Released 10/12/2024
The ACT Government is seeking to engage an artist to create a public artwork honouring Canberra’s Stasia Dabrowski OAM, fondly known as Canberra’s Soup Kitchen Lady.
The commission is part of the ACT Government’s recognition of significant Canberra women through the public art collection.
Every Friday Stasia served homemade soup, bread, drinks and good dose of compassion to thousands of needy Canberrans from a corner of Garema Place from 1982 to 2018.
Although she won numerous awards and accolades for her charity work – including being named 1996 ACT Senior Australian of the Year, 2017 ACT Local Hero of the Year and carrying the Olympic Torch – Stasia remained humble and continued to serve the community until the age of 92. She died in 2020 at the age of 94.
The artwork will be a figurative work that realistically depicts Stasia. It will be in bronze or another suitable material capable of achieving the required realistic depiction.
The artwork will be completed and installed in Garema Place, close to the original location of the Soup Kitchen, in early 2026. It will be the second in the series, of artworks recognising significant Canberra women through the public art collection.
In August this year a statue of the late ACT Senator and Hawk Government Minister, the Hon Susan Ryan AO by artist Lis Johnson was unveiled at the Senate Rose Gardens outside Old Parliament House.
Minister for the Business, Arts and Creative Industries, Michael Pettersson said that Canberra has a rich collection of 116 public artworks in the ACT Government Public Art Collection (the Collection). He noted a gender imbalance in both the artwork and the artists who created the works.
“I’m pleased to continue the ACT Government’s Recognising Women through Public Art Program. With only 19% of works by female artists in the Collection and only three commissioned sculptures of significant women (there are seven of men), this program aims to address the imbalance of gender in the Collection by commissioning public artworks of significant women by artists who are women or gender diverse/non-binary," said Minister Pettersson.
“The tender process for the Stasia Dabrowski artwork states that the artist will be a woman or gender diverse/non-binary. If artists are working in partnership, more than 50% of the artist group must be women or gender diverse/non-binary.
“I look forward to seeing the depiction of Stasia, an iconic Canberran who selflessly served the community for so many years, so deserving of this recognition.”
The tender process opens today, Tuesday 10 December and closes at 2pm on 6 February 2025. All tenders must be lodged electronically through Tenders ACT.
Please direct enquiries to Tenders ACT at TendersACT@act.gov.au.
More information on the public art commissioning process is available from artsACT on
02 6207 2384 or on the website at www.arts.act.gov.au/public-art
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Michael Pettersson, MLA | Media Releases