Nominate a Footscray icon

If people make a place special, who personifies Footscray? Your neighbour, a VU student, a local footy player?

Share the name of your Footscray icon on the VU in the Community facebook page by Friday 17 February, and the nominations with the most 'likes' will have the chance to be portrayed by local artists Michael Weldon and Patrick Francis in an upcoming joint exhibition.

Weldon and Francis are joining forces to explore the story of Footscray’s vibrant and diverse community ranging from local residents and VU students and staff involved in the local life of the community to iconic local personalities. The collection of portraits that will be on display in May aims to highlight the variety of cultures and backgrounds that can be found here in Footscray.

This partnership between Francis and Weldon will result in the presentation of two completely different takes on the subject, showcasing two different views of each subject’s spirit. 

Michael Weldon

Michael Weldon is an established artist who has been professionally illustrating since 1997 with work published in magazines such as The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, The Big Issue and Time. He works with digital images and specializes in portraits using new media. 

Patrick Francis

Patrick Francis is an award-winning autistic artist whose work has been displayed in international exhibitions, including at the United Nations headquarters New York, and he regularly contributes towards ArtLife and Arts Access projects. Francis is a young contemporary painter who often discards details in order to simplify the image to its essential elements.

The exhibition will be held at VU at MetroWest from 1 - 19 May.