Melbourne Art Trams

{{Short description|Public art project in Melbourne, Australia}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}

File:Matthew Clarke's Melbourne Art Tram .jpg

The Melbourne Art Trams is a major public art project in Melbourne, Australia. It is a revival and re-imagining of the Transporting Art project which ran from 1978 to 1993 and saw 36 painted W-class trams rolled out across the Melbourne network.

Melbourne Festival reinvigorated the project in 2013 with an annual expression of interest process from Victorian-based artists.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/melbournes-art-trams-back-on-track-20130528-2n9os.html|title=Melbourne's art trams back on track|last=Cuthbertson|first=Debbie|date=2013-05-28|website=The Age|language=en|access-date=2018-06-04}} Seven professional and one emerging artist are commissioned each year, with their artwork digitally printed on vinyl and applied to modern trams. The eight designs are released onto the network each October as part of Melbourne Festival's visual art program.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/holloway-brings-outdoor-street-theatre-to-melbourne-festival/news-story/aede771ed2fdb09c8fb501c1ac385625|title=Subscribe to The Australian {{!}} Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps|website=www.theaustralian.com.au|language=en|access-date=2018-06-04}}

In 2017, one design celebrated the 20 year anniversary of the shared history of tram workers and decorated trams in Melbourne and Kolkata, India.{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-08/melbourne-festival-art-trams-celebrates-indian-tramjatra/9022130|title=Change for Kolkata: Melbourne Art Tram's Indian connection|date=2017-10-08|work=ABC News|access-date=2018-06-04|language=en-AU}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/how-a-melbourne-connie-saved-indias-tram-system-20171005-gyv71n.html|title=How a Melbourne 'connie' saved India's tram system|last=Clifton|first=Hannah|date=2017-10-05|website=The Age|language=en|access-date=2018-06-04}} In 2018, the project was renewed for three years.{{Cite web|url=http://www.artshub.com.au/callout/victoria/call-for-artists/melbourne-art-trams-eois-now-open-104875|title=Melbourne Art Trams EOIs now open {{!}} ArtsHub Australia|website=www.artshub.com.au|access-date=2018-05-28}}

The project is funded by Melbourne Festival, Creative Victoria, Public Transport Victoria and Yarra Trams.