Melbourne Art Trams
The Melbourne Art Trams Program is a partnership between DTP, PTV, Yarra Trams, Creative Victoria and the RISING Festival. Melbourne’s trams and its vibrant arts scene come together in a travelling exhibition that forms part of the launch of the world-class RISING international arts festival each year.
In 2023, Melbourne Art Trams will return with six unique designs from First Peoples artists.
The artists were invited to respond to curator Jarra Karalinar Steel's (Boonwurrung/Wemba Wemba) theme of ‘Blak Futurism’, envisioning Australia’s First People’s future.
This year partnership’s selection group received more than 60 expressions of interest and selected the following six artists:
- Amina Briggs (Boonwurrung/Erub/Ugar)
- Charlotte Allingham (Wiradjuri/Ngiyampaa)
- Coree (Yorta Yorta / Wurundjeri/Gunnai/Gunditjmara) and Lyn Thorpe (Yorta Yorta/Wurundjeri/Wemba Wemba/Wadi Wadi)
- Jay Van Nus (Pibelmun Noongar)
- Peter Waples-Crowe (Ngarigu)
- Rubii Red (Lama Lama)
To read more about the Melbourne Art Trams, please visit the RISING website.
Melbourne Art Trams history
1978—1993: 36 of Melbourne’s iconic W Class trams were hand-painted by some of Australia’s most renowned artists including Lin Onus, Mirka Mora, Michael Leunig and Reg Mombassa.
Lin Onus Tram 1991
Michael Leunig’ s tram 1986
2013—2019: Thirty years later, Melbourne Art Trams project was reimagined during the Melbourne International Arts Festival (predecessor of RISING), featuring some of Victoria’s most talented established and emerging artists.
2021 onwards: Melbourne Art Trams has focussed on celebrating Victoria's First Peoples heritage, with trams designed by First Peoples’ artists.
Artists of the 2023 Melbourne Art Trams: Rubii Red (Lama Lama), Coree Thorpe & Lyn Thorpe (Yorta Yorta/Wemba Wemba, Woiwurrung, Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Wurundjeri), Peter Waples-Crowe (Ngarigu), Curator Jarra Karalinar Steel (Boonwurrung/Wemba Wemba), Charlotte Allingham (Wiradjuri, Ngiyampaa), Amina Briggs (Boonwurrung/Erub – Ugar), Jay Van Nus (Pibelmun Noongar) – photo by James Morgan
2023 Art Trams by First Peoples artists
Six trams with vibrant designs by First Peoples artists are running across Melbourne’s tram network, launched as part of the 2023 RISING Festival..
On Tuesday 13 June 2023, the annual Melbourne Art Trams were launched. Artists, families, community and government partners gathered to celebrate this year’s artists and their designs.
Six trams with designs by First Peoples artists will run on Melbourne’s tram network for the next 12 months.
This is the third year in a row that Melbourne Art Trams will feature designs exclusively created by Victorian Traditional Owners and First Peoples artists.
Artwork by Amina Briggs features on the first tram launched. Amina is a Boonwurrung/Erub – Torres Strait Island artist.
Her artwork represents a powerful statement about reclaiming BIIK (Country). It features Bunjil (‘the Creator’–wedge tailed eagle) and Waa (‘the Protector’–Australian raven) in Boonwurrung culture. In Amina’s words, “Blak Futurism is hope in reclaiming what is ours again!”
Amina Briggs’ design for the 2023 Melbourne Art Trams – photo by James Morgan
Over 60 expressions of interest were submitted, each responding to the theme ‘BLAK Futurism’.
The Department of Transport and Planning, Public Transport Victoria, Yarra Trams, Creative Victoria and the Melbourne International Arts Festival first partnered on the Melbourne Art Trams program in 2013. It has run annually since then.
Melbourne Art Trams 2023
Theme
'Blak Futurism' is the theme for the 2023 Melbourne Art Trams.
The theme invited First Nations artists who are either Victorian Traditional owners, or First Nations people who live or work in Victoria, to respond to:
- ideas of the future
- climate change/care for country
- expression of identity
- Indigenous perspectives, practices, and ways of knowing
- alternative worlds.
The artists
Together with a panel of program partners and First Peoples representatives, curator, Jarra Karalinar Steel (Boonwurrung/Wemba Wemba) chose these artists to have their work featured on the trams:
- Peter Waples-Crowe (Ngarigu)
- Charlotte Allingham (Wiradjuri , Ngiyampaa)
- Lyn Thorpe & Coree Thorpe (Yorta Yorta/Wemba Wemba, Woiwurrung, Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Wurundjeri)
- Jay Van Nus (Bibbulmun, Noongar)
- Rubii Red (Lama Lama)
- Amina Briggs (Boonwurrung/Erub – Torres Strait)
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