Scarborough Beach is OK! – ephemeral art

A temporary mural designed to reflect the iconic Scarborough Beach will soon be underway thanks to a partnership between Perth is OK!, Town Team Movement, the Scarborough Beach Association and the City of Stirling.

The ephemeral art is funded by Perth is OK! following a successful application by the Scarborough Beach Association to breathe new life into a highly visible wall at the Scarboro Surf Lifesaving Club (SSLSC).

The mural will provide a short-term attraction to activate the site for up to three years or until development takes place on the adjacent lot.

Art by Row (aka Adam Cicanese) grew up on Perth’s sandy beaches and has been commissioned to paint the mural, which will depict the message ‘Scarborough Beach is OK!’ in the artist’s street art and graffiti-inspired style, taking inspiration from a Scarborough sunset.

Painting will start on 26 September 2022 and be completed at the 2022 Groundswell Surf and Skate Festival, for which the City is a major sponsor. The mural will include a QR code that will take people to a dedicated page showcasing all that Scarborough has to offer.

Mayor Mark Irwin said whilst the mural would be temporary given the land adjacent to it is intended for future development, it would provide additional visual interest to the already world-class entertainment precinct in the meantime.

“The City of Stirling looks forward to a time when the land adjacent to the building leased to the SSLSC is more fully developed to maximise the potential of our premier beachside destination,” he said.

“In the meantime, we welcome the opportunity to partner with the Scarborough Beach Association on this activation project, which is funded by Perth is OK!

“A design workshop with representatives from the City, Scarborough Beach Association, Scarboro SLSC, Perth is OK! and Town Team Movement has led to a beautiful outcome for the precinct and on behalf of the City I wish to convey my gratitude to all the parties that have worked together on this.

“The City has a long history of supporting high-quality public art across our community. We look forward to the positive tourism impact this mural will bring to the local businesses in Scarborough. Combined with the positive impact of the Groundswell Festival returning in 2022, this bodes well for an active and vibrant Scarborough in the lead-up to summer.”

Co-Founder of Perth is OK! Luke Whelan said supporting the community was at the heart of everything that their team does and will continue to do.

“Much of our team grew up enjoying Scarborough Beach and its surrounds, so we're excited to be able to create a visual activation that bridges the gap between digital and the real world,” he said.

“Developed by the people of Scarborough, our goal is to create an iconic tourist attraction that locals can be proud of."

Chairman of the Scarborough Beach Association Wayne Bowen said the whole process had been a community effort and he believed the mural would captured the essence of Scarborough.

“On behalf of the Town Team Movement, the Scarborough Beach Association would like to thank PIOK for funding this mural on a prime location on our beachfront,” he said.

“It should be a real eye catcher for tourists to zone in on and send photos of our great beach around Australia and the world.”