By Laura Brearley
 
IN THE heart of Bass Coast, we find the ArtSpace Gallery in Wonthaggi. It is a place where community members gather and connect through a shared love of art and art-making. The edges of ArtSpace are expansive and it welcomes in fresh ways of experiencing the world through multiple ways of knowing.
 
Over the years, I have witnessed the ways in which ArtSpace brings together Art, Science and Culture, in an interweaving of creative practice, ecological awareness and First Nations’ wisdom. It hosts Bass Coast Reconciliation Network’s annual NAIDOC exhibitions and showcases the work of First Nations artists living in Gippsland.  It has also hosted a number of exhibitions and activities from Phillip Island Conservation Society’s Eco Arts projects ‘For Our Future’ and ‘Across the Waters’. ​

By Laura Brearley
 
‘IT’S much worse than we think, and sooner’ writes poet Ross Gay in his poem ‘Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude’. He fully celebrates the delights of life and recognises the importance of gratitude, acknowledging all the while that our joys are inseparable from our sorrows.

In the aftermath of the community concert and parade which celebrated the opening of Berninneit, our new cultural centre, I too have some big thanks to say. ​Here they are … 

By Laura Brearley
 
THERE was a moment last week that I suspect will stay with me forever. It was a moment of pure delight and inspiration. We were at the Bass Coast Children’s Centre singing with the kinder kids and had just finished singing Hail the Whale together …
“Love those whales waving their tails         
Splishin’ and a-splash’n in the deep blue sea …”

​The last chord had hardly faded when a little girl, beaming in the front row, said “Again!”
Open, direct and ready. And so we sang it again.

By Laura Brearley
 
KARA Redmond, Sunny Lynch and Kate Harmon have all made unique contributions to the Bass Coast Adult Learning ’Exploring Art’ class.  All three are strong visual artists and gifted wordsmiths. 

Over the past term, students have been guided by guest artists as they make works of art and write poetry for local exhibitions and for sending overseas within a Creative Message Exchange taking place between artists, children and First Nation Elders.

The power and quality of the creative work that has been produced by all of the participants has been a privilege to witness. Their work is on display at BCAL over July and August. 

By Laura Brearley

WORLD Environment Day is happening this Sunday. It’s the day the United Nations established 50 years ago and this year they have returned to their original theme, ‘Only One Earth’. The 2022 campaign is calling on us to celebrate the planet through collective environmental action.

There is a lot of collective environmental action happening right now in our Bass Coast community. People are coming together in multiple ways through different networks. Alliances are forming and critical connections are being made. People are sharing knowledge and pooling their expertise, creating collaborative communities with an ecological focus. ​

​More than 200 locals showed their support for the campaign to Save the Western Port Woodlands with an afternoon of wine, art and song at the Gurdies winery last Sunday. 

The weather gods smiled and two wedge-tailed eagles cruised above a great line-up of talent: Kutcha Edwards, Doc White, Laura Brearley and Friends, Rosie Westbrook, Bass Coast Pickers and the SB Bandibeats.

All musicians gave of their time and talents generously to support the campaign to preserve the woodlands from a surge in sand mining. Men at Work frontman Colin Hay and friends sent a special recording of the Oz classic Down Under in support.

The concert was followed by an art auction conducted by former Bass Coast Mayor Brett Tessari, who used his experience in real estate to extract maximum bids from the audience.

Twenty-two works were sold for a total of $7485, with $4235 to go to Save the Western Port Woodlands. 

Thanks to Bass Coast Shire Council for supporting Save Western Port Woodlands with a community grant used to buy campaign t-shirts, brochures, car stickers and advertising.

By Dr Laura Brearley
 
TERRY and I have been walking and filming in the coastal woodlands over the last couple of weeks. We’ve also been spending time with singing and ukulele groups who have been learning the song ‘Are You Listening?’ for the outro of a film we are making about the precious Western Port woodlands, currently at risk from sandmining expansion.
 
We have been inspired by the community’s willingness to come together and raise their voices in this way. This week, we have worked with two of Mandy Farr’s local ukulele groups, one at the Warrawee Senior Citizens Club in Inverloch and another at the Wonthaggi Neighbourhood Centre. There we were joined by members of the Bass Coast Post community and the Gippsland Singers Network.

By Laura Brearley
 
XANTHORRHOEA is the botanical name for Grass Tree. The name comes from the Greek word Xanthos, meaning ‘to flow’. The name was inspired by the sap that flows from the stem of the Grass Tree.
 
It’s been a week full of flow. Tears of loss and outrage have flowed in the community for the lack of care shown to hundreds of Grass Trees in Grantville, removed to make way for the expansion of a sandmine. Community members who saw them last weekend, said that many of the uprooted Grass Trees were dead or dying from the recent hot weather we have had.
 
Some of the Grass Trees were over 200 years old and pre-dated colonisation. They were beautiful and a significant part of a living and ancient eco-system. We are all diminished by their removal and subsequent loss.