Art show set to shine
The Drouin Ficifolia Festival Art Show will again be one of the biggest attractions on the festival program when it kicks off on Thursday.
Commending in 1988 in the Drouin Badminton Hall, the show was then moved to the Masonic Hall to be a part of the Ficifolia Festival for the first time. However, the show continued to grow and was again moved, this time to the Drouin Primary School in 1990.
It became a fundraiser for the primary school, before in 2008, moving on again. Now, the art show has grown into one of the biggest and best rural shows around, with local artists alongside artists from afar entering their many works.
The event is run by the Baw Baw Arts Alliance and has moved to the Drouin Football Club this year, allowing the art to be on display for 10 days, rather than just the three days over the weekend which organiser Helen Timbury said gives many more people a chance to see the display.
“We decided that three days over a weekend wasn’t enough, so the footy club kindly allowed us to use the space available and we were able to stretch it to 10 days to give as many people as possible a chance to view the displays,” she said.
She added that the event is one that gives many the opportunity to showcase their various artistic talents.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re in water colours, pastel, pencil, people are able to enter into any medium and be able to win some of the great prizes on offer,” she said.
There are many categories on show, with the main prize being $2000 to the winner of the best exhibit on show. The best work in any medium from a Baw Baw Shire member winner will go home with $1000.
Throughout the 10 days, many different demonstrations will also be taking place, including a new event, the creative frenzy.
Combining creativeness with craziness, the frenzy challenges artists to create a piece fitting a theme in just two hours. This gives the audience on hand a chance to see the skill on display across many different mediums. The finished pieces will them be auctioned off in a silent auction during the art show.
The art show will begin on Thursday and run through until Saturday the February 16. The display will be open from 10am-4pm daily.