WA artist Imogen Palmer completes native fauna and flora murals on Geraldton Regional Art Gallery

Two murals gracing the walls of the Geraldton Regional Art Gallery are complete in time for the Mid West Art Prize at the weekend, featuring vibrant fauna and flora native to the region. The larger design features a sacred kingfisher in flight, with eucalyptus leaves and one of the most notable plants from the region, Geraldton wax alongside the bird. On the Durlacher Street-facing wall is a striking plumage of a singing honeyeater perched high on a eucalyptus tree branch, acknowledging the hundreds of bird species across the Mid West. WA mural artist Imogen Palmer said she wanted to create a dynamic and friendly piece with elements native to the area that everyone could enjoy. “Galleries can be kind of scary and intimidating if you aren’t in the art world so I wanted to create something everyone can enjoy whether you appreciate fine art or not,” she said. Palmer said there had been lots of community engagement during her stint, with some pedestrians telling her stories of the kingfishers in their own backyards. “It’s very unreal to paint such a significant building, it’s very special and I’ve tried to make it something I’m really proud of,” she said. Palmer will be back in Geraldton in the new year to conduct a community upskilling workshop when a third mural will be painted by locals in another location.