Baldivis Secondary College students help paint mural at Rivergums BMX track

The mural project was a joint effort between the school and property develop Cedar Woods aimed at reducing graffiti in the area.

It was launched earlier this year after the track and surrounding area was repeatedly vandalised.

Arts teacher Caen Newland said 16 Year 10 fine art students had enjoyed the creative process.

“We decided a squid would look great with the shape of the park making use of the lines and movement already there,” Mr Newland said.

MORE: Bus stand makeover helps put end to graffiti

“We also looked into ways existing artworks reduces people’s motivation to vandalise.”

A wall of stencils each student made up as their personal touch was added to the track.

He said the project was important for the students as it was the culmination of their art learning and practice over the past three years.

“It’s not always easy to see how meaningful art can be, but they see how creativity can add to a community,” he said.

“They worked as a team and learnt from each other and got to see one way where art can be a career path.”

Student Savannah Charleston said she enjoyed working on the project with her classmates.

“I discovered that spray painting technique is much more than just graffiti or naïve pictures,” she said.

Cedar Woods’ State manager Ben Rosser said the catalyst for partnering with the college was to achieve a longer-term graffiti management solution.

“Our aim was to encourage the students to channel their creativity into legal art forms, effectively setting an example for the wider community,” he said.

Some riders were travelling from across Perth to take advantage of the BMX track.

Artist in residence Reece Pemberton worked as a painter at the Rivergums Estate before a career in mural work in Perth and Melbourne.