More than 40 local artists are bringing colour, memory, and meaning to Bideford Street.

The Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre (HBNC) has officially launched the Art Story Wall – Where I Belong, a large-scale public art exhibition exploring what belonging means in our community.

Displayed along the well-loved bike track on Bideford Street, the Art Story Wall transforms a once-blank retaining wall into a vibrant outdoor gallery.

Each artwork has been painted onto weather-resistant marine ply panels and paired with a personal digital story accessible via QR code, inviting the public to discover why particular moments, memories, and places support local people to feel connected, seen, and at home.

The exhibition’s theme of Where I Belong encourages artists to interpret the everyday experiences that shape a sense of community - shared meals, warm greetings, morning walks, playful exchanges, and the quiet rituals that anchor people to place.

Others explored belonging through culture, identity, intergenerational relationships, and the welcoming gestures that define Hervey Bay’s diverse community.

HBNC CEO Tanya Stevenson said the project highlights the power of art to deepen understanding and bring people together.

“Belonging is built in a thousand small moments. These artworks capture the stories and emotions that often go unspoken, but shape how connected people feel to their community. The Art Story Wall is a living portrait of Hervey Bay - its kindness, its cultures, and its people,” Tanya said.

A special thank you to Hervey Bay MP, David Lee for both his financial support and securing the location, FCRC for cleaning and painting the wall, OMU for their support in cutting all the canvas, Youth Justice for hanging the art work, Screen Fraser Coast for recording the videos and LeeLee Creative for running the workshops.

We also had a number of HBNC staff and volunteers who helped to seal all the art work with UV and graffiti protector, picking up and dropping off canvas, installing the artwork and setting up the website which will host the stories.

It has been a collective effort of amazing local artists and supporters to bring this project to life.