RESIDENTS and visitors to Manilla have a new piece of public art to admire, with the completion of Jordan Lucky’s breathtaking new mural, On River Time.

The 20-metre-long mural is situated in front of Tamworth Regional Council’s Manilla branch and library, and is based on the theme of Overhead and Underneath.

The artistic concept invites people to take time to look overhead or underneath their feet to appreciate their surroundings and the exact moment in time.

Artist Jordan Lucky, from Newcastle-based mural agency Playstate, designed the work following extensive community consultation that identified the desire to respond to the local natural and built environment.

“The iconic platypus glimpsed at dusk or dawn on quiet stretches of the river is a nod to the history of Henry Burrell’s ecological studies, and a main stay of intrigue and excitement for locals and visitors alike,” Mr Lucky said.

Artis Jordan Lucky, with Bridget Guthrie and Tess Reading at Lucky’s breathtaking new mural, On River Time in Manilla.

“The shapes and textures through the artwork embody the flow of river, banks of sand and stone, the endless flow that has shaped the landscape and brought with it the opportunity of life.”

With the support of local Indigenous artist Tess Reading, Tamworth Regional Gallery representatives and the Tamworth Region Arts Advisory Committee, the mural was officially declared complete on Friday morning.

Tamworth Regional Gallery and Museums director, Bridget Guthrie, said it is great to see the legacy of public artworks come to life and celebrate the natural world.

“Public art is a part of our public history, evolving culture and collective memory. It reflects and reveals the ideas and values of our society and adds meaning to our towns and cities,” Ms Guthrie said.

“In creating public art, artists respond to our times and the outside world in a way that both reflects their inner vision and chronicles our public experience. Council invests annually in a Public Art Fund to be used for the development of new public art and we are thrilled with this new addition in Manilla,” she said.

The project has been funded by Tamworth Regional Council and has been implemented as part of the Tamworth Region Public Art Strategy with assistance from the Regional Arts Fund NSW.