![The proposed site for a new mural celebrating women and freedom. Picture by Gareth Gardner The proposed site for a new mural celebrating women and freedom. Picture by Gareth Gardner](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/46e216a3-dccc-4b70-a634-e55eb90dcd2b.jpg/r0_0_5040_3602_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A mural project celebrating women is up in the air as uncertainty around Tamworth's arts precinct makes a mess for other artworks.
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Council is on the hunt for the perfect canvas for a multicultural mural after a last minute change pushed back the approval process.
At a public meeting this week, Councillor Judy Coates amended a recommendation, which would have seen the mural installed in a dark underpass, to keep council's options open.
"We're still very unsure what's happening in that precinct in terms of council buildings, the performing arts centre still hasn't been decided," she said.
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The mural, designed by Iranian-Australian artist Asiyeh Ansari, was proposed to be in the underpass near the entrance to the Tamworth Regional Library and the proposed performing arts and cultural precinct.
Earlier this month, the Leader revealed council's $79.8 million swanky new arts centre won't be ready for crowds for at least four years, as the organisation searches for funding and the perfect location.
"We would not like to have the mural put there and then in a year's time find we've made a poor decision," Cr Coates said.
Councillor Brooke Southwell acknowledged Multicultural Tamworth's submission to have it near the library, but said she didn't consider the chosen location to be "suitable".
"The theme of the mural is Women, Life, and Freedom, and to have it in a spot that doesn't have a lot of traffic, in a dark underpass is probably not providing the true message of the mural," Cr Southwell said.
![The council will continue searching for a better-lit location with more foot traffic for the mural. Picture by Gareth Gardner The council will continue searching for a better-lit location with more foot traffic for the mural. Picture by Gareth Gardner](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/d55d33e1-d7f8-4db5-80bd-ac1609fc0796.jpg/r0_0_4732_3333_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Both councillors said they'd like to discuss other potential locations with Multicultural Tamworth, Gallery Director Bridget Guthrie, and the Tamworth Region Arts Advisory Committee (TRAAC).
Councillor Marc Sutherland, who is also the chair of the TRAAC, said he supported the amendment in a bid to capitalise on the recent resurgence of local arts.
"Public art in Tamworth has seen an absolute boom ... the more we can support in that space really adds to the soul of the city," he said.
The committee will discuss other locations for the mural at a meeting in July.
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