Artist Kelsie White's design of 16 native birds is featured in McKenzie Street near Hydrant Food Hall.

Ms White said she used Friends of Canadian Corridor information on birds found in the region to inform her creation.

"I was given a brief of something that activated the whole wall, maybe involving native animals or birds and went into research mode from there," she said.

This is the first time Ms White has showcased her art on a large-scale in a public place.

She said she was inspired by murals and street art around the world and the optical illusions that can be created in big spaces.

"You might think the birds really are bursting out and flying up to the other buildings," Ms White said.

There are kookaburras, galas, cockatoos and a rosella featured on the wall, each one a unique illustration.

All birds were digitally drawn using an iPad, with block colours behind. They were printed as foil vinyl by Phil Smyth Visual Creations.

Ms White worked with the team to install them on the wall using scissor lifts and ladders last week.

"It was really strange when the installers all left and I was standing in front of it. It was so surreal to see my artwork so big," she said.

"It has been lovely to see people's reactions to it. Kids stand in front of it and they raise their arms, they want to interact with it and fly with the birds."

Ms White moved to Ballarat in 2020 from Melbourne and has thrown herself into community life as a volunteer with the Tool Library and Brown Hill Community Newsletter, while running her creative studio.

"The community here is welcoming, amazing and full of diverse people and I have loved meeting them all and being inspired by others," she said.

Ms White said the opportunity to expose her artwork through the laneway installation was incredible, but the art also served as a drawcard to visit new places and interact with CBD spaces.

"Maybe people have never walked down this laneway and then they realise Hydrant is tucked away here and go into the cafe and explore parts of the city they may not have before," she said.

Ms White's art installation will be on show until February 27, along with a lighting installation by Ballarat lighting company Illumidy at Hop Lane and disco balls on Police Lane.

City of Ballarat Councillor Amy Johnson said City of Ballarat's program for summer activation was intended to help different sectors impacted by COVID-19.

"Over the last couple of years there have been limited opportunities for local artists," she said.

"Melbourne has an incredible laneway culture and we have some really incredible lanes in Ballarat. Projects like these help to further activate the CBD."

Other City of Ballarat summer activations include the Pop-Up Park at Alfred Deakin Place, Summer Sundays and Picnic in the Park.

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