Island Breeze Motel owners Mark and Lisa (Erickson) Goode may now live in Alice Springs but, when possible, they return to King Island.
This January’s trip had more than a business and friend catchup reason.
For the past 10 years, the couple have been searching for a striking sculpture, a visual first impression, which could be positioned in front of the motel. They installed the sculptures last week.
“We have wanted to steadily improve Island Breeze Motel and have been looking for a sculpture to put out front [of the motel] for over 10 years. We have tried to find artists for many years without success,” Mark said.
Lisa held senior executive positions within international hotel chains and, while working on the island, she used her large project management skills before investing in and later redeveloping the Island Breeze Motel with Mark.
On leaving the island, Lisa returned to international hotel management in Alice Springs. Mark has a project engineering and consulting background, including State and Local Government, and was the General Manager of the King Island Council.
In between return visits to King Island, Mark continues travelling to projects around the country.
“While working in Deniliquin, in southern NSW on a building and airport runway and retirement village projects, I learned of a local scrap metal artist, Stu Taylor. We chatted and I commissioned this original artwork. It took about a year and a half from concept to installation.
“The sculpture is one of two; the other smaller piece is up the back near the motel rooms and fish pond. We wanted to provide a visual first impression for guests and those travelling past. We wanted a feature that would greet visitors as they entered Currie,” he said.
Deniliquin-based award-winning artist Stu Taylor’s signature style is repurposed scrap metal. His works are part of The Long Paddock’s iconic ARTback outdoor sculpture series, which is located across the touring route from Moama over the Victoria/NSW border to Wilcannia, in western -central NSW.