Three new public art pieces have just been unveiled on Hutt Street, bringing a new splash of storytelling to a thriving arts area in the CBD.
As part of the City of Adelaide’s ongoing Hutt Street Revitalisation Project, these new pieces have been unveiled as a visitor experience initiative.
In 2024, two contemporary arts curators were brought in by the council to devise a creative framework for the art installations and write a brief to the aspiring artists. A number of South Australian artists were shortlisted and evaluated by a panel representing the council, First Nations peoples, and the independent arts sector.
Ultimately, Dean Toepfer, Amber Cronin, and Peter Walker were commissioned to create public art installations in response to the creative framework.
Image credit: Sam Roberts
Located on the corner of Hutt and Halifax Street, Dean Toepfer’s Togetherness is a sculpture made from reclaimed granite and steel that draws inspiration from the “vibrant life of the Hutt Street precinct”. Made in 2024, Toepfer’s piece symbolise the building blocks of the Hutt Street community via multiple shapes, textures and tones.
And yes, you can sit on them. These pieces, located on a corner that previously offered limited seating, invite visitors to engage with their surroundings and each other.
The second installation, Amber Cronin’s Walking the Language of Landscape, is a collection of brass text artworks embedded into the mixed-use path on Hutt Street’s eastern side near Park 17. Cronin worked collaboratively with Kaurna linguist Jack Buckskin to create these pieces that celebrate the Kaurna language in a public setting, crafting a narrative that acknowledges the traditional custodians of this land.
Image credit – City of Adelaide
The third piece, Peter Walker’s Time | Space installation features multiple artworks that acknowledge the history of Hutt Street’s nearby parklands.
On the edge of Park 17 (Tuthangga), a cluster of steel Seed Discs features drawings of native grass seeds, paying homage to the land’s endemic flora. Nearby, three dwarf lemon-scented eucalyptus saplings have been planted around a steel cone. Over time, these saplings will grow into three 10-15 metre-high trees, creating a living sculpture as the branches fuse together naturally.
Across the road in Park 18 (Wita Wirra), Walker’s second piece, Windmill, offers a symbol of regeneration and cultural interconnectedness. The 6-metre-high windmill features blackened “leaf blades” to reference the Kaurna People’s tradition of burning grass for regeneration in the nearby parklands.
Windmill – Peter Walker
Image credit – City of Adelaide
Tegan Hale, the Public Art project leader at the City of Adelaide, says that “unique and distinct character features like these can foster community pride and create that full sense of space.”
“These kinds of works become landmarks, helping people who have different ways of navigating through space. For people who are not as literate, international people, or those with dementia, these features help them navigate”.
As the business hub of Adelaide city’s south-east, Hutt Street provides a village-like cluster of restaurants, cafés and bars alongside day-to-day essentials and community service. The Hutt Street Revitalisation Project aims to preserve and celebrate the street’s historic village charm and leafy green streetscape while upgrading the street to support local business, foster social interaction, and increase accessibility.
Last November, the City of Adelaide secured a $7.32 million grant to help fund the Hutt Street Revitalisation Project under the Australian Government’s Thriving Suburbs Program, which supports projects that increase liveability and improve the social scene in urban and rural communities.
Beyond public art installations, the project aims to offer more improvements to Hutt Street, such as convenient car parking, footpath maintenance, widened bike lanes, and expanded pedestrian spaces.
There are currently five concepts proposed for the future of Hutt Street, and the community is encouraged to offer their feedback on the potential layouts.
WHAT: Three new public art pieces on Hutt Street
WHERE: Togetherness: corner of Hutt and Halifax St | Walking the Language of Landscape: Park 17 | Time | Space: Parks 17 and 18
For more information, click here.
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