They say art imitates life, but can it also save life?
This is the ultimate goal of the Save Wallum Art Exhibition and fundraiser that opened at Gallery Cosmosis in Byron Bay on Friday night.
Dozens of local artists have donated their work to the exhibition in a bid to save the beautiful, but fragile, Wallum heathland from development, and in so doing preserve the life that resides there.
All funds raised will be used to support the campaign to save Wallum, including the ongoing court case, which has seen a temporary injunction imposed on the site.
‘I love that piece of land,’ the owner and curator of Gallery Cosmosis Patti Jacobs said on the eve of last Friday’s opening.
‘I spend a lot of time there and I just thought “this is something I can do”.’
Runs until July 22
The exhibition, which runs until July 22, features more than 100 paintings, almost all of them from local artists.
Among the artists who have donated their creations are Space Cowboy, Daniel Hend, Jay Manby, Sharon Shostak, Howie Cooke, Naomi Gittoes, Yao Mikami, Mark Cora and many more.
Their artworks span a range of mediums including watercolour, sculpture and photography, and a vast array of styles.
‘There’s so many beautiful wildlife depictions,’ Ms Jacobs says, including, ‘glossy black cockatoos, scribbly gums, frogs, and also people.’
Gallery Cosmosis is located at 22 Brigantine St, Byron Bay. The opening hours of the exhibition are 10.30am to 4pm.
Junior art exhibition
But it’s not just the artworks of adults which is being celebrated. A Wallum Connections Junior Art Exhibition is also taking place.
Open to children aged four to 12, submissions are open until noon July 19.
Young artists can download an entry form from the ‘events’ section of www.savewallum.com, and then drop their masterpieces off at one of the listed entry locations.
The works will be celebrated at a tea party on July 21 in Brunswick Heads, at which public voting will take place. A series of prizes are available thanks to donations from local businesses and organisations.
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