Following a four-week expression of interest period and assessment by a selection panel, three exciting artists from the Mount Alexander Shire community have been selected to create a digital artwork that explores the sustainability theme of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’.

The commissioned artists are:

• Kirsten Moegerlein
• Joe Pratt
• Thea Sydes

The three artworks will be creative responses to promoting the message of reducing waste in day-to-day living, and will be displayed on kerbside waste collection trucks from late 2024.

A total of 18 artists submitted expressions of interest, with the creative calibre of applicants extremely high, as well as their commitment to sustainability.

Expressions of interest were received from artists across all career stages – including emerging, early to mid-career and established practice.

The three selected artists reflect this spectrum, and Council is delighted to see a young creative voice from our shire’s next generation of artists represented among the commissioned artists.

Keep an eye on our waste and recycling trucks, which will proudly be displaying their artworks very soon!

Kirsten Moegerlein is an artist of Irish/German descent who lives and works in Yapeen. She loves to paint landscapes and make digital illustrations. She’s exhibited work locally at Artpuff, Castlemaine and in Melbourne. Making art is her way to connect with the natural world – a way to acknowledge and celebrate the beauty of Djaara Country. Through her creative practice, she works with change-makers, ethical organisations and artists who are re-enchanting ways of being, making and relating. See more of her work @kirstenmoegerlein.

Thea Sydes is a 16-year-old emerging artist who has lived on Djarra country in Muckleford for most of their life. Their art practice includes zines, painting and graphic design, drawing on the natural world and their own experience to communicate ideas about themself and the world around them.

As a young person growing up in turbulent and uncertain times, they use their art making as both a way to process their world and to communicate it to others. They are passionate about creating and caring for community, and are active as an organiser for young people, in particular queer and neurodivergent youth.

Joe Pratt, self-taught multidisciplinary artist, harnesses childhood passion and professional stonemasonry skills to craft captivating works. Specialising in portraiture, Joe's commissions span traditional greyscale sketches to vibrant digital drawings. His stone sculptures, inspired by nature, feature intricately carved animals in natural boulders, gracing private gardens and public parklands. Notable works include a marble soldier for a War Memorial. With artistic flair and technical precision, Joe Pratt brings subjects to life, bridging realism and organic beauty.

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