As the sun slowly sets, dim orange lights flicker to life in a toilet block perched on a small hill overlooking gently breaking waves in the coastal village of Bargara, near Bundaberg in south-east Queensland.

A small crowd lingers around the four cubicles of the public toilets and showers, having a wine and eating cheese from platters.

As you enter any of the cubicles you notice it definitely smells like a public loo, then you notice the well-dressed couples deep in conversation and admiring complex mosaic artworks hung above the stainless steel lavatories.

Bundaberg artist Paul Perry has transformed a public toilet into an exhibition space by hanging 23 mosaic artworks inspired by illegal tags and graffiti he has observed in the region.

Flushed Out by Paul Perry celebrates the individuals behind the tags and acknowledges their creativity, by turning something considered ugly and ephemeral into something that will last forever.

And he decided a toilet was the perfect place to reach new audiences with his statement.

Some of the best real estate in Bundaberg, this public toilet at Bargara is being used as an art gallery. ( ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos )

"This toilet is some of the best real estate in Bundaberg," he said.

"It's on the coast, it's got a wonderful view of the ocean, people have to use it anyway, so let's show off the work as well.

"I've taken graffiti which traditionally does end up on toilet blocks, and I've created art pieces using a 2,000-year-old art tradition of cutting up small pieces of ceramic tile and making something very permanent.

"Some of the early graffiti artists have become quite famous in traditional forms around the world, but they needed to find a pathway to get into traditional art."

Transforming a public toilet into a gallery allows a new audience to engage with art. ( ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos )

Finding that pathway is not the only struggle for street artists in regional Queensland, with many Local Government-run galleries having waiting lists of up to two years for exhibition space.

And Perry is not alone in a community known more for farming cane and producing rum than it is for visual arts.

For two years Clinton Cross has run a contemporary art space from a shed in an inner city industrial block.

Clinton Cross created his art space in a shed behind a mechanic's in Bundaberg, and has been overwhelmed by the positive response from the community and artists. ( ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos )

It can be difficult to find Cross Gallery because you have to walk past a mechanical workshop and navigate skips before you notice a gold cross hanging above a metal sliding door.

When you enter the space you are transported to another world, with a red velvet couch dominating the harsh concrete floor.

Cross can often be found working on his complex assemblages using vintage figurines sourced from local op-shops.

He has not created Cross Gallery for himself, but for the Bundaberg community.

Cross Gallery in Bundaberg dares to be different in the traditional cane and rum city. ( ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos )

In the two years Cross Gallery has existed it has provided opportunities for local and international artists, musicians and community groups.

Cross is known for curating inventive exhibitions and challenging artists to produce works using blank white sheets and cheap plastic tarps.

In an upcoming show his gallery will feature artworks on ping pong paddles.

"It's all about thinking differently around here and getting away from what people perceive as art," he said.

Bundaberg shed gallery attracts interest from urban artist

Brisbane-based artist Billy Shannon creates dreamy naked portraits of people as they sleep.

He sought out Cross Gallery for his Nocturne exhibition because he was so impressed with the space and what Cross was achieving in a regional centre.

"I've not shown in a regional art space before and I decided to show because of Clinton and what he is doing here," Shannon said.

"It's very important and very strong to have a contemporary artist creating a space out of virtually nothing."

Brisbane artist Billy Shannon would not have considered exhibiting his Nocturne series regionally if not for the privately run Cross Gallery in Bundaberg. ( ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos )

The industrial aesthetic of the Cross Gallery shed was attractive to Shannon as a contrast to his complex oil paintings.

"As an artist I find the space so exciting. You have all the marks on the wall from the different industries that have been in here," he said.

"I like that the walls aren't clean white and boxes. You have an industrial space, and if Clinton moved out you would probably have refrigerators stored in here, but while he is here you have some really interesting work going on in here.

"With my work in here you have a sense of luxury in an industrial space. It's a wonderful balance."

Bundaberg business benefits from supporting artists

As you drive over the Burnett River crossing into Bundaberg North, you look down over the corrugated iron roofs of the classic Queenslanders that fill the suburb.

Juxtaposed among the traditional houses is a large-scale surrealist mural that colourfully dominates the side of a building.

The wall is part of Oodies Cafe that opened not long after the 2013 floods devastated the suburb, and it has fast become a community meeting place, music venue and artist exhibition space.

Co-owner Suzy Evans feels supporting local artists by displaying their work has played a role in the business's success.

"I've seen it happening for four years now. It gets people talking, it gets people interacting," she said.

"I have found people here who don't know each other and they are talking about the painting outside.

"They just gather and talk about artwork and I'm sure most of these people don't know about artwork."

Emerging Bundaberg artist Taylor Klaasen created a large-scale work on the outside of Bundaberg North business Oodies Cafe, with the support of co-owner Suzy Evans (pictured). ( ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos )

Ms Evans hopes the success of Oodies will be an example of how art can make a difference to other regional businesses.

"More local businesses should jump on board because in the end that's what creates a community," she said.

"Businesses and artists need to come together."