Saving Toondah: Artists for Moreton Bay

Deb Mostert, Whimbrel 2 2018 apoxiesculpt, wire, foam, timber, paint, found suitcase 50 x 30 x 50 cm

Saving Toondah is an exhibition at Woolloongabba Art Gallery, featuring over 50 artists who have donated their works to raise public awareness of the threat to Toondah Harbour on Brisbane’s Moreton Bay.

Each Artist has donated a piece (some have donated two) and each work will be for sale for a flat price of $150.00. All of the money raised will go to Birdlife Australia for their campaign to protect the wetlands of Toondah Harbour.

Toondah Harbour and our Bay.

Included are some of Brisbane’s most prominent Artists as well as some young emerging artists. Paintings, sculpture, limited edition prints and drawings will feature.

Some of the more established artists are John Honeywill, Stephen Nothling, Ian Smith, Mostyn Bramley-Moore,

Paul Bai and Peter Hudson. Also some exciting young artists including Erin Dunne (winner of The Bayton Award 2019) and Jonathan Kopinski (a keen birdwatcher and painter).

Below is an outline of the exhibition below as well as a bit about some of the featured artists.

Exhibition details:

‘Saving Toondah’ – exhibition details

Venue: Woolloongabba Art Gallery, 613 Stanley St, Woolloongabba Qld 4102

Opening event: Saturday afternoon, 23 November 3pm – 6pm

Exhibition dates: 19 November – 30 November 2019

Contributing Artists include:

Stephen Nothling

In 2016 The Museum of Brisbane held a solo exhibition of Stephens paintings ‘The Last Street in Highgate Hill’; paintings depicting life in inner city Brisbane.

Ian Smith

Ian Smith is a prominent Australian artist living in Brisbane. His work is held in national and international collections including The Metropolitan Museum if Art, New York, National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria and the Queensland Art Gallery.

Mostyn Bramley – Moore

Mostyn is a Brisbane based artist and academic with an impressive international profile. He most recently exhibited in Paris and his work is held in the collection of the Art Gallery of NSW, NGV, NGA, QAG and Art Bank.

Peter Hudson,

Peter is most well known for his portraiture and sensitive landscape depictions of Australia’s landscape.

In 2009 he won the prestigious Sunshine Coast Art Prize. He has been a finalist for the Archibald with his portrait of Paul Kelly and his work is held in many institutional national collections.

Clare Purser

Living on Moreton Bay, the bay and its islands have become the focus and source of Clare’s paintings. She has taken part in art residencies, on Stradbroke Island and Bribie Island. Staying on Stradbroke highlighted the fragility of the islands environment and the damage that’s already happened from sand mining and large scale development.

Megan Forward

Based on Moreton Bay, Megan is a published illustrator, author, artist and teacher passionate about sustainability. She has just finished illustrating her fifth children’s book, using places like the Brisbane native botanical gardens Indigiscapes for inspiration. Her most recent published book ‘Jacaranda Magic’ is the story of five young friends bored on a hot summer’s day, with no toys or gadgets to entertain them, who discover the magic of imagination and outdoor nature play.

Deb Mostert

Known for her many faceted art practice that includes; public art commissions, drawing, installations, painting and teaching. Her work responds to environmental concerns and she is in many collections including the HOTA Gold Coast Art Gallery, Brisbane City Council, Ipswich Art Gallery and Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery.

Wellington Point residents and visitors would be very familiar with Deb’s mural featuring shorebirds on a suitcase.

Some of the donated pieces include:

More information about saving Toondah:

As you may of heard, Toondah Harbour is a significant wetland protected by the Ramsar Convention, an international agreement to protect habitats of endangered species – in this case critically endangered shore birds. Toondah is under threat from the local council and developers who would like to change the boundaries of this Ramsar site to allow a marina and 3,500 apartments to be built.

The wetlands are an important feeding site for around 50,000 shore birds, including migratory birds that stop over from as far away as Siberia and fatten up on the nutrient rich mud flats. The site is also home to dugongs, dolphins, and turtles.

You can find out more about this by watching the excellent Four Corners investigation ‘Extinction Nation’; or read more on ABC’s Background Briefing

For more information about “Saving Toondah” please contact the exhibition coordinator;

Clare Purser
Mobile 0422 288 895
clpurser@hotmail.com
https://www.instagram.com/clarepurserstudio

Further reading

For a detailed account of plans for environmental destruction of wetlands next to Toondah Harbour, read:

Toondah Harbour – the illustrated history

Redlands2030 – 26 October 2019