Here’s a heads-up for an imaginative art installation being presented by Maldon Inc. Twelve 1.5 metre high kangaroos, along with some joeys, will be showcased in shop windows during the 2023 Maldon In Winter Festival, which will be running from 23 June to 9 July.
The kangaroo templates have been made at the Maldon Men’s Shed, and they will then be passed on to the creators of the installations: Maldon, Elphinstone and Newstead Primary School students, Mt Alexander Girl Guides and eight talented regional artists: Trace Balla, Robyn Riley, Troy Firebrace, Eliza Tree, Rocky and June Huxley, Sally Andressen, Anne Borg and Jennifer Barnett.
At the end of the Festival, the art kangaroos will be auctioned off and the proceeds will go to the Red Box Wildlife Shelter. The aim of the installation is to draw attention to the volunteer wildlife rescue network and to create a connection and respect for the kangaroo.
A postscript to this article: the [Tarrangower] Times spoke to June Huxley, who together with husband Rocky, is looking forward to collaborating on the kangaroo installation. The Huxleys, who are retired antique dealers, enjoy making forays into the art world using found objects. “We like to re-purpose things–made of metal, wood and anything else we come across,” June said.
Rocky has a fascination with wooden artists’ manikins and has been collecting them for years. He has finally found a use for them–they’ve been dubbed the Tarrengower Shed Walkers and are installed on top of the shed!
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 31 March 2023.
