THIS year, Kondinin has combined its annual Kondinin Art Prize with its Community Garden Twilight Markets as the Red Soil Riches Weekend from October 6-8.
The Twilight Markets, now in their second year, will host special guests, chefs Anna Gare and Sophie Budd to cook up some delicious recipes using produce from the Kondinin community garden and local farms.
Now in its 11th year, the Kondinin art prize attracts a high calibre of artwork across various mediums, including visual and metal sculpture
The Kondinin Artist Group Inc is a local volunteer group which does a wonderful job in organising the annual event, promoting art throughtout the community.
The event is funded by local business sponsorship and the Shire of Kondinin which provides $5000 for the acquisition prize each year.
For the first time, the opening night is Friday, October 6 at the Kondinin Town Hall from 7pm, with the event then open daily from 10am to 4pm from October 7-11.
Kondinin Shire president Allen Smoker said the event had grown every year and the community’s interest in art continued to exceed expectations.
“When the Kondinin Shire first was involved with sponsorship of the Kondinin Art Exhibition no one expected the level of interest in the community for art to grow as it has,” Mr Smoker said.
“The standard of work exhibited in our old country hall is remarkable and always draws comment from those who visit.
“It is a credit to the Kondinin Arts Group that they have always focused towards ‘fine arts’ and the annual exhibition has gained quite a standing on the art calendar.”
With the metal sculpture category as one of the most popular categories for the people’s choice award, the Kondinin Arts Group and the Shire of Kondinin, with funding from Country Arts WA, has engaged acclaimed artist and sculptor Len Zuks to run a week-long welding and sculpture workshop at the Kondinin Men’s Shed in March this year, with the hope of encouraging more local entrants for this category.
This was a great success with 10 sculptures made by locals with material were sourced from scrap metal, salvaged from the Kondinin Waste Transfer Station and local business Middle East Engineering.
The sculptures currently can be seen as you drive past the Men’s Shed and are due to be installed as public art in the Kondinin Sporting Precinct prior to the Red Soil Riches weekend.
Mr Zuks expressed his admiration for the town when he described it as “unusual”.
“In a fraction of the morning, the girls learnt to weld and then built up the confidence to make sculptures,” he said.
“So thank you and congratulations for having the hunger for the skill, the discipline to listen and absorb the long vision, and determination from Ann (Kondinin Arts Group) to have conjured up such a successful result for your gorgeous metropolis.”
From humble beginnings in 2015, the Kondinin Community Garden, former site of the Kondinin Swimming Pool has continued to evolve.
Due to the ongoing contribution from the local community and assistance from the Shire and grants from the State government, the Kondinin community has been able to install garden beds, develop a nature play area, build gabion seating, plant a mixture of veggies, fruit trees, native trees, shrubs, flowers and succulents, engage artists to paint murals and the Noongar six season poles, and hold twilight markets.
The official opening of the garden was in October 2016 at Kondinin’s first twilight markets where the community was fortunate to have garden guru Sabrina Hahn share her gardening tips.
The next event at the community garden is the Twilight Markets on Saturday, October 7, as part of the Red Soil Riches Weekend.
There will be a variety of stalls and food, including local lamb on a spit, beer and wine for sale, activities for kids and live music.
Chefs Anna Gare and Sophie Budd will be holding cooking demonstrations at 3.30pm and 5.30pm.
Entries for the Art Show and applications for stall holders remain open until Monday, September 25.
Given that it’s wildflower season, visitors are encouraged to make a weekend of it.
Perhaps take a drive on the Sunday out to Yeerakine Rock to follow the walk trails to explore the historic rock catchment scheme, learn about the wildflowers and woodlands of the bush reserve, enjoy the views from the summit where you will also see the beautifully carved light horseman statue in recognition of the light horse servicemen from the Kondinin district.
To obtain an application to enter the art show or for a market stall or for more information on the Red Soil Riches Weekend October 6-8, visit the Shire’s website kondinin.wa.gov.au.
