First Nations art features in our communities
Public art installed in North Wright and Whitlam
We are working with Belco Arts to deliver a program that embeds First Nations culture in public spaces in ways that are self-determined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in Canberra. The first step taken by Belco Arts was to employ a local Ngunnawal woman to a newly created role working alongside local Elders, creatives and fabricators.
The program will entail walks, talks, sharing stories, cultural advice, mentorships, expressions of interest open to First Nations artists, collaborations with fabricators, installers, opportunities to work in new scales and new materials and for people from many nations to come together.
The artworks delivered under this program so far are installed in the North Wright Sustainable Precinct and in a walking art trail in Whitlam. The works are publicly accessible, available for all to see and enjoy.
North Wright Artworks
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Photo credit: Andrew Sikorski Art Atelier Photography
Learn more about the artworks
Jazz Matthews (Wilay Designs), The Sky - Countries Guide, 2025
(Painted in-situ on a tear drop shaped concrete plinth outside an SLA demonstration home)
Jazz Matthews is a proud Ngunawal woman, artist and co-owner of Wilay Designs. Driven by passion and purpose, Jazz is dedicated in sharing her Aboriginal culture, drawing on family and personal experiences. She does digital designs, murals, paintings and workshops. Her focus extends to community and business projects. At the heart of Jazz’ work is a commitment to building positive and respectful relationships.
This artwork represents the deep connection between Aboriginal people and the sky, which often serves as a seasonal guide for hunting, gathering and cultural practices. The moon, stars and sun also shape the waterways and plant cycles.
As the seasons shift- the waterways and plant life here symbolise movement, growth and the ongoing relationship between people and Country. At the centre are some cultural tools and a meeting place around the fire to reflect cultural practices- sharing, storytelling and coming together. There are colours of Country, kangaroo tracks and pathways. This artwork captures the essence of Country and the importance of the sky.
Rebekah Weddell (Ginyaang Art), Mirriyn, 2025
(Vinyl wrap, artwork features on the large, reclaimed steel posts used for the leaf shaped shade structure in the park area)
Rebekah Weddell is an Aboriginal artist born on the Gold Coast and raised in Northern New South Wales. She is Dhanggati/Birrbay on her birth father’s side and Swiss German/Irish on her mother’s. Rebekah has been living on Ngunnawal Country for the past 13 years, raising her children and working as a Primary School teacher. She takes inspiration from her surroundings, recreating elements of Country and telling stories through colour, shape, and symbolic representation, in her signature style. Rebekah uses acrylic on canvas or digital renderings and creates art as a way of connecting to people, places and her culture.
Painting makes her ginyaang - happy.
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This artwork captures the movement of star trails, illustrating the Earth’s rotation and the passing of time. Swirling patterns of light trace the path of celestial bodies, creating a sense of connection between past, present and future, and our enduring cultures. This work is also a nod to Van Gogh’s Starry Night, an artwork I strongly connected with as a small child. Each trail represents a moment in time, woven together to tell a story of renewal, continuity and connection. The colours represent the shifting skies from the last afternoon to night. The Brindabellas and other local mountains are depicted in a pale soft white, to represent their glow in the moonlight.
Ngunnawal art trails come to Whitlam
Seven ceramic inlays have been installed at seating nodes along a scenic active travel path in Whitlam running parallel between Churcher Crescent and Keith Bain Crest.
The series of seven artworks are designed as a trail and invite reflection and learning. Each offers the viewer a chance to pause, reflect and connect with the land. There is a seat and a view at each inlay where Jazz’s artworks depict Molonglo Valley’s flora, non-human kin and her connections to Country and Culture.
Hear from Jazz Matthews:
“As a proud Ngunawal artist, Jazz’s work celebrates culture, storytelling and connection to Country.
This installation features seven inlays: Naraganawali (Meeting Place), Dhawura (Land), Namarag (Wattle), Burugun (Echidna), Buru (Kangaroo), Malunggang (Platypus) and Gulgul (Waterways). Each invites you to pause, reflect and connect with the land.
Special thanks to the amazing team at Wellspring Arts, whose craftsmanship and attention to detail brought these designs to life. Their collaboration ensured each piece not only reflects Jazz’s artistic vision but also stands as a durable and enduring part of the landscape.
We hope this installation encourages reflection and a deeper appreciation for culture, as well as the plants and animals that surround you here.”
Wellspring Environmental Arts & Design – Fabricator statement
“In this suburb named for artists and performers, these lovely artworks are gems leading Whitlam visitors through the dramatic vistas of the Molonglo Valley and Brindabella Ranges.
Over more than 35 years of creating public art, Wellspring has had the honour and pleasure of giving expression and distinction to the places Canberrans live. The sweet vision that Wilay Designs share with us shows a deep connection to the natural world, our place within it, and the stories waiting to be told.
Wellspring’s most treasured honour may be our part in several projects that reveal and remind us of our region’s unique and enduring human spirit: the traditional custodianship and knowledge of Ngunawal / Ngunnawal Country. Hearing these perspectives and stories enriches our own appreciation of Country.
We hope the artwork gems that enliven these hills lead to the sharing of stories and caring for nature in all its forms.
Wellspring Arts, the Canberra based creative partnership of Jennifer Jones and Philip Nizette, specialises in designing and creating distinctive places using a wide range of media. From planning, design stages, collaboration and production; place, audience and context combine to bring art to life.”
An initiative of Belco Arts and Suburban Land Agency, 2025
A warm thank you to the Winanggaay Ngunnawal Language Aboriginal Corporation for their assistance with the Ngunnawal translations.