Overview
If you thought the most colourful part of tramming in Melbourne was the language used by patrons on the number 86, you're only a little bit right. Thanks to a partnership between Melbourne Festival, Arts Victoria and Yarra Trams, eight trams will be transformed into moving pieces of public art on the tracks for six months as part of the 2013 Melbourne Festival visual arts program.
Melbourne Art Trams, a revival of the popular Transporting Art program that ran from 1978-1993, is calling for entries from professional artists, as well as current tertiary art and design students, to decorate Melbourne's most iconic and widely viewed canvases. The winning artists will share the company of Australian creative legends like Howard Arkley, Mirka Mora, Michael Leunig, Elizabeth Gower and Trevor Nichols. No pressure. Just don't screw it up.
Expressions of interest close July 5 and winners will be announced as part of the Melbourne Festival program launch on August 13, so you'd better dust off the Textas, sharpen your grey leads and try to remember everything mum told you about colouring inside the lines. Mosey on over to www.melbournefestival.com.au/trams for further details, and if you're a winner, we would like to receive some sort of recognition for telling you about it. A large gift will be fine.