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Nature-based art to design workshop - Hervey Bay 5 June 

In the lead up to the 'Wildfowering by Design: Wild/flower Women IV' exhibition we are inviting artists to participate in workshops to build and share skills. This Hervey Bay based workshop will explore Butchulla culture and lore, different ways to capture visual reference material from the natural world, engage in mark making and wildflower related design and collage assemblages.
TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/nature-based-art-and-design-workshop-tickets-153759040429​
Artists presenting & facilitating include:
  • Karen Hall is a Butchulla Traditional Owner and artist. Karen has been involved in a range of community projects and values the power of the arts for healing and wellbeing
  • Edith Rewa is a wildflower lover, illustrator and designer whose work has been translated to book covers, cards, wrapping paper and beautiful scarves.
  • Dr Sue Davis is the curator for the 'Wildflowering by Design' exhibition and initiator of the 'Wild/flower Women' series of exhibitions and projects. She uses a range of media and arts processes to capture and respond to wildflowers and the natural world.
  • Marlies Oakley is an award-winning artist whose work includes cleverly crafted collages, whereby familiar icons, kitsch subjects and surreal imagery are intermixed with social commentary and personal stories to create original creations.
Some materials and morning tea provided, please bring cutting mat and tools, and your lunch.
Cost:  $20 plus booking fee via Eventbrite 
(This cost has been significantly subsidised through Fraser Coast RADF and Hervey Bay Regional Gallery)
Image credits: (Top left) Karen Hall, (Right) Edith Rewa, (Below) Marlies Oakley
This event has been supported by Fraser Coast Regional Council's RADF program. The Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Fraser Coast Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.

Wildflowering by Design: Wild/flower Women IV 

​Inspired by the her-stories of groundbreaking wild/flower women Kathleen McArthur, Vera Scarth Johnson and designer Florence Broadhurst  contemporary female artists transform the delicate beauty of our native wildflowers to art, wallpaper, objects and design.   See the exhibition page for more details! 

Wildflowering and Healing garden work with Hiromi Tango 

I'm excited to announce a Sunshine Coast Wildflowers Healing Garden project will continue to grow across the region in 2021 in association with an exhibition at Caloundra Regional Gallery with Hiromi Tango in October. 
Earlier this year it was wonderful to collaborate with artist Hiromi Tango and Megan Williams of USC Art Gallery on developing a Sunshine Coast Healing Garden. A number of  workshops were held at USC Art Gallery in association with the 'Craftivism, Dissident Objects and Subversive Forms' exhibition - a Shepparton Art Museum exhibition, curated by Anna Briers and Rebecca Coates, touring nationally by NETS Victoria. 
Hiromi Tango created an initial education resource with information about her work and process, and instructions on how to create four paper flowers for a healing garden. 
'A Sunshine Coast Wildflowering Inspiration' package has now been created as a phase II. This includes a reflective essay and collection of wildflowers that have been in bloom over the summer months. 
Click on the resource cover images below to download the education resources.
Online exhibition Fryer Fellowship Presentation article
Fryer Fellowship Lecture (Link to article about the presentation) 
"Kathleen McArthur: Wild/flower Woman" by Associate Professor Susan Davis, CQUniversity (was held at the Fryer Library University of Queensland, 27 March 2019)
Articles 
Davis, Susan (2020. Wildflowering culture: Kathleen McArthur and creating a popular wildflower consciousness’, The Australasian Journal of Popular, Culture, 9:1, pp. 67–82.
​
Davis, Susan. (2019). Wandering and Wildflowering - Walking with Women into Intimacy and Ecological Action. M/C Journal, 22 (4). 

Davis, Susan. (2019). "Hidden women of History: Kathleen McArthur, the wildflower woman who took on Joh Bjelke-Petersen". The Conversation. 31 January 2019. The Conversation, 31 January 2019 

The Wild/flower Women projects and initiatives

The 'Wild/flower Women' initiatives have been inspired by pioneering artists and environmentalists Kathleen McArthur and Judith Wright.  Their 'wild' passion, artistry and activism deserves to be revisited and celebrated, while also prompting us to consider anew the ways we learn about, nurture and protect our native wildflowers and environments. 
Specific activities started in 2016 with a symposium at CQUniversity Noosa and an exhibition at Noosa Regional Gallery. An exhibition at Caloundra Regional Gallery in 2018 extended upon the 2016/7 exhibition through inviting contemporary Sunshine Coast artists to respond to the work and artistry of Kathleen McArthur as well as to the wallum, the wildflowers and environments that inspired her. ​A smaller symposium was also convened and 'lunch-hour theatre' style script created for an Anywhere Theatre performance. The work and inspiration continues, with initiator Dr Sue Davis being awarded the Fryer Fellowship for 2018-19 and working on related publications, exhibitions and presentations.  Others also continue enacting the living legacy of the wild/flower women who have inspired us. Sue is now exploring opportunities to share her love and experiences of wildflowering through other workshops, projects, walks and creative endeavours. More info coming! You can contact Dr Sue Davis here.