WILDFLOWERS AND COOLOOLA CAMPAIGN INSPIRE LATEST GALLERY EXHIBITION

A new exhibition, Wild/flower Women III: Women Walking Country is heading to the Gympie Regional Gallery from Thursday, 8 October to Saturday, 28 November.

The exhibition celebrates the work of Kathleen McArthur, who was an artist and conservationist who specialised in painting Queensland wildflowers. She is also well-known for being one of the founding members of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland along with her friend, poet Judith Wright.

Together they began the campaign to establish Cooloola National Park, working with conservationist Arthur Harrold, the Cooloola Committee, the Noosa Parks Association, and many other allies.

To profile the living legacy of women, art and Queensland wildflowers, contemporary artists from Gympie, Noosa and Sunshine Coast created new work ranging from paintings, prints, works on paper, and jewellery to textile works using natural dyes, recycled textiles, and wall vinyl.

Artists participating in this exhibition include Judy Barrass, Zela Bissett, Joolie Gibbs, Nicole Harper, Anne Harris, Barbara Hart, Sandra Ross, Meaghan Shelton, Melissa Stannard and Ulrike Sturm and is curated by Dr Susan Davis and Nina Shadforth.

For the duration of the exhibition, there will be a variety of workshops, online zoom sessions and artist chats.

Entry to the Gympie Regional Gallery at 39 Nash Street is free, with opening hours from 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Saturday.

For more information, or to make bookings for workshops and themed activities, visit www.gympie.qld.gov.au/gallery or call 5481 0733.

The Wild/flower Women III exhibition is supported by Cooloola Coastcare and the Regional Arts Development Fund, a partnership between the Queensland Government and Gympie Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.