The heavy rain was entirely appropriate as the River of Art festival launched with the Art2O exhibition, at the Bodalla Hall, before festival goers ventured north on a slippery highway to party at the Watefront Hotel in Moruya.
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The Art20 exhibition was a competition run by the Eurobodalla Shire Council to attract works which celebrated water-saving. The overall winner was Carmel Cox’s mixed media Every Precious Drop. Tilly Shorter and Lachlan Callender took out the Under 12 and Open Photo categories respectively.
It wasn’t only the old hands keeping dry in the hall. Aspiring artist Elaine Caroline was there; to support friends and seek inspiration.
“It is such a fabulous art community down here,” Ms Caroline said.
“Some of the works are right up there – they’re international standard.”
Ms Caroline is currently being taught watercolour by one of this year’s entrants, Adrienne Conway, who entered her Pure, Clean, Precious in the competition.
“I hope to give it a go next year,” Ms Caroline said.
During the evening, speeches by attending worthies were interspersed by performances by Clive Dorien, the Djaadjawan Dancer and Barny Barnbrook, before all and sundry hit the highway to Moruya, to party into the night with Ironic Circus and 1996 at the Waterfront Hotel.
