Artwork on Viterra’s Owen silos has been officially unveiled this week at an opening ceremony held by the Owen Community Centre Silo Art Committee.
The official event celebrated the artwork which reached completion in April following about six weeks of painting.
The silos have been decorated with ‘wheat bags to sand bags’, an Anzac-themed mural which depicts the journey of young farmers to Gallipoli and France from the agricultural district during World War One. The men had been working in their paddocks and are shown loading bags of wheat onto carts, before heading to the trenches where they are loading sand bags into trenches. The artwork pays homage to the town’s history and pays tribute to the region’s servicemen and women involved in the war.
The mural was designed by well-known artist, Robert (Alf) Hannaford and painted by both Robert and Cam Scale. This is the second set of silos Cam has painted in Viterra’s network after also decorating Kimba’s silos on the Eyre Peninsula in 2017. The artwork of a child and sunset landscape was a recent finalist in the 2020 Best Mega Mural category of the Australian Street Art Awards, as well as winning an Award of Merit in the Australian Civic Trust Awards 2019 and Sustainable Communities Award in the KESAB Awards 2017.
Viterra Communications Officer Kelly Cummings, who spoke at the occasion, congratulated the committee, local community and council for their involvement in the silo art project.
“We’re very pleased to have supported and worked closely with the Owen Community Centre Silo Art Committee and Wakefield Regional Council.”
“The Owen silos look wonderful. It’s great to be here today to see the artwork officially open – congratulations to the committee and council on making this project a success,” she said.
Viterra supports local communities where it operates with the majority of its employees, customers and contractors living and working in regional South Australia.
Viterra is pleased to have supported silo art projects by providing a blank canvas and in-kind support. There are eleven permanent murals and light installations such as short films and projections of artwork. The business also lights silos throughout the year in different colours in recognition of a cause or awareness day.