November Forum: David Curtis — Culture and the arts in sustainability

SLA is holding a very special forum on Thursday November 10^th at the Uniting Church Hall at 7pm.

Former Armidale resident, ecologist, artist and social activist, Dave Curtis, will be joined by five artists to talk about their project for Saturday’s Black Gully Music Festival, and about the relationship between art and the environment.

David explains his key concept “Jon Hawkes describes culture as the fourth pillar of sustainability — the other pillars being social, economic and environmental sustainability. This talk will explore the importance of culture and the arts in sustainability.”  

EcoArts Australia, co-founded by Dave, has brought together the artists as part of a project called Ephemera to work with community members to create works for and at Black Gully for the Festival on the 12^th of November. Gradually the works will return to their natural places in the environment.

The artists include; Gabi Briggs, an Anaiwan woman and Amy Hammond a Gomeroi, both weavers, who are working together using traditional techniques to create a large ‘eel’; Andrew Parker, a ceramic artist is working with clay extracted from Black Gully to produce a series of sculptures; Greer Taylor is using materials from Black Gully to construct works within the landscape and for display in the New England Regional Arts Museum; and Tanja Beer has been using plants to create a ‘living’ stage for the musical performers.

This SLA Forum will be a celebration of the wonderful environment we live in, and the importance of artists in bringing to awareness both the visual beauty of our landscape and the opportunities it provides to be creative and to inspire one another.

 The Forum will be in the Uniting Church Hall at the rear of the church in Rusden Street at 7pm on Thursday 10^th November. All welcome, light refreshments, gold coin donation. www.slarmidale.org.