Arts

An entrancing, informative book filled with answers to many of the common questions we ask about birds and their lives. For thousands of years birds have fascinated us. We've observed what they do - their behaviours, their characteristics, their survival skills, the food they eat and their habitats - and wondered why they do it.

Heritage Bank has announced the talented photographers who will share in a massive $50,000 prize pool as part of its 2022 Photographic Awards. The annual Heritage Bank Photographic Awards are now in their 34th year and are one of the most lucrative, and longest running, in the country.

The Maldon Twilight Dinner 2023 is set to be bigger and better than before with the possible addition of a Friday Night Market. The committee is awaiting council approval to include a free Twilight Market to showcase local street traders, food trucks, produce stalls, bands, and swing and belly dancers.

Toowoomba Quilters Club is taking its needlework in a new direction by raising money for Emerge Youth Services. At the Launch of the Club’s annual Charity Art Union, Toowoomba Quilters Club members heard about Emerge Youth Services from the organisation’s passionate CEO and Founder, Jen Shaw.

Denmark Arts’ 40-year run of seasonal markets in Berridge Park is over. Instead, Denmark Arts hopes to collaborate with other market-holders to support them in a new model different to the traditional markets. These have been held over summer and at Easter, and over the decades have built Denmark’s reputation as a market town.

Serena Kirby. Denmark singer-songwriter Marianna Greenham’s return to music after 30 years has produced works which are now widely adopted for family-life challenges. Marianna, 71, will perform at the Denmark Artshouse later this month presenting her earlier songs as well as many new ones. This follows her appearance at this year’s Festival of Voice and a return to music which she says has been good for her soul.

One of the hardest but most pleasurable jobs in the Clarence Valley is judging The Long Way Home writing competition – that’s according to the judges. But the verdict is in. The Long Way Home’s Claire Aman said the theme this year was ‘let go,’ prompting writers of all ages to come up with a fabulous bunch of stories – poignant, hopeful, quirky.

Sarah Martin. Glastonbury, Burning Man and Woodford have nothing on the special vibes of Wallaby Creek Festival, according to international didgeridoo and dance music phenomenon Ganga Giri, who is one of the headline acts at the event. The quietly-spoken musician credits his success to energy, his mum, and a dream as a kid.

Greater Shepparton’s popular Moooving Art collection continues to grow as Council welcomes a new member to the herd this week. Introducing Moobird, designed by talented Mooroopna artist Mandy Charquero, Moobird is inspired by the region’s very own Australian Botanic Gardens Shepparton and the native birds which can be found there, and around our region.

David Lee. There aren’t many people who can say they have stared into the face of danger in order to show the world a story that needs to be told, but Narrandera resident and cinematographer Jordan Bryon has done just that; and one of those ventures has led him to work on a feature film for the New York Times (NYT). For almost six years, Jordan has been living in Afghanistan and more recently working alongside colleague, Farzad Fetrat on the feature film.

Urbenville School students travelled six hours to Gunnedah to recite poetry on Friday, September 2. The trip was worth it. They came back winners of the prestigious Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards. The school was awarded the highest honour ­â€‘ winning the primary school section and the national school winner ... The winning didn’t stop there.

A book by two authors, one of them an Allora local, delves into the war years of the brave men of the 2/26 Battalion. Read through the personal interviews, family stories and archive research of the military history and personal history of the men compiled by two dedicated women, daughters of two of the soldiers - Norm Newport and Bill Anderson - who were mates in the 2/26 Battalion.

Emma Pritchard. When Clarence Valley resident Paul MacNamara decided to transition from an everyday teacher to an education officer in the prison system, he found himself in an unfamiliar classroom with strict settings and new students. Some were sex offenders and murderers, others were serving time for armed robbery, drug offences, or breaking and entering ... "I noticed that people of all ages would ask me about my job and what is was like to teach in a gaol," he recalled.

This exhibition celebrates Margaret Olley’s favourite subject – the beauty and joy of flowers. Olley dedicated her career to exploring the endless possibilities of humble, domestic objects combined with colourful, textural and sculptural arrangements of cornflowers, delphiniums, calendulas, hydrangeas, poppies, marigolds, flannel flowers, hippeastrums and more.

Former Mildura resident and award-winning intuitive, mixed media abstract artist Jacklyn Foster has chosen Mildura Arts Centre (MAC) to host her very first solo exhibition, which opens this month. Vibrant  is a collection of contemporary acrylic abstract paintings that draw inspiration from finding the joy and humour in life.

Across two jam-packed days on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 September, central Victoria’s creative capital will host a convergence of creative forces, people and ideas in action for Conflux Bendigo. Bendigo’s thriving arts precinct will be the meeting point for an inspiring group of creative collaborators to deliver a bold, diverse and exciting program of panel discussions, masterclasses, practitioner presentations, thought-provoking conversations, workshops, installations and performances.

Narrandera High School finally celebrated NAIDOC Day, its first in three years, with the Welcome to Country and Didgeridoo welcome setting the scene for a day of inclusivity and education. The highlight of the day was the final event - the commissioning of the Stewart James mural.

Emma Pritchard. Oliver Waite from Grafton was thrilled to win first place in the Quilts Across Australia section at EKKA earlier this month with a stunning creation he has been working on for the past eight months. Measuring 180cm x 200cm, the perfect size for his single bed, Oliver’s award-winning masterpiece encapsulates the bright colours of fire and heat and caught the attention of the judges with his precision and skill.

Artworks from three Indigenous artists are featured in the latest exhibition, Our Stories, Our Culture, Our Country, which is on display at Crows Nest Gallery until September 18, 2022. The exhibition explores narratives relating to spiritual connectivity, place-making, traditional knowledge, healing and teachings of the participating artists, Cheryl Moggs (from the Bigambul First Nation people), Barbara Walker (from the Wiradjuri First Nation people) and Aaron Blades (from the Mandandanji First Nation people).

Alice Melita. Appreciating a cocktail or two while creating their very own Van Gogh-inspired art piece was how about 40 Mount Isa residents spent their Saturday night. The Paint and Sip experience, hosted by Winton-based artist and painting instructor Emma Read, took patrons through step-by-step instructions in painting a field of sunflowers under a blue sky.

Bundjalung Nghari - Indigenise. This August, experience original theatre with Bundjalung Nghari (meaning: story), a collection of performed stories, poems and essays, penned by Bundjalung writers ... In September, Love for One Night at The Eltham Hotel is a circle dance of intersecting love stories told in the playful and theatrical style of NORPA’s sell-out shows Railway Wonderland and Dreamland.

We Australians pride ourselves on our native animals. Koalas, kangaroos, wombats, deadly snakes, platypuses (platypi?), drop bears, emus … just some of the animals that have spent millions of years evolving separately from the rest of the world’s fauna on this island nation of ours. But most of us probably don’t think too much about them during our day-to-day lives. Alistair Paton’s “Of Marsupials and Men” puts a spotlight on men (and the occasional woman) who made Australia’s wildlife the centre of their lives.