ABOUT THE WATERSHED LAND ART PROJECT
The creation of a botanical artwork featuring agricultural species at the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens, accompanied by workshops and events.
Project Duration: 2018-19.
The purpose of this artwork is to:
- Create a striking visual art installation for the MRBG, attracting diverse audiences;
- Demonstrate principles of Regenerative Agriculture (RA);
- Show how RA principles can be applied within industrial agricultural operations, particularly sugarcane farming;
- Catalyse improved environmental management practices in the catchment of the Great Barrier Reef;
- Celebrate the contribution of the Australian South Sea Islander (ASSI) communities in the sugarcane industry in Queensland;
- Bring together diverse communities within the Mackay region (farmers, Indigenous people, ASSI community members, scientists, and the general public);
- Generate deeper understanding of the complex roles played by agriculture in the region’s economy, social life and ecology;
- Engage with public education through schools (including with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Reef Guardians program).
Support for Watershed Land Art Project comes from:
- Australia Council for the Arts
- Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens
- Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF)
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA)
- Central Queensland Soil Health Systems (CQSHS)
- Pioneer Catchments and Landcare (PCL)
- Yuwibara descendants and traditional custodians
- Mackay and District Australian South Sea Islander Association (MADASSIA)
- Artspace Mackay
- Australian Research Council
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
View a flyer about the Watershed Land Art Project (May 2018, PDF, 4mb)