The Governor and Mr Howard invited Victorian street artist, Heesco, to create an artwork at Government House Victoria, which encapsulates the spirit of gratitude felt by so many Victorians.
The combined effects on Victorians of the devastating summer bushfires and of COVID-19 have highlighted the importance of our emergency services, health workers and the many others in essential roles who do so much to serve the Victorian community - not only in a crisis, but all year round.
Mindful of the great debt of gratitude Victorians have to them, the Governor and Mr Howard decided to invite a Victorian artist to create an artwork to say ‘Thank You’.
They chose hoarding around the last stage of a 10 year roofing and restoration program at Government House as the ideal location. And, as street art is famously a part of what makes Melbourne and its laneways so vibrant, they invited Victorian street artist, Heesco, to create an artwork which encapsulated the spirit of gratitude felt by so many Victorians.
The completed artwork features images of front-line workers, representatives of just some of the many organisations involved in fighting bushfires and the recovery effort, and in caring for our health and other needs during the global pandemic.
Today, the Governor and Mr Howard had the pleasure of talking with Heesco about the finished artwork, about his fascinating journey from his birth in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to his career today as a Melbourne street artist, and the way the Victorian regional town of Yarram has embraced him through the ‘Heesco Town’ art project.