Grassroots movement grows A Garden of Possibility

See textiles from a new perspective and explore the wonderful world of upcycling in which everything old is new again at Scenic Rim Regional Council's first exhibition of 2024, A Garden of Possibility - Repurpose, Renew, Reimagine. 

Opening on Saturday 10 February and running until 27 April at The Centre Beaudesert, the exhibition includes a sculptural installation created entirely by members of the Scenic Rim community and encourages the reuse of materials which might otherwise be consigned to landfill. 

Scenic Rim Arts Reference Group Chair Cr Michael Enright, who will officially open the exhibition on Saturday 17 February, said A Garden of Possibility combined environmental awareness with creative expression. 

"As a community we have become acutely aware of our ‘waste footprint’ on the world and this exhibition offers an opportunity to build on that awareness of our shared environmental responsibility," he said. 

"This exhibition invites us all to explore the possibilities of how we, as a community, can reduce our reliance on landfill through the reuse of materials and textiles and bring new life and purpose through creativity to what is often discarded by repurposing, renewing and reimagining. 

"Reimagining the possibilities for what we all discard every day as beautiful, interesting, and potentially useful things inspires our shared vision for a better world, globally and locally." 

A Garden of Possibility features hand-crafted pieces by members of the Southside Upcycling Stitchers group, which has become part of the social fabric of the Logan community through regular get-togethers and creating unique works of art made entirely of repurposed materials. 

Dedicated to upcycling and reusing materials to create ‘new’ wearable clothing and other items, the group was formed in 2018 following a workshop with Jane Milburn, author of Slow Clothing. 

Together with artist Therese Flynn-Clarke, who has previously exhibited at The Centre Beaudesert, she will be a guest speaker at the free launch event on 17 February. 

The launch includes a 'come and try' session, hosted by Southside Upcycling Stitchers members, in which participants can create their own upcycled textile button brooch. 

As a feature of the exhibition, the sculptural installation by members of the Scenic Rim community was created in a series of artist-led workshops in 2023 transforming textiles and other materials destined for landfill into items that might be found in a garden. 

These workshops were funded through the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF), a partnership between the Queensland Government and Scenic Rim Regional Council, to support local arts and culture in Regional Queensland. 

A RADF grant has also supported a Tiny Birds workshop with textile artist Shannon Hunter on Saturday 2 March which will see scraps of fabric transformed into small, free-standing birds. 

"The workshop is just $5 per person and includes a pattern and instruction sheet to take home to make more birds as you won't want to stop at just one," Cr Enright said. 

The exhibition launch on 17 February is open to everyone but bookings are required and can be made online via liveatthecentre.com.au or through The Centre box office. 

For more information: Live at the Centre: Exhibitions 2024 Garden Possibility