The Art of Going Public: Behind the Scenes of Public Art
Public art continues to be a vital and growing part of the arts sector – and increasingly central to contemporary artistic practise. Sydney is renowned for its bold and visible public art, but how do these projects actually come to life? Who funds them, who collaborates on them, and what value do they bring to our city? Join us for an open, “ask us anything” conversation with key players behind public art: an artist, a curator, a developer, a local council rep, and a maker. Together they’ll unpack the processes, partnerships and possibilities that shape art in the public realm.
Felicity Fenner | Speaker
Hugh Irving | Speaker
Alison Page | Speaker
Jamie Perrow | Speaker
Danielle Robson | Moderator
Glenn Wallace | Speaker
Felicity Fenner is a leading curator of contemporary art in galleries, museums and the public domain. For over 20 years, she has curated exhibitions of international contemporary art, including for Australia at the Venice Biennale. Felicity is based at UNSW Art & Design and is the Chair of the City of Sydney’s Public Art Advisory Panel, the NSW State Government’s Curatorial Advisor for Barangaroo. Her latest book is Shifting Ground: the evolving role of art in the Australian public domain (Formist, 2025).
Hugh Irving is a Development Executive with over 20 years of diverse experience in property development, project management and architecture. This has provided a strong knowledge base for the successful delivery of complex projects through acquisition, design development, construction and project completion. Hugh has been involved in the commissioning of several leading artworks that add value to the public experience of the built environment.
Alison Page is a descendant of the Dharawal and Yuin peoples and an award-winning creative at the forefront of the contemporary First Nations cultural practice. Her career spans design, public art, exhibitions, and urban design, with a focus on storytelling that reconnects public spaces with the memory of Country. Alison is the founder of the National Aboriginal Design Agency and Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance and co-creates with First Nations communities, organisations and cultural practitioners.
Jamie Perrow is a Partner and Co-Creative Director at UAP, where he brings extensive experience leading major Australian and international projects. He has collaborated with emerging and established artists, architects and designers to deliver a large-scale creative and public art initiative. Jamie has a background in design and believes fine art fabrication is an artform in and of itself.
Danielle Robson is a Principal and Senior Curator at UAP, with nearly 20 years of experience as a curator, researcher and arts manager. She has worked extensively with the private and public sectors to connect the work of artists and designers with broad public audiences. Danielle is also a current PhD candidate in the field of curatorial studies and public art at UNSW Art & Design.
Glenn Wallace is the Special Projects Program Manager (Public Art) at the City of Sydney. Since joining the City of Sydney in 2004 Glenn has managed a range of public art projects and programs including the City’s Laneway Art program and Eora Journey. He has overseen the creation of the City Art Strategy (2011), the commissioning and installation of bara by Judy Watson (2022), and continues to assess public art plans in new development.
A valid ticket to Sydney Contemporary 2025 is required for entry to this talk. We recommend arriving 10 minutes before the talk’s start time. Buy tickets now.
Image Credit: The Art of Going Public: Behind the Scenes of Public Art – Alison Page, Badjgama Ngunda Whuliwulawala, ‘Black Women Rising’.
