Art poles shape Visual Stories | Readers & Writers Festival
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Markers of time and tale: The Visual Stories competition takes a new shape this year with the Story Poles at Voyager Estate. Photo: Supplied.
A change in venue for this years Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival has led to the creation of a new 3D version of the festivals annual Visual Stories art competition.
The Story Poles are a collection of 25 artistic works created as totem-style pole designs which have been erected in the Voyager Estate gardens.
Local artist Rika Rouw said her entry, They Came to Margs, was a reflection of the history of the regions settlement.
“I was amongst the wave of new settlers, the hippies, surfers and artists who came here in the early 1970s,” she explained. “The title is a pun on, and inspired by Margaret Terrys book, published in 1978, They Came To The Margaret, telling the tales of the pioneer settlers to the region in late 1880s.
“Its a culmination of my 40 years as a local artist, gathering the stories of the old folks round about me. My first works were the old cottages and hotels and dunnies with all the paraphernalia that surrounds the old homesteads, right down to the old rusty Holden and the defunct Fergie tractor.”
Featuring handmade clay figures and an old Jarrah fencepost as a sturdy base, Rouws sculpture is a “labour of love”.
The Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival features discussions with leading literary names. Photo. Daniela Tommasi
“I always had a feeling for the narrative, the untold stories that we all hold within us, which are expressed in small ways in our everyday life; the embroidery on an old doily, the flowers grown in a garden, the love shown to an aging parent.”
As with previous years, the Visual Stories entries will be available for sale at the festival, with the winning entry announced at the festival launch this Friday June 1. The festival will kick off in the grounds of Voyager Estate featuring talks and workshops with authors and literary personalities from around the country.
Festival Director Kerrie Yabsley said the festival had enjoyed record ticket sales to date. “We truly have an incredibly strong and diverse line-up of writers coming to Margaret River for this years festival”, she said.
”We wanted to cater to all ages and interests and I think we have achieved that. Whilst we have sold out of 3 Day and Day Passes, there are still tickets available to most of the individual talks and feature events.”
“The festival is shaping up to be a great celebration of literature and yet another reason for people to visit Australias South West. Margaret River in winter, with books, wine, local produce, top accommodation and Geraldine Brooks – it doesnt get much better than that,” she said.
Tickets are available for purchase at www.mrrwfestival.com, by phone 0478 215 214, or from the Arts Margaret River Office.
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