Home for wildlife art receives a boost
Not too far from the rugged grandeur of the Grampians, and just beyond the busy adventure hub of Halls Gap in Victoria, lies a peaceful 16ha fenced enclosure. Most of the time it’s a safe haven for birds and mammals that seek shelter amid its burgeoning green canopy and drink from its natural wetlands. But every so often this tranquil scene is transformed into a busy worksite, teeming with energetic volunteers in hi-vis vests, hard hats and gumboots, wielding an array of gardening tools.
They’ll descend for a weekend of planting, weeding and other hard yakka that they’ll carry out with unbridled enthusiasm and cheer, come rain or shine. It’s an exemplar of how a shared vision can unite a diverse and widespread community and galvanise them into action – whether that’s wielding a shovel or doggedly raising funds for more than a decade. The vision at the heart of this collective effort is the creation of the Wildlife Art Museum of Australia (WAMA), which is solely dedicated to nature and those who have expressed its beauty, complexity and fragility through art. Its leader is WAMA patron Glenda Lewin.
Australian Geographic is firmly on the cheer squad of WAMA. Natural history and scientific illustration
have played a pivotal role in the way this magazine has told its stories and communicated complex information since Banjo the platypus adorned the cover of our launch edition in 1986. We continue to commission artists such as Matilda Bishop (A Kimberley cornucopia) to help inform and enchant with their artistic gifts, and in 2022 we donated our entire collection of technical illustrations, stretching all the way back to 1986, to the nascent museum.
Also in 2022, WAMA received news of a $6.75 million Victorian state government grant that will contribute significantly to the museum’s central feature: a state-of-the-art, climate-controlled art gallery with cafe, shop and a conference centre set within the site, which will also feature car parking and boardwalks. Glenda is thrilled with the funding and believes its timing is critical as the region increases in popularity with both domestic and overseas visitors.
“WAMA will offer a unique cultural destination by exploring the deep connections between the natural environment and art and there isn’t anything else quite like it within Australia,” Glenda says. “We believe WAMA will be an internationally recognised tourist destination.”
The gallery will hold major exhibitions of art inspired by the natural environment, borrowing from leading galleries and collections in Australia and internationally. It also acquires new art for its permanent collection. One way it does this is via its biennial WAMA Art Prize. This competition is judged by a panel of well-known members of the Victorian art industry, including a member of WAMA’s Art Advisory Council, and the finalists are displayed in an online exhibition on WAMA’s website.
The work that wins the $15,000 first prize will join the collection. The 2023 competition opened on 1 April and closes on 19 May. The winners and the online exhibition will be announced in August.
Visit the website to enter, or to enjoy the 2021 finalists, among them Janet Matthews’s Just Flying Through, and Amanda Blake-Sutterby’s Cape Gooseberry, 2021, the People’s Choice Award winner, both pictured within this article.
