New artwork to feature on Arts Centre Melbourne hoardings

A vibrant new artwork by Melbourne artist Casey Jeffery will soon be displayed between Arts Centre Melbourne’s Theatres Building (under the Spire) and Hamer Hall.

Casey’s artwork is inspired by Arts Centre Melbourne’s famous and beloved State Theatre Curtain, first designed by Graham Bennett in 1984. The artwork treats the curtain as both object and memory within Melbourne’s cultural landscape.

Casey says “When I was first approached about creating this piece, I was delighted and full of ideas. The curtain is such a stunning part of Melbourne’s theatre history, it feels like a hidden gem.”

Working in oil and acrylic, Casey paints hyperreal scenes that reframe familiar objects through a symbolic lens. To help inform and inspire the piece, Casey visited the Australian Performing Arts Collection to view a fragment of the curtain’s original design and learn about its history.

This commission is the latest in the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation’s commitment to supporting local artists and public art creation throughout the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation. Behind the hoarding where the artwork will feature, construction is underway on new urban garden Laak Boorndap, which will be a densely planted, biodiverse garden for people, art and performance. Once complete, Laak Boorndap will also feature new public art commissions as well as works from the NGV collection.

Casey Jeffery’s artwork will be featured along on the construction hoarding between Arts Centre Melbourne’s Theatres Building (under the Spire) and Hamer Hall from June 2026. It is free to visit and wheelchair accessible.