With a focus on heritage homelife, come along and meet:
Wool, wheat, & fibre weavers:
Basketweaver – Basketry artist Julia Kitto combines nature’s inspiration, imagination and the beauty of raw plant fibre with traditional basketry techniques. Her woven works are mainly created from locally sourced plant life such as lomandra, philodendron, cordyline, palms, cats claw, jacaranda, agapanthus, lilies, banana, flax and more, creating and playing with a wonderful mix of fibres and natural dyes. Julia is an award-winning artist who enjoys sharing her craft through tutoring, exhibiting and also commissions Australia-wide.
www.facebook.com/Juila.kitto.9
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Corn Dolly Making (Wheat Plaiting) – The art of Corn Dolly making goes back thousands of years, when it was thought that a “Spirit of Fertility” lived in, and protected the cornfields. To preserve this spirit at harvest time, and ensure the success of next year’s harvest, a corn dolly was made for the spirit to take refuge in over the winter months. Today, it is nearly a forgotten art.
Accomplished craftswoman, Shona, taught herself this ancient craft, also known as Wheat Plaiting, while living on a wheat farm in the 70s… all her materials were right at her door!
Over the years, she mastered a variety of techniques, including checkerboarding, twining and rope-making, and now is in great demand as a tutor and demonstrator. Her achievements include repeated guest appearances at a number of Bribane’s Chelsea Flower Shows, and a guest spot on a Channel 10 documentary.
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Spinners & Weavers – Ros Evans, the Foxy Felter, is a keen spinner and weaver, using wools from her own alpacas raised by hand on her Gympie property. Interesting mixes of wools create lovely soft weavings, like the scarf pictured below made from alpaca and bamboo.
www.facebook.com/Gympie-Spinners-Weavers-and-Crafters
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Felter – Belle began her artistic journey as a painter. In 2006, she attended a workshop on handmade felting – for her, it was an epiphany. “I could see from the workshop that I could work in 2-D or 3-D formats. That I could play with colour, with texture, with form. So I began to play.”
Since then, Belle has continued to learn and experiment with felting techniques and fabric dyeing. Taking inspiration from her surroundings, Belle now creates masterful 3D felted pieces. “I draw very much on nature. My garden, which more often than not is a jungle. The surrounding bushland, the tree bark, leaves, birds, insects, rocks. It’s all fascinating.”
While not demonstrating onsite this time, Belle has a stunning display in the Pavilion – don’t miss it!
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Meet the makers of heritage arts:
Ceramicists – Ceramicist Kay Wright has a passion for experimenting in alternative-firing techniques, using locally sourced organic matter – gum leaves, bark, fruit peel, sawdust, banana tree leaves, hay, feathers, seaweed, macadamia nut shells, egg shells, pandanus fruit, palm leaves, anything that she find lying on the ground on her Lake Weyba property – mixed with minerals and oxides in the firing process, The serendipitous nature and uncertainty of this process means the results are often unpredictable, sometimes surprising but always unique.
While inspired with saggar firings, she finds the process of Raku firing equally as exciting, unpredictable and dynamic – not knowing what the outcome will be drives her to keep going with her craft.
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Lacemakers – with it’s exact origin in dispute, historians at least agree that the late 16th century marked a rapid development in lacemaking, when lace came into it’s own, dominating trendes in both fashion and home decor. The Fraser Coast Lacemakers will be exhibiting and demonstrating this exquisite art form all weekend in the Pavilion.
Ahhh – the brewers and distillers!
The Spirit Collective – Gin and juniper-based spirits have been around since the sixteenth century. Since then, gin production has evolved into many different styles.
With the aim of sharing a passion for spirits The Spirit Collective was founded in 2020 in Hervey Bay, the Fraser Coast’s first artisan spirit distillery. Showcasing the many flavours of the region, their range of gins are packed with flavours of locally sourced botanicals as well as juniper, anise and cinnamon… don’t miss the opportunity to say g’day to The Spirit Collective team at the event, and taste one of their gins (Gin#1 Origin or Gin#2 Raspberry), sample their flagship Rum#1 Old Grog (which has been rounded off in ex-Bourbon American Oak barrels) or the award-winning Rum#2 Old Grog Spiced!
https://www.spiritcollective.com.au
Amrita Park Meadery – Mead has own it’s own distinct category, somewhere between beer and wine. Like craft beer, this age-old beverage, dating back to around 7000BC, is versatile and can be flavoured with fruits, spices, grains, vegetables – mead makers can really get creative and experimental!
Maker Andy continues a long family tradition of quality boutique mead making. With his partner, Nicola, he has created Amrita Park Meadery, located in Pomona in the Noosa Hinterland – Queensland’s first Meadery, Cellar door and tasting room. They are strong believers of the benefits of Mead and together, they are in the forefront of Australian Mead Makers.
Amrita Park Mead flavours include Avocado Honey, sweet Caramelised Banana, spiced Citrus & Chai, Ginger & Lime, Passionfruit, Semi Sweet Jaboticaba, Semillon Pyment and now, Pink Grapefruit Sparkling Mead…. wow! can’t wait to sample one or three at the event!
Craft Beer Open Door
DISCOVER – EXPERIENCE – ENJOY!
While onsite, take a moment for some R&R – and discover, experience and enjoy new flavours in the age-old craft of brewing at the Craft Beer Open Door, a celebration of craft beer diversity and creativity.
With tasting paddles, tasting notes and a range of quality craft brews to try – from gentle to WOW! – the event caters to both the already-devoted lovers of craft brews and those who are curious and want to discover a different style of beer enjoyment.
With profits going to Little Haven Palliative Care, why not join us for some great camaraderie in a convivial atmosphere and enjoy sampling, tasting and discovering some interesting beer alternatives. Come on in!
This project received funding assistance from the Gympie Regional Council’s Community Grants Program 2022/2023