By Juliano Oliveira
A collaborative photo exhibition will portray rural community resilience during the 2019 raging bushfires.
Held at Jamworks, in Glen Aplin, Hope and Growth 2019 Bushfire Photography Exhibition is open to the public from Wednesday to Friday (10 am – 4 pm), Saturday and Sunday (9 am – 4 pm).
The project symbolises the resilient spirit of the rural community through sharing images captured by local residents. It is about a travelling exhibition across the region to commemorate the second anniversary of the event. Pop-up displays will also feature across the region at various locations.
Divided into moments, the pictures display to capture the contrast of a natural event, evoking emotions that go from despair to hope.
“There’ll be more than three exhibitions. We’ve got three confirmed around the Stanthorpe area. I wanted to get another three around the Warwick area,” James Wong, SDRC Community Development Officer, said.
“The event marks the anniversary of the 2019 bushfires – an episode that united the region in fighting the fires and then, following the immediate danger, how the community came together again to move forward with the recovery.”
Around 150 pictures were submitted by the public, allowing the exposition to reach more areas within the region: on 5 November, 33 Maryland Street, Stanthorpe; on 18 November Vincenzo’s Café Thulimbah. Warwick is expected to house the event in December.
“It has been inspiring to see how open and willing our community has been to share its stories and images, and we hope the response to attend this exhibition is just as welcoming,” Mr Wong said.
Mayor Vic Pennisi conducted the opening protocol by thanking the local community and praising the fighting spirit that marked the fires.
Hope and Growth 2019 Bushfire Photography Exhibition is part of a partnership between the Council and Queensland and Australian Governments.
