River of Art Festival - Cancelled
17-26 September 2021
It is with deep regret that we inform you that the River of Art Festival 2022 has been cancelled. Faced with ongoing COVID restrictions across NSW and the ACT, clearly the festival can't proceed with live events. The safety of our artists, community, visitors and supporters is paramount.
Instead, we will showcase the Eurobodalla’s vibrant arts community online, taking artists and festival goers on a virtual journey.
We will be featuring many of the amazing 120 events we had programmed including painting, textiles, woodwork, sculpture, performance, music, film and poetry online via our website www.riverofART.com.au
We're also looking at opportunities to reschedule some of the cancelled live events in the new year. The River of Art Prize award and exhibition has been deferred indefinitely, until it can be mounted and judged in collaboration with our partners at Gallery Narooma.
A primary feature of the 2021 Virtual River of Art will be the Arts Directory which was introduced at last year's festival. This year, the directory, to be re-launched on 17 September, will feature works of the regions’ artists who were to have opened their studios, exhibited or performed during the festival.
This will enable people to still see and read about the work of these artists by simply visiting the festival's website. People will be able to contact them to view, purchase or commission works directly, or make a note to see them next time they perform.
We are determined that COVID won't dampen the optimism and enthusiasm which has been a hallmark of the festival. We have already set the dates for next year's festival and are planning ahead.
A spectacular post-Covid River of Art Festival will be held from 16-25 September 2022 featuring lively arts programs as well as the exciting Luminous: Art After Dark event with projections, site illumination and loads of colour, sound and activity, including a night market, at Riverside Park.
Right now, River of Art looks forward to welcoming the many visitors to the Eurobodalla who would have joined us for the festival after the ongoing lockdown across NSW and the ACT is at an end.
The creative arts represent a strong spine running through our region and we are here to support artists and arts workers in good times and bad.
Our thanks to all those artists who had geared up and were ready to be part of this year’s festival. We are still here for you! River of Art will continue to promote local arts events across all art forms whenever they take place in the coming year. Please contact us if we can help in any way, or if you have a helpful idea for 2022.
For updates on the virtual program, and to see what events will be running in the new year, stay in touch via the website. You can also subscribe to our E-news and join River of Art on Instagram or Facebook. Meanwhile, stay safe.
The festival is an arts and community-led initiative run by volunteers with support from local artists and local business, the Eurobodalla Shire Council and NSW Government.
We are very grateful for the ongoing support of our funders including our amazing, committed sponsors (all listed on our website) who help make our festival a success.
Warm regards
Di Jay & Vicki Lascelles for the River of Art Committee
