THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 24 #31 Tuesday, January 12, 2010 Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au 21,000 copies every week
G I V I N G 1 . 7 D A M N S P E R D AY
Triumphant revival for Classic Victoria Cosford
And what a triumphant revival it was! After a hiatus of seven years, the Byron Arts Classic – formerly the Easter Arts Classic – has returned to the Byron Community and Cultural Centre, and celebrated its opening night there along with hundreds of people. This community event, originally established in 1982 as a showcase for the region’s artists, attracted 340 entries, all of which had been hung throughout the Centre. Seating had been removed from the main auditorium to create a beautifully presented gallery on two levels of paintings, sculptures, glassworks and photography. In the centre of the ground floor a harpist plucked away sublimely as increasing numbers of people drifted from one artwork to the next. Upstairs, other rooms housed more paintings and a classical guitarist. Organiser Samaya Zakay told The Echo that ‘it’s been absolutely fantastic: there’s professional, emerging and hobby artists who have all put entries in and it all works – they all look fantastic together. It’s a really impressive effort and array, and all the works are amazing!’ In fact the superb curating helped, handled by Samaya herself, felloworganiser Helene Sheehan and Armidale gallery owner Matt Pilkington. General Manager of the Community Centre Paul Spooner said that ‘this is a wonderful collaboration between the artistic community and the Community Centre, supported by volunteers... it’s really great that the Centre is able to facilitate this – let’s see more of them!’ He went on to say that ‘it’s what the Arts Classic is all about: an opportunity for the community to celebrate its creative nature. I’m really blown away by the quality of the work – anyone who walks in here, if they’re not moved they’re dead!’ Sure enough the standard was mostly high. Established artists
Banana waste peeves growers Following news reports of Woolworths rejecting less than perfect bananas, NSW growers say their product is overlooked or severely underpriced due to its size or appearance. Northern NSW grower and board member of the Australian Banana Growers’ Council, Peter Molenaar of Mullumbimby, says NSW growers are constantly battling to get recognition for their fruit which is usually smaller than that from far north Queensland, or doesn’t meet major supermarkets’ rigid specifications. ‘We believe the smaller fruit is in fact more popular with many families as it is better suited to children,’ Mr Molenaar said. ‘As well, many consider that NSW bananas are sweeter as they take longer to grow in subtropical conditions.
Good fruit dumped
Artist Ella Ryan took the youth encouragement award with her work ‘Eve’. Photo Jeff ‘So Realist’ Dawson
such as Katka Adams, Anne Leon, Leigh Arnold, Jan Rae and Hele Ellis shared wall-space with lesser known or novice artists in a visual feast filled with pleasures and surprises. By 6.30pm the queue to get in was stretching back to the street, past the ballooons floating at the entrance to the building. By the time MC Mandy Nolan took to the podium the Centre was packed tightly, rendering movement difficult. Mandy mentioned that it had been ‘exactly ten years since I hosted the Easter Arts Classic in this same location.’ Unfortunately much of her inimitably funny speech was hard to hear due to a faulty microphone, a situation rectified by the time organiser Jan Dawkins took over. Jan spoke about the very great fortune in having ‘three
very experienced judges’ – namely Peter Powditch, Jill Eddington and Melitta Firth (the latter absent on the night.) All the various sponsors were thanked and more speeches made. Eventually the results were announced, as follows: 1st Prize – Painting: Rose McKinley with ‘Swimmer’ 2nd Prize – Painting: Jan Rae with ‘Little Wategos II’ 1st Prize – Photography: Dean Bailey with ‘One of the Girls’ 2nd Prize – Photography: Ian Wilson with ‘Tea Tree Gold’ 1st Prize – Works on Paper: Katka Adams with ‘Do Not Put Each Foot On A Different Boat’ 2nd Prize – Works on Paper: Oksana Waterfall with ‘Body Snap 1’ 1st Prize – Sculpture: Christine
Willcocks with ‘Aqualung’ 2nd Prize – Sculpture: Mirra-Winni Gaze with ‘An Angel of the Lord & a Basket Full of Hope’ Youth Encouragement: Ella Ryan with ‘Eve’ Incentive: Jay Pearse with ‘Dam at Sunset’ Acqusitive: Christine Willcocks with ‘Aqualung’ Organiser and committee member Tess Cullen told The Echo afterwards that ‘I’m absolutely and completely happy with the way it went. ‘The theatre full of people was thriving and alive from front to back – it was just beautiful in its energy with all that art. It was overwhelmingly successful!’ Results of the People’s Choice Award will appear in the next issue of The Echo.
‘We struggle to get a decent wholesale price which our fruit deserves and major supermarkets often dismiss it entirely. Perfectly good fruit from subtropical growers is dumped sometimes when reasonable prices cannot be achieved. ‘We believe that it is time that consumers had greater choice – let them have the choice of smaller fruit or those with blemishes at a different price point. ‘Growers in Carnarvon, WA, have shown it can be done and have successfully marketed smaller “lunchbox” bananas and blemished bananas as “smoothie” bananas. We need to work more closely with retailers to make these kinds of initiatives happen in the east coast markets.’ The grower’s council says that in NSW there is less wastage compared with far northern Queensland as markets and smaller retailers are outlets for other than ‘perfect’ bananas. Bananas are grown in two major areas in NSW – from Stuarts Point to Woolgoolga and from Ballina up to the Queensland border.
enrich your spirit
www.crystalcastle.com.au Open 7 Days 10am-5pm (NSW time) 81 Monet Drive, Mullumbimby 40 mins from Tweed Heads 20 mins from Byron Bay (02) 6684 3111
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