We don’t have silos on the Mornington Peninsula. No industrial sites with fabulous rustic walls ripe for art. No railway stations crying out for a tart up. We do however have a plan…… We have a site, we have Parks Victoria onboard, we have a subject and, most importantly, we have Jimmy!

James ‘Jimmy’ Beattie is a renowned Melbourne aerosol artist whose work, under the moniker ‘Dvate’, adorns major sites including the much-visited Victorian silo art trail. He works in both the national and international street art scene and has a passion for conservation. Dvate’s images draw attention to our precious native animals, and his respect and connection to nature are clearly represented in his stunning works. Jimmy came to the attention of the Friends of the Hooded Plover (Mornington Peninsula) last year when he contacted our then president Diane Lewis about a work he was planning in Frankston as part of the inaugural ‘Big Picture’ street art festival. Jimmy wanted to create a piece that focused attention on a local threatened species, our precious Hoodies. Mark Lethlean generously made some of his glorious Hoodie photos available and the result is the magnificent image shown below.

Of course, we wanted more and, while we still have some paperwork issues to work through, Jimmy has agreed to adorn a space in the Mornington Peninsula National Park with one of his brilliant creations. We couldn’t be more thrilled. We’ll keep the location under wraps at the moment, just until all the legal requirements are complete, but we believe that Jimmy’s images will create a new talking point about Hooded Plovers and indeed, the issue of coastal conservation. It won’t be a huge artwork but it will be in a highly visible location with a spectacular backdrop. We’re hoping to have the artwork progress shortly, with Jimmy and his family staying on the peninsula for the duration of the project. We aim to create a festive air around the process, to engage the community and draw attention to the positive impact we can all have when we respect and share the coastal environment.

We can’t wait to share the next phase with everyone, and to unveil the end result. To say that we’re a bit excited would be an understatement. Stay tuned to welcome a new Hoodie (or two or three) to the peninsula. A huge thank you must go to Parks Victoria, and to Jimmy, for agreeing to be part of this wonderful initiative.

by Karen Wootton, Word about the Hood edition 22