Arts Out There: Esperance Wildflower Festival a success
The Esperance Wildflower Festival has been a wonderful success this week, with over 500 visitors of all ages through the door on the first day, many from other parts of Australia, and more than 500 species of Wildflowers on display.
There is still time to visit the Festival with a number of activities happening on Friday and Saturday, including the MegaFLORA parade at 10am on Saturday, with the Esperance Brass Band, Dance Devotion students along with members of the Esperance Theatre Guild who will be showing off the wonderful costumes created by Flora Yetman and Annie Bramble. The People's Choice Awards for the art and writing competitions will be presented at 11am followed by a digital art demonstration in the hall presented by artist in residence Kim Maslin and Caitlyn Edwards in partnership with the Esperance Public Library.
One of the Festival highlights this year have been the Act-Belong-Commit Kaddatji Nyungar Boodja Plants and Culture Sessions delivered to school groups by the Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (ETNTAC) Rangers in partnership with members of the Esperance Wildflower Society.
Engagement from schools this year has been fantastic with a record number of artworks submitted in the Schools Category of the Act-Belong-Commit Esperance Wildflower Festival Art Exhibition and Competition. There is still time cast your votes for your favourite school displays so call into St Andrews Anglican Church before 3pm today. The school with the most votes will win the People's Choice Award, a selection of resources for the school library focussed on the natural environment.
Esperance Senior High School and Esperance Anglican Community School (EACS) art students also contributed banners to the display in the CBD and music students from EACS performed at the Festival.
Some EACS students have also had the opportunity to meet with visiting botanist Dr Neville Marchant. Dr Marchant is presenting a free community presentation tonight at the Anglican Hall at 5pm titled " How our Wildflowers have evolved with Bugs and other Bush Animals". This will be followed with a tasting of locally made Ambrosia created from Esperance honey by new winemaker, Yume .
The MegaFLORA commuting sculptures, including the magnificent Balga (Grass Tree) sculpture in front of the Church, will be on display from 8am-7pm Friday and 8am-5pm on Saturday. Jen Morcombe from Fairymead Soap is offering soap making workshops from 1-2pm on Friday and Saturday (cost is $20 per person) and Jeane Aitchison is running a children's craft activity throughout the day. There are also environmental displays to look at by ETNTAC, South Coast NRM, LEAF, Keep Esperance Beautiful, displays of insect-inspired artwork by the Fire Shed Quilters, Abby Knox and Jeane Aitchison, photography by Scott Fisher and Elodie Goldsmith and DVDs by Riggs Australia.
The Wildlflower Festival Café is open from 9am-4m Friday and Saturday and Juncture Cart & Co will be selling coffee outside on Saturday morning.
The Esperance Wildflower Festival will be open until 5pm on Saturday 28th September. For more information on all these activities and events please visit the Esperance Wildflower Festival website (https://www.esperancewildflowerfestival.com/) or contact Esperance Community Arts on 9072 1158.
You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram, email us (admin@esperancecommunityarts.org.au), or visit us at 67 Dempster street from 10am -2pm Tuesday - Friday. You can also visit our website (http://esperancecommunityarts.org.au/ ) and subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter.