Maroondah Federation Estate. A prominent cultural and arts facility in Ringwood, the venue houses galleries, artist studios and workshops as well as function rooms available for hire. A budget of between $20,000 to $100,000 (excluding GST) is available for the commission. We encourage representation from a wide range of artists. Artists working collaboratively are also welcome.
Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners
We, in the spirit of Reconciliation, acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation as traditional custodians of the land now known as the City of Maroondah, where Indigenous Australians have performed age-old ceremonies. We acknowledge and respect their unique ability to care for Country and their deep spiritual connection to it. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
Council’s Support for Public Art in Maroondah
Maroondah City Council supports public art within the community as a way of enhancing the municipality’s cultural vibrancy and creative placemaking. Guided by Maroondah’s Public Art Policy, the Arts and Cultural Development Strategy 2020 – 2025 and the Maroondah 2050 vision for cultural vitality, public artworks respond to the community’s desire for diverse art forms and expressions in public places. Maroondah’s growing collection of indoor and outdoor public art enriches the public realm and the community’s experience of and connection with these spaces.
PROJECT LOCATION
Ringwood is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 28km east of Melbourne’s Central Business District, located within the City of Maroondah local government area. The proposed activity focuses on a new commission for the outdoor courtyard space of Maroondah Federation Estate. The project is coordinated by Maroondah City Council’s Arts and Culture Team.
About Maroondah Federation Estate
Located on the site of the previous 1921 Ringwood State School, Maroondah Federation Estate is an important community arts and cultural facility. Incorporating the original architecture of the school building, the site is situated amongst generously landscaped gardens within walking distance from the Ringwood Metropolitan Activity Centre and Ringwood train station and has dedicated onsite parking. Key facilities within the site include the Maroondah Federation Estate Gallery, Cultural and Lifestyle Centre and playspace. More than 200,000 people of all ages visit the site each year to attend a range of exhibitions, events, workshops and programs in the buildings and gardens.
For further information, please visit: Maroondah Federation Estate | Maroondah City Council
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
The first inhabitants and Traditional Owners of the area now known as Maroondah were the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation at least 40,000 years ago. The territory of the Wurundjeri lies within Naarm, now known as the inner city of Melbourne, and extends north to the Great Dividing Ranges, east to Mt Baw Baw, south to Mordialloc Creek and west to the Werribee River.
The City of Maroondah was created through amalgamation of the former Cities of Ringwood and Croydon in 1994. Maroondah Federation Estate is situated on the site of the original 1921 Ringwood State School building, which closed in 1998. See Heritage Council Victoria statement of significance:
Former Ringwood (State) School No.2997 opened in 1874 in a leased hall, as an annexe to Ringwood State School No.1451 which opened in the same year. This brick school succeeded it in 1921-22 and closed in 1998. It is historically significant to the municipality for its long association with educational developments in Ringwood. The present campus demonstrates a changing sequence of occupancy pattern and of the local population as extra land was purchased and buildings… were added over time. The school was historically significant for the pioneering success of its recorder band. It is architecturally significant as a characteristic and relatively intact abstracted Baroque design from the Public Works Department under Edwin Evan Smith as Chief Architect. It is socially significant as being known and valued by the Ringwood community and their children over 125 years (76 years in this building).
For further information please visit: https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/146899
PUBLIC ART ELEMENT
The key public art features of this project will be either a single stand-alone artwork or sequence of connected two or three-dimensional artworks situated on the interior and exterior walls of the courtyard area inside the Maroondah Federation Estate complex.
The public art commission is intended to bring interest to the external and internal areas of this cultural venue and community meeting place and connect with the existing building and site. The courtyard serves as a place for gathering during the day or night for a range of cultural activities including performances, workshops, classes and events. The artwork/s could take a variety of forms, including:
- Murals
- Sculptural Relief
- Tiling or Mosaics
- Perforated Steel
- Adhesive Vinyl (outdoor grade)
- Weather-appropriate textiles
- Light-based artworks
Artists are encouraged to consider the presence of the work during night and daytime. The site includes trees, decorative groundwork and paving, seating and existing public artworks. Existing lighting is attached to Wall 4, outlets for potential lighting are at the base of Wall 2 (refer to site map below). Architectural plans for the site can be provided upon request.
The walls for consideration are rendered plaster.
KEY PUBLIC ART PRINCIPLES
Public art in Maroondah will align with the following principles, to guide the selection of works being commissioned and collected:
- Quality: Demonstrates artistic excellence, innovation and structural integrity, with work undertaken by artists and creative industry specialists in line with cultural sector benchmarks and standards.
- Relevance: Artwork reflects place-based themes that enhance the unique identity and diversity of Maroondah, reflecting shared values, history, natural and built environs, or the aspirations of our community.
- Accessibility: Artwork is physically, digitally and thematically accessible to our community, and opportunities for public art commission are accessible to a range of artists.
- Collaboration: Encourages and promotes collaboration between artists, community members, businesses, stakeholders and industry partners.
- Diversity: Embraces creative expression from artists of diverse cultures, genders, ages and socio demographics, and the creative messaging of works represents diverse expressions, perspectives, themes and styles.
- First Peoples: Enables First Peoples-led and collaborative expression of Culture, knowledge and storytelling through public art opportunities.
- Gender Equity: Supports gender equity in commissioned artists and representation in public art themes and associated programs or initiatives.
- Investment: Represents a good investment for Council, the work and lifecycle maintenance achieved in line with current industry benchmarks and available budgets.
- Sustainability: Considers minimisation of environmental impact at all stages of the work, such as sustainable materials, installation and maintenance processes.
Maroondah City Council reserves the right to not award the commission if there is a lack of suitable entries.
SELECTION CRITERIA
- Innovation, creative excellence in previous work (please include up to five examples)
- Ability to present a structurally sound, sustainable design that takes into account the site-specific logistics
- Ability to connect to the context of the location in ways that are accessible for a broad audience, as demonstrated in previous works (this may take the form of architectural, historical, cultural, social, spiritual, landscape / open space or geographical references). This includes providing a sense of connectivity across the walls in courtyard and on the street-facing wall.
- Experience completing public art projects with a lifecycle of 10+ years
- Ability to work efficiently as part of a larger team and within the timeline and requirements of Maroondah City Council which includes:
- – ABN and Public Liability Insurance of minimum $20 million
- – Ability to deliver a workplan and maintenance manual using a sustainable material methodology that minimises future wear and tear
- – Ability to deliver a comprehensive risk assessment and safety plan for the project
- – Ability to work to key timelines and budget parameters.
TIMELINE – KEY DATES
Artist EOI distributed: Wednesday 4 March 2026
Compulsory site visit: Tuesday 17 March 2pm – 2.45pm
Saturday 28 March 10.00am – 10.45am
RSVP: [email protected]
Meeting point: Entry foyer, Maroondah Federation Estate, 32 Greenwood Ave, Ringwood VIC 3134. If unavailable at the above times please email the address above.
Artist EOI due: Wednesday 8 April 2026, 11.59pm
Selection panel process: Thursday 9 April – Friday 17 April 2026
Shortlisted artists confirmed: Thursday 30 April 2026
Concept proposals due: Thursday 28 May 2026
Final commissioned artist confirmed: Thursday 25 June 2026
Design Development: Monday 29 June – Thursday 30 July 2026
Installation: Tuesday 4 August – Tuesday 25 August 2026
Launch: TBC 2026
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST INFORMATION
Prior to sending an Expression of Interest in response to this Artist Brief, applicants interested in applying are required to attend the site visits at Maroondah Federation Estate, 32 Greenwood Ave, Ringwood, on one of the following dates:
Tuesday 17 March 2pm – 2.45pm
Saturday 28 March 10am – 10.45pm
Other times can be arranged by appointment.
The Expression of Interest in response to this Artist Brief should include:
- CV demonstrating appropriate experience and skills delivering similar works / projects
- Contact details for two referees
- One page letter addressing the Selection Criteria above, including proposed targeted wall or walls
- Up to 5 x images of relevant previous work including total project budget with emphasis on works in public space
- Confirmation of attendance at site visit
Expressions of Interest to be emailed to:
Jane O’Neill, Public Art Lead, Maroondah City Council at [email protected]
Telephone enquiries can be made to Jane O’Neill on 0436 442 036 from Tuesday to Thursday or by email address above.
Applications close at 11.59pm on Wednesday 8 April 2026.
Maroondah City Council adopts an inclusive approach. If there are challenges providing the above information for the EOI please contact the Public Art Department above.
SELECTION PROCESS
A panel of Maroondah City Council representatives will assess Expressions of Interest to shortlist a number of artists based on the Selection Criteria. Shortlisted artists will be paid a $1,000 fee to develop a Concept Proposal including budget between 30 April – 28 May 2026 for consideration. The final artists will be confirmed and commissioned by 25 June 2026.
BUDGET
Artists will only be required to submit a proposed budget if shortlisted for the Concept Proposal process. The fee will need to outline a detailed breakdown of costs including materials, artist fee, insurances and installation. Artists have the option to submit proposals for one or more of the five walls.
The total maximum fee available for the commission is between $20,000 to $100,000 (excluding GST) depending on scope scale and complexity of materials as provided by artists in response to the selection criteria. Shortlisted artists will receive a fee of $1,000 to further develop the proposal.
Images: Courtyard views and front entrance, Maroondah Federation Estate, Ringwood VIC 3134
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