EXHIBITION – ARBOREAL NARRATIVES, 2022

This exhibition honours trees and acknowledges their value across cultures through the work of two First Nation artists, Blak Douglas and Badger Bates, and 10 artists from the Tree Veneration Society.

Tree Veneration Society artists: Amanda Farquharson,  Hobart Hughes, Jean Bourke, Jude Fowler-Smith, Kassandra Bossell, Liz Perfect,  Louise Fowler-Smith, Miho Watanabe, Paula Broom, Rachel Carroll

The Tree Veneration Society is a contemporary eco-arts collective with a focus on trees, their ecosystems and human interactions with them.

When: 16 July – 27 August
Where: Bankstown Arts Centre
Cost: FREE
Website: Bankstown City Council

2. ARBOREAL NARRATIVES TREE FORUM

Saturday 20 August 1 – 2:30pm

Guest Speakers:

  • Costa Georgiadis – From Gardening Australia
  • Sebastian Pfautsch – A scientist from the Uni of Western Sydney will talk about the importance of Trees and the Heat Island Effect in Western Sydney
  • My Le Thi – A local Vietnamese artist with a focus on Trees
  • Louise Fowler-Smith – On Sacred Trees in India and how perception contributes to a tree’s protection.
  • Dean Kelly – An indigenous community liaison officer with National Parks and Wildlife

3. JUNGLE JAM
  • Jungle Jam on the streets of Bankstown

A huge thank you to @bankstownartscentre for including @treevenerationsociety in the wonderful Jungle Jam activities. We had our talented resident artist and photographer @mihowannabe there recording the day’s amazing activities including the Jungle Jam Parade through the streets of Bankstown with the incredible Costa Georgiadis. These photos show the parade and finish with our chaotic but fun maypole dance. A few of our talented artists used their considerable skills to make the bird heads, headdresses and other costumes you see here on display so a big thankyou to them @sally.joy.reinhardt @bright.n.idiotic @adrienne_hunt_sydney @amandala92 and more.

4. ART WORKSHOPS
  • Tree Warriors Workshop

TREE WARRIOR WORKSHOP

  • Join artist Sally Reinhardt in making your very own tree warrior pendants, armlets and headbands using found tree bark, vines, leaves, and gumnuts!
  • When: August 6, 1 – 2.30pm
  • Cost: $5 per participant

TREE CREATURES WORKSHOP

  • Workshop with Amanda Farquarson. Using found natural elements like leaves and seed pods, participants will create a personal Tree ‘creature’ or talisman with artist Amanda Farquharson.
  • Ages: all ages (parental supervision for under 12s)
  • When: Wednesday, 13 July, 10am – noon
  • Cost: FREE

WISHING TREE WORKSHOP

  • Workshop with Kassandra Bossell. Learn the skills of mono-printing on brightly coloured fabric, creating flags that will be hung around the art centres fig trees.
  • Ages: 8 – 16 years (parental supervision for under 12s)
  • Dates: Saturday 9 July, 10am – noon, 1pm – 3pm
  • Cost: FREE

TREE RUBBINGS & LOTUS FLOWER BOOK WORKSHOP

  • Join @treevenerationsociety artist @lizperfect.art for this free workshop as part of Jungle Jam, celebrating trees at Bankstown Arts Centre. You are invited to come and take rubbings from the trees to make an imaginary landscape by drawing into the patterns you find. You will also be able to make your own foldable lotus flower book by using a mixture of tree textures you have drawn.
  • Dates: Saturday 20 August, 1pm – 3pm
  • Cost: FREE