The ‘Burnt Pub’ project will see transportable canvas panels painted in community workshops at Dimboola’s Flood Plains Gallery. 

Festival manager Kate Finnerty said artists Judy and Peter Ferguson and Hayden Jarrett would work with the community to paint the canvases to produce a mural to be placed on the exterior walls of the building.

“We didn’t want to paint over the original paintings on the pub so we’re layering over it which fits in with our Layers of Time theme,” she said.

“They might be put up somewhere else in the town later – it will be an ongoing resource for the community.”

But the project will rely on the building’s survival to go ahead.

The hotel was gutted by a fire in 2003 and has been the subject of more than a decade of controversy since it was bought for $1 by Paul Rintel in 2004.

In March a magistrate ordered Mr Rintel to demolish the building by July 30 or face jail time.

Ms Finnerty said she expected the hotel to be still standing when the mural was officially opened on June 8.

“There’s no agreement in place – it’s in anticipation that it will still be there,” she said. 

She said the project would give the community a sense of ownership of the dilapidated hotel.

“It’s been quite a focus for the community for so long so it’s good to be able to let the community take charge of this eyesore,” Ms Finnerty said.

“One of the good things is it gets people talking about Dimboola which is quite a creative and energetic town.”

She encouraged people of all ages and locations to attend the mural workshops.

Ms Finnerty said the June 8 opening of the mural would start at the Dim-E Shop with a photo exhibition before moving to the hotel for the grand unveiling.

Workshops will be on May 31 and June 1, 6 and 7 at the Flood Plains Gallery, 71 Lloyd Street, Dimboola.