Exhibition inspires a program of public events

The Making Your Mark workshop invites participants to make their own brushes, paints and pigments from natural materials and then use them to create their own works.

Scenic Rim Regional Council's first exhibition of 2025, Maps & Traces, has inspired a series of workshops and events exploring the importance of trees as enduring symbols of survival and change. 

In conjunction with this free exhibition which runs at The Centre Beaudesert until 17 April 2025, Council is presenting a documentary screening and a workshop with the exhibiting artist. There will also be a gathering focused on developing a residency program combining art, science and nature. 

Scenic Rim's Community, Arts and Culture Portfolio Councillor Kerri Cryer, who launched the exhibition earlier this month, said the program of events had been developed in consultation with the exhibiting artist, Bronwyn Davies. 

On Saturday 1 March, The Giants, the story of environmentalist Bob Brown and his campaign to raise awareness of the need to protect native forests across Australia, will screen as a fundraiser for the Bob Brown Foundation, with tickets just $15 for adults or $10 for concessions. 

The documentary screening will be followed by a tour of the exhibition, with the Tamborine Mountain artist providing an insight into her works which are the result of years of 'art-science-environment' adventures from far north Queensland to Tasmania and South Australia as well as points in between including Mount Barney Lodge and Wild Mountains. 

"Bronwyn Davies' large-scale works explore significant stories of survival and loss and the fragility of landscapes shaped by time, tradition and human intervention," Cr Cryer said.  

"These have been produced on backgrounds including vintage travel and tourist maps overlaid with images from nature to spectacular effect. 

"The exhibition takes us on a journey into Australia's natural history and its complex relationship with the environment, with each piece telling a deeper story." 

Consilience Queensland, a new organisation which aims to explore the intersection between art, science and nature, will gather on Saturday 22 March from 9am to 1pm to discuss the development of a residency program. 

Hosted by Andy Grodecki, it will provide a networking forum for the creative community with a focus on caring for country and climate change action. 

On Saturday 5 April, adults and older teens are invited to join Bronwyn Davies in the Making Your Mark workshop, to make their own brushes, paints and pigments from natural materials and then use them to create their own works. 

Tickets are $70 and include materials. 

For full details of this and the program of public events supporting the Maps & Traces exhibition, visit the creativescenicrim.com website. 

"Maps & Traces is a thought-provoking exhibition that weaves together history, memory, and the environment," Cr Cryer said. 

"By giving voice to the landscapes she has traversed, the artist invites viewers to consider the enduring power of trees and the stories that have unfolded beneath their ancient boughs. 

"The exhibition workshops are a wonderful opportunity for members of the community to join the Maps & Traces creative journey."