April 18, 2014
There’ll be no mistaking the location of the Wondai Art Gallery after some hard work this week from a group of gallery volunteers.
The building now features an impressive series of artworks – and a cut-out name sign – across the rear wall of the gallery buildings.
This position is designed to entice people enjoying the new Wondai Village Green to cross the park to visit the gallery.
The artworks were designed by Tingoora artist Robyn Dower and then cut out life-size by gallery patron and former South Burnett mayor David Carter.
The figures – three children, three adults and two dogs – have been cut from hardwood formply and sealed with epoxy to protect them from the weather.
Gallery curator Elaine Madill said it was decided to do the project this way instead of a mural so the figures could be removed from the wall if necessary or if the building itself needed to be repainted.
The figures all represent real people: gallery volunteers “Big Pete”, “Little Pete” and Sue Bradley plus local children Jeremy, Lucy and Francis Hobbs.
And one of the cut-out dogs is very special to Elaine; it depicts a former pet, border collie Bessie, who was 16 when it died a few years ago.
