Nambucca Valley Phoenix hosting resilience themed art exhibition

"The theme has a dual meaning for the gallery; this event marks the second anniversary of the bushfires that rocked our region and the first anniversary of the Nambucca Valley Phoenix reopening," manager Pippa Tabone said.

"The theme of the exhibition is resilience and what it means to artists, after their experiences with the fires, floods and now COVID-19.

"Everyone in the Valley has been affected by these events, and we hope this show might help spark a conversation about a topic that might otherwise be hard to bring up.

"Ultimately, the exhibition is a celebration of overcoming these challenges, and how as individuals and collectively we will advance together."

Funded through the Australia Post Community Grants Program, the exhibition will feature ten local artists, Brentyn Lugnan, Sally Hook, Sarah Wade, Denise Delaney Villi Berkhof-Ober, Pam Levy, Georgia Baker, Julie Nash, Nick Warfield and Paul Miller.

Paul is performing a dual role for the exhibition, as both an artist and the gallery coordinator, but the long time art teacher says there is one thing in particular he is looking forward to seeing.

"Three of the artists are my students and this will be their first exhibition; I'm so excited for them to take this next step and showcase their work to the public," he said. .

"The level of talent in the upcoming exhibition is remarkable; all of the practising artists have already had a great deal of success both in Australia and overseas."

Now that COVID-19 restrictions are starting to ease, Nambucca Valley Phoenix manager Pippa says the business is looking forward to coming back better than ever.

"The Phoenix has stayed true to the name; we have been reborn many times," she said.

"We are hoping the resilience art show is just the beginning, the café is reopening, plus we are holding a variety of art courses; going forward, the plan is to create a community space where people feel welcome to come and spend time.

"We rely heavily on the help of volunteers; anybody interested in working at the Phoenix is welcome to come in; it's a great gig for getting job ready, and for people who may not have worked in a while.

"We also help people with disabilities and long-term unemployment to train in a safe and non-judgemental environment."

Resilience: Advancing People Despite Adversity opens from November 20, with artworks on display from Wednesday to Friday, 10am until 2pm at the Nambucca Valley Phoenix in Bowraville.

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