Bunya Dreaming 2012

South East Queensland got off to a pretty wet start this year so the Bunya Dreaming gathering at Baroon Pocket Dam was postponed by two weeks - therefore held on 11 Feb. 2012.


"The day generates an understanding of Indigenous culture providing a forum for networking and information sharing and strengthening of community partnership. Activities include Bunya feasting, competitions, bushfoods, bush medicine, challenges, dance, ceremony, fire, yarning, workshops and more." - Barung

Barry Smith © Bunya Dreaming gathering

Beverly Hand, a Gubbi Gubbi elder, is the initiator of and driver behind Bunya Dream; she is also a member if art4place. Over the last few years art4place members have assisted Beverly with the art challenge at Bunya Dreaming. 

Barry Smith © The BD art tent

This year special recognition was paid to Beverly's mother who passed away last year. art4place offered to manage the art challenge; and also offered a special Best Totem prize in recognition of Beverly's mother.  Children and adults registered for the challenge - 3 art prizes for each category were on offer. 

The theme of the day was 'mother' - storm; and the totems included wedge-tail eagle, carpet python, king parrot, sand goanna, turtle, grass tree. All art need to be created from natural materials. art4place collected and provided some materials and string, glue and tape; but people were invited to gather materials especially Bunya Nut cone husks from the site. About 40-50 art pieces were created on the day. 

Barry Smith © 'art materials'

Barry Smith © "art materials' - seed pods supplied by Jenny

Amongst the children's art pieces there were wedge-tailed eagles, goannas, nests with eggs, turtles, grass tree men and dragonflies. The ages of children ranged from about  5 to 14.

Barry Smith © Bird on nest

Barry Smith © Wedge-tail on nest

Barry Smith © Goanna up a tree

Barry Smith © Wedge-tail with spread wings

Barry Smith © Bark and bunya nut turtle

Barry Smith © Wedge-tail  - leaf feathered wings - and nest

Barry Smith © Mini turtle

Barry Smith © A flight of bunya butterflies

Barry Smith © Mother and baby dragonflies

Barry Smith © 'Bunya eggs' on a nest

Barry Smith © Scary face of a 'grass man'

Adults pieces tended to include stories: the beginning of Bunya Dreaming and place; Biril the one legged mythical bird; Biami - birth of the Bunya baby and the Carpet python. Lots of inspired use of the shucked remnants of the Bunya cone.

Barry Smith © Goanna Team - women artists - the birthplace of Bunya Dreaming?

Barry Smith © Women out Front Team - Carpet Python

Barry Smith © The story of the birth of the Bunya baby

Barry Smith © Biril - mythical one legged bird

Barry Smith © Tracy working on woven cane turtle

The art challenge is such a tangible way for participants to learn about Bunya Dreaming; the Indigenous totems; and to celebrate the people and place where the original Aboriginal Bunya feasts and gatherings took place and take place once again. A magnificent ephemeral placemaking art event.  art4place members Christine and Barry 'judged' the works and selected the seven people who were awarded art prizes - not an easy job!!

Thanks to Beverly for inviting art4place to facilitate the art challenge. Thanks to art4place members Noela and Edith-Ann for their background work. Thanks to the following art4place members who facilitated the event on the day: Jenny, Mieke, Christine, Jacinta, Tracy, Kate and Barry. 

art4place at Festuri and Bunya Dreaming January 2011

A number of art4place artists were to carry out dragon themed artworks at the Festuri event on 10 October 2010 - but that event was washed out by rain and severe winds.

Festuri, a multicultural celebration, is now to take place on 26 January 2011 and 6 art4place artists (Christine, Jim, Noela , Kim, Fiona and Barry) will be carrying out a range of dragon themed art, mainly with children, on behalf of the Sunshine Coast Council's (SCC) Sister Cities Association.

Why dragons - because of the links between SCC and Xiamen and Jingdezhen in China. The art event will run from 1-4pm and will create a temporary sense of place relating to the China sister cities. We will record the day and share some of the highlights on the blog.

Last year art4place (fomerly Artsite) contributed to Bunya Dreaming 2010 by helping with the design of the larger artworks on the Baroon site.

This year Beverly Hand, the coordinator of the Bunya Dreaming Indigenous gathering, has invited art4place to attend the gathering and work with children and their parents to create small ephemeral art pieces. The Bunya Dreaming gathering is set down for 29 January 2011 at Baroon Pocket Dam (9am to 7pm).

Up to 9 art4place artists have indicated they will attend (Edith-Ann, Jim, Kim, Tracey, Rob, Noela, Fiona,  Barry and Christine); and, in two shifts, will run an art tent where children etc can create art pieces from sticks, grasses, leaves, Bunya nuts etc gathered from the site. Pieces will be constructed using biodegradable glues, twine and paint. We are not sure what will emerge but in the main the art will focus on four local Indigenous totems: King Parrot, python, Wedge Tail Eagle and goanna. No doubt the Bunya nut and tree will also feature. Pieces created may become part of a temporary installation - creating place that tells a story.

We will record the day and hope to share some of the highlights of the art on this blob.

HT article regarding art4place and MCP

As indicated in the earlier post art4place artists have been actively involved in the community through the launch of the Maleny Placemaking Art Map and ephemeral art

The following article was published in the September 2010 edition of the Hinterland Times.

art4place participating in community

artists from art4place were active over the weekend. First there was the launch of the Maleny Placemaking Art Map as part of the Festival of Walks Street Party on Saturday 21 August; and celebration of the fact that many local artists have created the 10 works featured on the Map. All artists who had been involved in the creation of the placemaking art were invited to attend the launch. Many attended the launch; and were recognised in the speeches. Those present included: Janna P, Kirsten C, Craig M, Fiona M, Di C, Edith-Ann M, Fiona D and Barry S.


The launch also provided a good opportunity launch art4place’s new name, logo, signage and information cards.

On Sunday 22 August from 10am to 4pm four art4place artists (Kim S, Fiona D, Noela M and Barry S) created ephemeral and temporary art in the picnic area and on the Birdwing Butterfly Walk at Mary Cairncross Park. What an amazing response from the public.

At least 60 children participated in one of the five possible options (stencilling butterflies and their names, colouring in butterflies for sea of butterflies; making butterflies out of leaves; creating a butterfly covered in tiny butterflies; and gluing swatches of colour onto the big butterfly; 10-15 parents-carers also joined in the art work; and 40-50 adults paused on their walk and asked what all the art was about, who the artists were, and do they do this art anywhere else. Parents reported that their children had a ball – and of course the children were fully into it – ages ranged from about 18 months to 12 years.


The front of big butterfly almost finished with help from the smallest artist (photographed with permission of her parent)


Stencilling in action and a photo of one cluster of butterflies


A finished leaf butterfly


A butterfly of butterflies


A segment of the sea of butterflies


And the big fantasy butterfly in the trees

The Festival of the Walks involvement by art4place in Maleny and Mary Cairncross Park is mirrored by Arts Connect in Montville where an art and heritage map was launched on Sunday 22 August; and artworks created on the Kondalilla Falls walk.

Understory - art and people create a place

The Understory project is really worth a look from the perspective of artists collaborating with community to create truly inspiring art and a sense of place in the natural environment. The few photos included here were taken when Fiona and I visited Understory August 2009.

The Understory website says: "Understory is a nationally unique art in nature experience that everyone can enjoy. Artworks are located along a 1.2km walk trail through pristine native forest. Sculptures, stories, poetry and music explore our relationship with nature and the 'spirit of place'."

"Understory was originally called the Southern Forest Sculpture Walk. It is managed by Southern Forest Arts - a 'not for profit' community cultural organisation.

Over 50 nationally and internationally renowned creative professionals have participated in the project since first established in November 2006. New artworks are added regularly to ensure there is always something fresh for visitors to experience.

Most people spend one hour to one and a half hours walking the trail and listening to a range of five audio tours (including interviews with participating artists, stories poetry and music). There are also audio tours especially for children and youth."

Building community - including fence art

Whilst we were away for work we came across an article on building community, neighbourhoods and sharehoods in the Sunday Age (21/2/10) pages 4-5 of the domain section. In addition to that content what also caught my eye was the simple placemaking art on the fence - and then I realised it was Gilbert Rochecouste and Amanis Lacheta of Village Well of placemaking fame.

Anyway I thought I'd just post a photo of the piece on Gilbert and Amandis; and also a photo of them and the simple fence art.

It reminded me that placemaking is linked to community building; and that placemaking art can be a simple affair and ephemeral.