Ten Years of Tall Trees in Cooran
In 2010 a small group of creatively-minded friends came together to exhibit their artwork in Cooran. They called their exhibition event Tall Trees and invited the entire town.
Over the past decade, the much-loved Tall Trees Art Exhibition has gone from strength-to-strength, drawing thousands of visitors to the hinterland town.
More than 130 artists get involved and many local businesses throughout Cooran are temporarily transformed into galleries for the exhibition.
But in 2020, Tall Trees is facing the same challenge as everyone else in the Arts and Entertainment industry: how can we continue to engage with the community during this time of COVID-19 and social distancing?
The answer is an innovative virtual solution that may well become a future fixture.
The Tall Trees online galleries will be lined with several hundred pieces of artwork that have been submitted for this year’s exhibition. Each gallery will be set up to look like a large glasshouse and on entering you can turn around 360 degrees: look up to the sky, down to the floor and around the walls to see the work.
Technology will take nothing away from the experience with the ability to zoom in on the finer details of the work, be they brush strokes, pixels, stitches or wood turning marks; tap the work again
to read the artist’s statement and the dimensions and price of the work.
The exhibition is possible thanks to strong community support, a grant from the Pomona Branch of Bendigo Bank and Noosa Council; and the technical expertise of Steve and Lisa Hill of the MediaPR company who recently relocated from Sydney, bringing with them knowledge and skills in 360-degree photography and web design.
The galleries will be named after locations in Cooran so you can wander up and down the town’s virtual streets from your computer, tablet or phone.
Original music performed by local musicians will also be played in each gallery. Proving that the Cooran community is indeed a creative and collaborative lot!
Tall Trees Art Exhibition
Friday 7 August until
Monday 7 September 2020
Visit www.talltreesart.com for more information or visit the Facebook page.
Access the exhibition via www.talltreesart360.com.au
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Here are just some of the amazing featured artists for Tall Trees 2020:
JASON MAKEIG
Jason has been using glass to create beautiful artwork, primarily in leadlight, for 40 years. He looks for individual stories that resonate with his medium and living in the Noosa hinterland has played a significant part of the evolution of his art. Jason’s work begins with a drawing that over time becomes a design and eventually the finished work. He also works from briefs and collaboration with clients.
ROB ROY
Rob’s work explores the many and varied themes of landscape, meditation, ritual, life and death, joy, beauty, connection, memory and history. His work begins with one photograph that forms the basis of a working composition and then layers or blends it with multiple images. Some of his works contain several images blended together, while others can include 60 layers or more, creating a three-dimensional experience for the viewer.
VICKI BENNET
Vicki Bennet has been drawing for as long as she can remember, developing a fascination for Indigenous faces when she was a child. She’s inspired by the stories behind the faces which is often revealed in the detail in a person’s eyes. Vicki hopes to continue shining a light on the beauty of Indigenous people through her portraits and open a dialogue towards closing the gap.
TIA CARRIGAN
Tia grew up on a sheep property north of Moree NSW, where she painted anything she could get her hands on, covering horse troughs, farm vehicles and the shearing shed in brightly painted flowers. In January 2016 she opened a retail store in the hinterland town of Pomona which combined her art studio with a florist. Tia’s vibrant and colourful artwork features birds and florals with repetitive patterns, bold, strong lines and a sense of movement and freedom.
AMANDA PITT-LYTHGOE
Amanda Pitt-Lythgoe is a Kabi Kabi/Wakka Wakka woman from the Sunshine Coast. Her creative expression reflects what she sees when she is standing on country, and her work has a deep connection with people and spirit. Amanda says the attention to details within the background and other elements including totem animals come to her when the time is right. Tall Trees will be the first exhibition for her stunning paintings.
CINDY VOGELS
Cindy Vogels is a costume designer and artistic director with a difference, venturing into dynamic collaborations the world over. She connects with the artist’s individual story and co-designs customised wardrobes that reflect their style and personality for film clips, live performances and red-carpet moments. Her most notable career moments include creating a millinery masterpiece for Lady Gaga; presenting her handcrafted millinery at London Fashion Week; and more recently the incredible outfits for Regurgitator’s 25-year anniversary tour.
Image by Charmaine Lyons
KATHLEEN HUNT
athleen Hunt believes it’s what we salvage that becomes the most precious. After studying jewellery and small objects, Kathleen’s post graduate studies focused on sustainability. Her art’s practice is based on the concept of waste as resource, using material gleaned from the neighbourhood, while her studio process is based on twisting both materials and meanings.
