By John Longhurst

Twenty local artists have used a range of mediums ranging from paintings, photography, sculptures, steelworks and all the way through to macrame to explore the human impacts on the Earth in a stunning exhibition at the Bay Pavilions in Batemans Bay.

The works belong to the Artists for the Earth Eurobodalla which was formed in 2023 and it is the second exhibition of the group.

More than 60 people attended the opening last Saturday and were entertained by the Mogendoura Swing Ensemble.

The exhibition was organised by Batehaven artist, Ms Clare Knight, and was opened by fauna ecologist and contributing artist, Ms Kylie Alicia, who spoke on behalf of all the artists.

Ms Jane Elek from the Nature Coast Marine Group also spoke. Jane highlighted the health of the ocean and the often overlooked fact it is as important as forests in converting carbon dioxide to oxygen.

Clare said “The purpose of the exhibition is to inspire artists to be creative for a cause. Art is creative and being creative for awareness and positive change is what this exhibition is all about. All the artists involved care deeply about a healthy Earth.”

The artworks explore deforestation, pollution, over consumption and factory farming of land and sea animals and appeal to emotions ranging from despair and confronting through to hope.

Clare Knight’s opening work, ‘A Superhero for the Planet’ uses acrylic paints on curtain, body paint, photograph and reused frame to set the tone the tone of the exhibition. The artist uses body paint to pose as a superhero to blend into a painting of the Earth. The work is also interactive and invites the public to paste comments.

A range of mediums are then used by the artists to explore topics and issues.

Artist Ruth Halverson’s contribution ‘Slave Chocolate’ is particularly confronting. Her chocolate and ceramic sculpture shines a light on the 2.1 million children living in slavery on cocoa farms on the Ivory Coast. It calls on the public to question the source of their chocolates as we head towards Easter.

The closing work by Artist Sophie Culic uses acrylic on canvas in her work ‘Feelingly’.

Commenting on her work Sophie said “I witness the father of my baby daughter, caring for her as she exists oblivious to the distresses on Earth.”

Sophie’s final comments capture a shared hope of the artists, ‘Whilst there are so many extreme and confronting challenges, it is up to us to help create a better world for the future.”

Art enthusiast, Ms Sofia Keady, praised the exhibition.

Sofia said “The Human + Earth art exhibition presented by the Artists for the Earth Eurobodalla harnessed the power of art to raise awareness and amplify messages of hope, protection, and respect for Earth. It is truly a great platform to engage the community in reflecting on environmental issues, and to promote positive actions for its preservation. One artwork that stood out was ‘Kelp Us’ by Ruth Halverson. Ruth painted a beautiful underwater forest of kelp and included some fun facts about this alga. Kelp apparently can grow up to 60 cm in a day! It can be used to create eco-friendly clothing and as construction material for building sustainable houses.”

In closing comments at the opening last Saturday, both Kylie Alicia and Clare Knight reinforced the major goal of the exhibition is to empower and inspire the community to make changes in their own lives.

The exhibition is entirely self-funded by the Artists for the Earth Eurobodalla and is at the Bay Pavilions until the 31st March.