SKY Country: Stories of the Sky is an immersive, interactive exhibition celebrating First Nations interpretations of the night sky through Gathang language, light, sound, and technology aiming to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous culture within the Gloucester community.
The exhibition held across two venues: Gloucester Gallery and MidTown Gallery, features paintings, weavings, felting, pyrography, and digital designs by Indigenous artists and local school students.
At Gloucester Gallery, the space has been transformed into an iconic Australian backyard at night, complete with a Hills Hoist.
“We all live under the same sky,” said Jamie Coffill, exhibition designer and installer, “and the idea of all the elements in the gallery is to awaken people of all cultures to the fact that we all live under the same night sky, yet there are many different stories in the sky.”
“The exhibition is about building understanding by sharing knowledge. Visitors to the galleries will be able to scan a QR code to access recordings and translations of the Gathang language spoken by members of the Gloucester Aboriginal Community,” explained Charlie Lethbridge, Gloucester Gallery administrator.
“Having the spoken Gathang language as part of the exhibition is a way to build knowledge of the local Aboriginal community and for visitors to learn the words related to the sky stories,” noted Alexis Apfelbaum.
Sky Country is the first time the galleries have worked together.
“I have enjoyed working with Gloucester Gallery for this cultural exhibition,” said Peter Gowans, owner of MidTown Gallery, “working collaboratively in a small town is very important, and I am looking forward to our next project, the Sky Country mural.”
Another highlight of the exhibition is the chance to explore the night sky with Dustin Bradford, who is offering guided telescope viewings and sky observations.
An Indigenous Astronomy Star Wheel will be available for viewers to locate sky figures in the stars based on traditional indigenous knowledge.
The Sky Country Stargazing is a free event and will be held on Wednesday, 24 June and Friday, 25 June from dusk at a location near the Gloucester Gallery.
Sky Country: Stories of the Sky is supported by the MidCoast Council’s MidCoast Community and Cultural Development Program and will run until 12 July.
For more information, go to www.artsgloucester.org.
By Wendy BUSWELL
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