Water and Birds Art Exhibition
Four local artists and photographers contributed to an exhibition featuring local bird life, showcasing the diversity of the region.
Community Participation - LP051-002
The issue
Local artists, community and school members identified there was a need for greater education surrounding our wildlife, particularly about birds and wetlands and the important role that they play in our local environment and the sustainability of our ecological communities. It is paramount that we engage our children whilst educating them of the importance of these communities, to ensure the longevity of species in our delicate environment and the impacts wildlife and water plays in that.
Access to the Arts can be limited in small rural communities, and the art exhibition was a way in which to bring such an opportunity to our region and the broader community. Following years of drought, social connection and interaction was also a high priority.
The solution
Condobolin and Districts Landcare received funding from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal's Strengthening Rural Communities grant to organise and host an art exhibition for our community, with the primary focus on water and birds. The exhibition gave four local artists and photographers the opportunity to showcase their works, highlighting the diverse bird life from our region.
The opening night of the exhibition was held on Friday 9th April 2021, and the exhibition was open to the general public for two weeks following. The exhibition itself was opened by the acclaimed photographer David Stowe, who was also the guest speaker for the evening.
The impact
The exhibition saw visitors from across the region and travelers from afar during the two weeks of its opening, with over 500 people visiting the exhibition, including more than 200 school children. The contributing artists and photographers featured local birds and wetlands, some of which were species at risk of becoming threatened or endangered. School children were able to not only learn about these different species and environments but how art can be a way of expressing these topics and issues. School staff focused their teachings on the different mediums used, the different species and their place in our local environment.
Learnings
The exhibition was a great success, with wonderful reviews from the entire community. As such, we are hoping to hold another exhibition in 2022 to continue offering all members of the community access to the Arts.
Key facts
- Over 320 people visited the exhibition over the two weeks it was open
- Over 200 school children, teachers and support staff visited the exhibition
- Four local artists and photographers contributed to the exhibition
- There were a total of 71 works exhibited