May 18, 2018
Kingaroy Art Gallery is gearing up for its annual two-month festival of all things crafty … which explains why some colourful yarn-bombing has suddenly appeared outside the gallery in Haly Street.
Volunteers have been decorating trees and signs this week with knitted pieces, pom poms, and just about anything colourful they can lay their hands on.
The gallery is hosting the massive “Queensland Winter Craft Festival” from June 1 to July 30.
Visitors will be able to take part in craft workshops, watch demonstrations, browse displays and enjoy “make and take” activities.
It will be two months of “celebrating the art of craft”.
The festival will be officially opened at 11:00am on Saturday, June 2, by South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell.
There will be craft stalls, stash shops and workshop demonstrations plus a textile arts exhibition by Tangled Threads 18 – a group that makes artworks using fibre, yarn and fabric – and the Alpaca Collective, who will be presenting a collection of wearable art made from alpaca wool which has been hand-carded and hand-spun and then knitted, woven or felted.
Kingaroy artist and teddy bear maker Cherry Carroll will be leading a teddy bear workshop all day (pre-bookings are necessary).
Over the rest of the two months, displays and activities will include “Rimfire Revisited” by Yidding Artists, paper tole, scrapbooking, spinning and weaving.
Jumping Ant Arts will be offering a selection of crafts and art activities from June 3-8, including print making and kudasama (origami-style flowers). The group will also be hosting an Open Day in the 1913 Chambers on June 6, with a free morning tea supplied.
Other highlights during the festival will include demonstrations by the Red Earth Ruggers who will be showing Old English Hooking, Scandinavian Naal binding and Waldoboro rug-making.
The Monday Artists group is inviting South Burnett residents to “come paint with us” from 9:30am to 12:30pm on June 11 and July 12.
Participants should BYO paint, canvas and brushes.
CROW-FM drivetime announcer Sharnae “Shaz” Birkett will be displaying her artistic skills on June 16-17 with a display of mixed media works.
QCWA members will be exhibiting and demonstrating handcrafts and fine arts at the gallery from June 18-22.
Then there’s a dichroic glass workshop (the results are stunning!), pyrography, a Nutty Knitterts Knit-In, jewellery making, patchwork workshops, leadlighting, ribbon embroidery … and much, much more.
Bookings are advised for the workshops as places are limited, but everyone is invited to come along to the “make and take” activities and demonstrations.
- Download the full program of activities (1Mb PDF)
