ARTSCAPE worked between City of Newcastle, HCCDC, the Cummings family and Indigenous Stakeholders to develop a statue of Australia’s first female Lord Mayor.

The late Joy Cummings AM served as Lord Mayor of Newcastle between 1974 and 1984 and was a pioneer in local government, changing the operation of council to an inclusive and consensus model. She was passionate about the arts and the preservation of built heritage and was a strong supporter of the Aboriginal community’s fight for recognition.

ARTSCAPE managed all aspects of the project, including budgetary control - from the limited design competition that saw Mudgee based sculptor, Margot Stephens, realise the work - to facilitating all aspects of the statues integration with site, including the design of ancillary elements - plinth,
lighting and landscape arrangement.