Perth Voice Interactive

REHABILITATED offenders and a local artist have joined forces to create a giant mural at a seniors centre in Maylands.

Artist John Cox, 69, and four young men from Outcare, a not-for-profit group that helps young offenders re-enter society, spent eight weeks on the mural.

“It’s very rewarding and for most of these kids it’s a completely new world we are exposing them to,” Cox says.

“At the start some of them scared, because they are out of their comfort zone, but then they get into it and really enjoy it.

“We’ve discovered some great talent and one of the Aboriginal guys from the Kimberley is an amazing artist—I’ve never seen someone who is so connected to the land and spirit.”
The mural at the Maylands Autumn Centre on Ninth Avenue reflects the history of the area, including the old Maylands Aerodrome (where the first non-stop flight across the continent by Charles Kingsford-Smith in 1928 landed), and a steam train chugging along the Midland line.
Cox took Outcare volunteers, who worked on the mural, to the WA Art Gallery to expose them to different styles of art.

The Outcare youth program, supported by Bayswater city council, has been running for nine years and has worked on several community projects, including building barbies at Bardon Park.

“Last year Bayswater council gave us funding to establish an art studio in a building on Guildford Road,” says Outcare manager Sam Mesiti.

“It means we can now link up with the community to do art projects as well as practical building projects which we have done in the past.

“We help youths between the age of 16 and 22, and up to 25 for Aboriginal youths.”
Outcare was established in the late 1960s and is WA’s only specialist non-government provider of crime prevention services and programs. The Maylands Autumn Centre provides support and services for seniors in the community.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK