Ruth Downes

Market Lane Mural, 2005

Market Lane Mural was painted by Ruth Downes in 2005.

The work’s bold, colourful panels highlight important events and issues that were headlined in local newspaper The Manly Daily. Whimsical and sometimes cryptic, these headlines give us a glimpse into the Manly of the past. The colourful mural and evocative headlines remind us of the special sense of place that Manly has always had, and its longstanding traditions of idiosyncrasy and magnificent quirkiness.

Ruth Downes was born in Sydney in 1954. She studied Interior Design at the National Art School graduating in 1975. Downes then worked as an artist at the Australian Museum and between 1979-1986 she tutored in exhibition and furniture design in the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Sydney. Since 1988 Downes has run her own business in Sydney commissioned for public art, visual identity, exhibition and graphic design. She has also created her own mixed-media exhibitions which have toured to many venues in Australia and USA.

In 2023, Council commissioned Emiel Saada, founder of signwriting company Mielo, to refurbish the Market Lane Mural.  Emiel worked closely with the artist to match the original paint colours and typography styles, bringing the mural back to its original vibrancy.