Enhancing Communities through Infrastructure, Placemaking and Public Art

Salon Canberra

Salon Canberra Ideas Forum: Explore the role of public art in place-making, community and culture. Connect with leaders, ignite inspiration!

National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA)

Public art holds the power to transform spaces, commemorate events, spark discussion, and cultivate cultural tourism. It adds vibrancy to cityscapes and encourages spontaneous public interaction. By enriching the built environment, public art imbues places with character and fosters a sense of belonging, while contributing to the preservation and celebration of our evolving culture and national heritage. From thought-provoking installations to striking sculptures, public art encourages us to engage with our surroundings in fresh and meaningful ways.Cities gain cultural, social and economic value through public art. Enhancing the built environment, public art invigorates public spaces, providing an intersection between past, present and future, between disciplines, and between ideas, while imbuing communities with a sense of place and community.Join us as we delve into the multi-faceted impact of public art, including its ability to foster community cohesion, promote dialogue, elevate the cultural landscape, and create great spaces for people. Gain fresh insights into how public art intersects with built infrastructure, shaping the identity and vitality of our cities.Why attend?For designers, place makers, community leaders and anyone passionate about enriching our public spaces, this event offers invaluable insights from industry experts and leading design practitioners. Be inspired to harness the transformative power of public art in your own projects and communities, gaining valuable knowledge and inspiration.Don’t miss this opportunity to network with like-minded professionals and community leaders. Exchange ideas and gain practical insights into the benefits and possibilities of integrating public art with built infrastructure.Our speakers:· Gillian Geraghty, Director-General, Major Projects Canberra and ACT Chief Engineer· Nikos Kalogeropoulos, Director, Molonglo· Hayden Rosser, Urban Infrastructure Design Manager, AECOM· Lucy Wilson, Executive Branch Manager Design and Place Strategy, City Renewal Authority More about our speakers:Gillian Geraghty, Director-General, Manager Projects Canberra and ACT Chief Engineer

Gillian is the Director General for Major Projects Canberra and ACT Chief Engineer. The position provides a leadership and stewardship role for the procurement and delivery of the Territory’s infrastructure program.Gillian has dedicated almost 30 years to the building and infrastructure industry and has a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), First Class Honours from the University of Sydney. She has a strong track record of leadership on major and complex infrastructure projects across multiple sectors and geographies and is passionate about enabling people to be their best as a solid foundation for high-performing teams.Gillian has relocated to the ACT from Newcastle and prior to this role held senior executive roles in the NSW Public Service where she led planning, development and delivery teams for a number of NSW landmark projects including Circular Quay precinct renewal, Western Harbour Tunnel and John Hunter Hospital redevelopment.Nikos Kalogeropoulos, Director, Molonglo

Nikos Kalogeropoulos is a Director of Molonglo, a property developer established in 1964 with projects in Athens, Melbourne and Canberra. Nikos plays a pivotal role in shaping the overall direction for Molonglo’s projects. Molonglo sees property development as the willing of architecture into being; from an abstraction of drawings and ideas into something to be touched, inhabited and lived in. The company is committed to the creation of considered and sustainable built environments that foster connections between people. Molonglo’s diverse projects demonstrate a commitment to innovative and socially conscious development and include the mixed-use neighbourhood of NewActon and Hotel Hotel (now Ovolo Nishi); a small footprint residential building in Melbourne that melds social and wellbeing activities; the sensitive restoration of a series of buildings in Athens giving them a new life through careful renovation and repair; and the slow creation of a 14-hectare neighbourhood named Dairy Road in Canberra where light industry, working, living, recreation and entertainment will take place in a native landscape setting. After initially studying philosophy and ancient history at the ANU, Nikos graduated with a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Commerce before completing a CPA. After various consultancy engagements including the Commonwealth Commercialisation Task Force and the International Education Foundation (New Delhi), he held a number of senior roles in Government. In 2007, Nikos received the Commissioner for Public Administration Award, recognising his contributions to Strategic Finance. In 2008, he was appointed as CFO of Territory and Municipal Services and the ACTION Transport Authority before joining Molonglo in 2011. Nikos is also co-founder and board member of the Australian Dance Party. He enjoys performing live music, stand-up poetry, and engaging in discussions on urbanism and philosophy.Hayden Rosser, Urban Infrastructure Design Manager, AECOM

Hayden Rosser is a landscape architect with a passion for people-centric urban infrastructure, who uses every project to deliver on the aspirations of a city made of many different local communities, each with their own strength and character. For the past ten years, Hayden has been involved in the delivery of major infrastructure projects in Canberra. He is currently the Urban Integration and Approvals Lead for Canberra Light Rail Stage 2. Lucy Wilson, Executive Branch Manager Design and Place Strategy, City Renewal Authority

An urbanist with a breath of experience, Lucy has had a broad career across both public and private sectors. Working for State Government and Local Government as well as international design firm Hassell, Lucy now leads the Design and Place Strategy team at the City Renewal Authority. Lucy’s career has been framed around her passion for the urban environment, with a focus on making our cities better for pedestrians. With qualifications in landscape architecture and planning, she has led award-winning urban programs and projects.

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