January 26, 2016
By the time Australia Day rolls around next year, Blackbutt’s Memorial Hall should be relocated to a new home near the Blackbutt Showgrounds.
The hall is being moved so a supermarket can be built on its current site.
While most Blackbutt residents say they want a modern supermarket in the town, a few are still upset the hall needs to be moved to get it built.
Blackbutt artist Janet Skinner believes she may have come up with an answer that could please both schools of thought.
For the last six weeks, she has been working on a large oil painting showing the hall in situ, and it’s almost complete.
“The painting features not only the Memorial Hall, but eleven people going about their everyday lives,” Janet said.
“Everyone in the painting posed for me – they’re all Blackbutt residents – and I’ve also included their canine friends and a horse.”
Janet said consensus about the hall’s relocation had caused a lot of discussion in town.
“In my painting I’ve tried to subtly address both sides of the argument,” Janet said.
“The uppermost portion of the painting portrays the Hall in a positive and happy light. But the wet road in the foreground symbolises the tears shed by some about its removal.”
Janet said the painting had been very well received by everyone who’s watched its progress.
So much that she’s decided to share it by creating an A4 limited edition print of the painting when it’s finished.
“The prints will be hand-signed and numbered, and available for $25,” Janet said.
“People can reserve a print by phoning 0438-123-993 or they can visit my gallery at 38 Coulson Street, which is open on weekends.”
During the Hall’s removal, Janet intends to sketch a series of pen and ink washes from real life to record the removal process.
“Later I also plan to sketch the Hall’s resurrection in its new location, and then the supermarket development in Coulson Street, so we have a record of the entire process in art.”
Related articles:
- Blackbutt Supermarket Still On Schedule For Mid-2016
- Supermarket Dream Coming True
- Blackbutt Gets Its Supermarket
- Blackbutt Supermarket Still Progressing
- Supermarket Developer Could Be Known Mid-May
- Two Bids To Build Supermarket
- Blackbutt Supermarket One Step Closer
- Campaign Backs Woolies For Blackbutt
- Blackbutt Votes Yes To Supermarket
- Public Meeting To Discuss Supermarket
