Local artists have had the time and head space over lockdown to be extra creative. This strange isolation period has gifted the time to create things they have always wanted to but were hindered by the rush of daily life.
This is exciting for us to see what they have coming! Find your locals favourite artist online and check out their online stores. Artists aren’t eligible for Jobkeeper payments, so please consider supporting them any way you can. They are full of goodies!
MAKIN’ WHOOPEE
Shops like Makin’ Whoopee on Shields Street work hard to support the arts and the artists. So, not only will you be shopping local, you will a l s o be supporting those who support others. How wonderful!
TRASH TO TREASURE
Tropical Steampunk is holding free workshops for all ages at The Pier over the next couple of months. This is a fantastic opportunity to create a contraption, installation or artwork using upcycled or rowecycled materials. FUN!
The Cairns Regional Council Community Events have generously funded six workshops with three Cairns’ artists. These will be free workshops for 8 years and over with adults most welcome and encouraged.
The final results will be showcased at a free public art show as part of Tropical Steampunk 2020 from 3 pm to 5 pm on Saturday, September 19 at The Tanks Arts Centre.
Supported by The Committee for Waste Reduction and produced by Create More, these workshops are all about participating, having a go, learning some new skills and making some fun creations out of reclaimed materials!
This Tropical Steampunk Up-cycled Workshop is sponsored by Cairns Regional Council. Go to the Cairns Regional Council Facebook page to book your spot.
CAIRNS REGIONAL GALLERY
Currently in the Gallery, you will find Alan Oldfield paintings, which are arguably some of the best known in the Gallery Collection. They tell the tale of 21-year-old Mary Watson and the events surrounding her death. The story has all the hallmarks of a tragic legend, the truth of which will never be known.
In September 1881, Mary Watson, her Chinese servant Ah Sam, and her four-month-old son, Ferrier escaped certain death when they set sail from Lizard Island, a sacred site for Aboriginal ceremony, in a makeshift craft made from a cast-iron beche-de-mer pot.
What happened next remained a mystery, other than the fact that Mary’s husband returned to the island to find his wife gone and the house ransacked.
Other works in the exhibition delve into the multicultural history of the North and tell the stories of contemporary Indigenous artists and a history that is not always easy to accept, but that must be acknowledged.
The Gallery remains free, but bookings are essential to adhere to Government guidelines.
