Eco- Art Outings in the Great Southern with Caroline Narkle - In the Footsteps of Bella Kelly, celebrated Noongar Artist

Green Skills in collaboration with Oyster Harbour Catchment Group and Gondwana Link, working with Mt Barker Noongar Elders, Caroline Narkle, Frank Krakouer and their family, local artists, and with the support of local farmers, plan to run a program of 3 Eco-Art Day outings between October 2023 and January 2024 and follow-up public exhibitions.

The outings will provide an opportunity for the broader community to join in visits to locations around Mt Barker to and participate in outdoor landscape painting with Caroline and members of her family.

Caroline Narkle is a daughter of celebrated Noongar artist, Bella Kelly (1915 – 1994). Information about Bella Kelly is viewable at http://www.bellakelly.com.au/introduction.html Bella Kelly was closely associated with the famous Carrolup movement of Noongar Landscape art. Some info on this at https://japingkaaboriginalart.com/articles/carrolup-school/ and https://www.carrolup.info/tag/noongar/

Caroline is an accomplished artist in her own right and paints in the Carrolup style of landscape art.

It is a privilege to have Caroline agree to come out on Boodja and paint. The outings will also benefit from the participation of printmaker and art educator, Nikki Green (Great Southern TAFE Art lecturer and member of the Denmark Butterfactory Art Gallery - https://www.nikkigreen.com.au/ as well as south coast eco-fabric artist, Jenny Wilson.

Locations for the art outings include the family farm of Heather and Mark Adams, on Woogenellup North Road, the Goodies Family farm near Kendenup, and the Tootanellup rural property near Frankland.

The outings provide an opportunity for a relaxed, educational setting for yarning, sharing and creativity. Outings are likely to be scheduled between about 9 and 4pm on a Saturday, between November 2023 and March 2024. Green Skills will invite participating artists to have work created during the outings to be exhibited in locations in the Great Southern.

Green Skills has now organised with the Mt Barker Visitor Centre to have a two-month exhibition of works from these outings from February through to April 2024. This will include a prominent opening event.

It is planned to take this exhibit to other towns in the Great Southern in late 2024- towns linked to farming communities which includes Cranbrook, Denmark, and Albany.

COST per participant: $35 per session

BRING along own art materials and packed lunch

LOCATION (subject to modification) Each day will be based on at a location on a local rural farm or property which has both cultural and environmental significance.

Saturday 28 October 2023. Meet at Mt Barker Visitor Centre car park at 8am and travel to farm of Heather and Mark Adams, off North Woogenellup Road. Views of Stirling Ranges/Koi Kyenunu-ruff.
Saturday 25 November 2023 Meet at Mt Barker Visitor Centre car park at 8.30am and travel to Tootanellup, North Perillup Road. Eco-restoration plantings, wetlands, woodland
Saturday 13 January 2023 Meet at Mt Barker Visitor Centre at 8.30am and travel to the Saggers/Goodies Farms, on Red Gum Pass Road, Kendenup. Views of Stirling Ranges/Koi Kyenunu-ruff.

Please note that transport is not provided. Carpooling is encouraged.
To register, please contact Basil Schur, Green Skills, 0429481019 bschur@greenskills.org.au