The Sunshine Coat is a multi-layered SLOW fashion and photography exhibition that sees the development and presentation of new arts and cultural works directed by Queensland artists Shaye Hardisty and Ketakii Jewson-Brown, with assistance from Nambour organisations and community. The intention of the exhibition is to share visual stories and aesthetics unique to the climate and culture of Naamba/ Nambour through a collection of coats and an accompanying photographic essay. There is a strong focus on sustainable fashion, with the production of the coats utilising materials such as second-hand fabrics, salvaged waste and recycled/ organic cotton.

The exhibition incorporates the research and collection of the deeper and more layered Nambour stories, feelings and memories from the community. These written submissions from an online survey will inform, inspire and become part of the coat designs, as well as create an important aspect of the final exhibition. This exhibition directly strengthens the development of skills and provides many new employment, as well as career development, opportunities. It does this through the direct engagement of eleven local, Nambour- loving, artists that will collaborate on one coat each, across their differing mediums. The artists are Jordyn Burnett, Mathilda Muller, Darren Blackman, Nicole Voevodin- Cash, Kirsty Williamson, Ant Gibbs (Silver Wizard), Lee Hardisty, Ben Hines (Humble), Phil Dalton (LuckyPhil), Stuart Cowen (SWAK) and Chris Eccles (colouredtapesmatter).

The exhibition has a deep commitment to creativity and connection within the Nambour community, with partnerships and collaborations inviting consistent opportunities to share skills, contribute to the exhibition and create networks. In the lead-up to the exhibition, we have held informal monthly workshops at varying locations which invited the wider community to creatively engage and make a piece of art that will join to become ‘the community coat’. This is just one of the small ways this exhibition is contributing to growing a pipeline of high-quality arts, cultural products and experiences in the Queensland arts sector, others include creating strong connections between local and national artists and arts workers as well as consistently advocating for and marketing of any arts, cultural and creative experiences in the area and beyond.

The Sunshine Coat is an exhibition that weaves feelings of place, belonging and expression into the fabric of the town, celebrating the uniqueness and diversity of Nambour and paying homage to that, through both fashion and photography in a collaborative and playful way. The exhibition is showing at the Old Ambulance Station Gallery, Naamba in April 2023, coinciding with Fashion Revolution Week, an international movement focused on sustainable fashion and industry change. We will have an Opening Night featuring a local member of our First Nations community to share a Welcome to Country and local musicians.