River of Art, that annual exciting arts festival which brings together the best and the most creative of Eurobodalla's art in all its forms, kicks off again in a little over six weeks. And the program for this year's fabulous festival which runs from 17 to 26 September has now been released.
With around 120 events, this year's festival will be one of the biggest, showcasing paintings, wood works and sculpture through to performance art, music, film and poetry as well as workshops on activities ranging from poetry and weaving through to bicycle repairs.
For those new to the festival, a quick visit to its website, www.riverofart.com.au to look at the program will give you a taste of what's in store. There is the much-loved Open Studios event where the region’s artists throw open the doors of their studios up and down the coast to give visitors a glimpse of how their art is created.
After a spectacular first appearance at last year's festival, the very popular REVIVE public art event will feature again this year with murals planned for Moruya, Bodalla and Bateman's Bay to sit alongside the five murals created last year.
Another regular event is the annual River of Art prize with artists both from Eurobodalla and elsewhere encouraged to enter. This year's entries will be judged by former head of the ANU's School of Art and Design, Denise Ferris.
Art on Parade is another favourite with shops and other public venues giving artists the opportunity to show their work during the festival.
Eurobodalla’s Regional Botanic Gardens, which has risen phoenix-like from the 2020 fires, will be the venue for a brand new event, Wattle Walk, featuring music, poetry and the work of Splinters, the local Eurobodalla co-operative group of woodworkers. A collaboration between the University of Wollongong and the Eurobodalla Botanical Gardens, this will be an all-day event at the gardens with its forecourt festooned with a display of knitted wattle representing the region's renewal.
As a meandering trail of art through some of the region's most beautiful coastal and rural areas, the festival encourages visitors to plan their own journey across the many locations and events which feature Eurobodalla’s art. The festival’s own title, River of Art, plays on the shire’s name, Eurobodalla, which is Aboriginal for “land of many waters”. To help you navigate these waterways, hard copy programs will be available while the online program at www.riverofart.com.au will be updated as new events come on board.
And like last year's festival, COVID-safe practices and requirements will be in place at all festival venues.
The festival is a community-led initiative. Co-chaired by Di Jay and Vicki Lascelles, it is run by volunteers with support from local businesses, the Eurobodalla Shire Council and the NSW Government. Its aim is to present and promote local and visiting artists across all art forms.
