Sharon Meredith Photography

26/09/2024

Five months ago, we embarked on a creative journey amid the waves and shores that define our beloved coastal haven. This multidimensional art project, designed especially for children and families, explored the local oceanic realm whilst delving into the concept of connection to place and unearthing the stories hidden within the sea and within ourselves.

There was a variety of storytelling provided by environmental groups and an Indigenous educator. Children heard dolphin tales and leant about the impact of plastics. Kids and families particularly enjoyed the beach walk and talk, which included a mini beach cleanup. Indigenous storytelling included a reading about the waugal, discussion on totems and delving into cultural stories of the Djeli-djlidjit (jellyfish).

From the creative perspective, Julie Driver and myself guided 20 children on a creative journey, resulting in a collection of artworks, seascape photographs, and crafted jellyfish. Julie and I later unified the children's artworks into a cohesive piece, employing a blend of photography, digital art, and crafting techniques. The final ocean themed installation is now displayed at the Falcon Library during the 2024 Mandurah Arts Festival which served as the perfect backdrop to create mini ocean dioramas in the children's workshop this week.

It has been a true pleasure to observe the project unfold, driven by the enthusiasm of all participants. The essence of this initiative extended beyond the artwork itself, emphasising the collaboration and collective creativity that emerged from a profound love and connection to our coastal Mandurah home.

I would like to thank Julie Driver, Coastal Waste Warriors, Estuary Guardians Mandurah , Falcon Primary School , The Falcon Library and the City of Mandurah for their involvement and for supporting the project.

“BLOOM is proudly part of the Mandurah Arts Festival 2024 – 6 September to 6 October.”

15/09/2024

School holidays are just about here, and this fun activity for kids still has places available.

Discover local stories of our coastline, and craft your own mini ocean diorama all admist the new collaborative artwork "Bloom.”

Special guests Estuary Guardians Mandurah will share stories of culture and coastal conservation. Artists Sharon Meredith and Julie Driver will then guide children in crafting their own mini ocean dioramas.

This activity is held at the City of Mandurah’s Falcon Library on Tuesday the 24th of September at 1PM.

For more information and to book tickets please visit:

https://events.humanitix.com/bloom-storytelling-and-diorama-activity

“BLOOM is proudly part of the Mandurah Arts Festival 2024 – 6 September to 6 October.”

Discover local stories of our coastline, and craft your own mini ocean diorama all admist the new collaborative artwork "Bloom.”

31/08/2024

Warming up for the . We have a great kids activity lined up at the City of Mandurah Falcon Library. An opportunity to listen to coastal narratives and create your own mini ocean diorama at this creativity activity for children.

Tickets on sale now: https://www.mandurah.wa.gov.au/explore/whats-on/calendar/arts-and-culture/bloom-storytelling-and-diorama-activity

Suitable for children ages 6-12
Parents must accompany all children
“BLOOM is proudly part of the Mandurah Arts Festival 2024 – 6 September to 6 October.”

18/07/2024

“I think I had more fun than the kids” said one parent as we wrapped up the first workshop for the Bloom project.

It was lot’s of fun, the sun was out for the beach walk with Coastal Waste Warriors. Danny Willmott shared stories about coastal conservation and the kids even did a mini beach clean up. We then got our creative side on, I took out half the group snapping coastal landscapes, whilst Julie Driver crafted ocean jellyfish with the other half of the group.

All these individual expressions of creativity will unite in one ocean themed artwork over the coming months, a piece that will be exhibited in the City of Mandurah Falcon Library during the . We will also be hosting a storytelling session and diorama activity during this time. Tickets are available now- https://events.humanitix.com/bloom-storytelling-and-diorama-activity?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3byWKR3YynD5H_-Q3EBcvvam4YHflX20VSkAyxa8ewkgDPlA_yz32x8G4_aem_1WYYS7pjJ-nHpowFxH1SwA

“BLOOM is proudly part of the Mandurah Arts Festival 2024 – 6 September to 6 October.

Special thanks to Falcon Primary School for allowing us to host the workshop on the premises and Coastal Waste Warriors for your involvement with the project.

14/06/2024

Excited to be starting on this new project for the City of Mandurah Arts Festival. The first workshop is scheduled for July. Spots are limited. Details below. “BLOOM is proudly part of the Mandurah Arts Festival 2024 – 6 September to 6 October.”

Bloom is proudly supported by Coastal Waste Warriors Community Falcon Primary School the City of Mandurah.

Children are encouraged explore the local coastline, share stories and create their own coastal artwork.

11/02/2024

Artwork from the Wetland Stories is currently on display at the The Wetlands Centre Cockburn

It’s been a wonderful opportunity to showcase our work at the Centre and for the Wetlands Conference, so lovely to also be invited to talk to the audience too.

It was particularly special for me to step back through the doors, I have worked at the Centre on two different occasions and it was really nice to see familiar faces and hear some good news about the Centre. The staff and vollies there are wonderful people and they do an amazing job!

I've been busy starting a new job and Marie Mitchell Art did the heavy lifting on this one, installing the work and handling the process for which I’m truly grateful. Thanks so much Marie! Also a huge thank you to Roh and Michael at the Centre for making this happen. Thanks also to Peel-Harvey Catchment Council for allowing us to have the Wetlands from Above film on display at the Centre. This project is supported by Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, through funding from the National Landcare Program.

The exhibition is up until Feb 23rd.

25/10/2023

Marie Mitchell Art and I had the pleasure of attending the Lucas Legacy Cleanup at Dawesville on Sunday, and it felt wonderful to be part of such an important community initiative. It was heart warming to witness the dedication of more than 95 volunteers who joined the clean up and collected an impressive 184 kilos of litter from the Dawesville site.

Another highlight that made my heart sing was unexpectedly running into Jan and Peta Lowe. Jan had attended the artist talk and environmental presentation the previous week at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre a collaborative effort between Mandurah Volunteer Dolphin Rescue Group. Jan expressed her genuine enjoyment of the talk, prompting her to share the experience with her sister, Peta. As a result they both decided to join the cleanup, and to add to the excitement, Peta happened to win a prize in the raffle!

Heartfelt congratulations to the event organizers from Estuary Guardians Mandurah whose hard work made this event possible at Dawesville, and hats off to Coastal Waste Warriors who organised the Clean up at Pyramids and Mandurah Cruises for their efforts in organising the Boundary Island site. A truly amazing community event.

24/10/2023

Saturday afternoon, Kirstin Field and Danny Willmott accompanied me for an engaging artist talk and environmental presentation at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. I enjoyed guiding the attendees through a tour of the Wetland Stories exhibition, highlighting the artworks that drew inspiration from Lucas Legacy Cleanup and Coastal Waste Warriors. Kirstin also shared her own inspiring personal story, on how she and her family embarked on the journey to establish Coastal Waste Warriors. Danny shed light on the detrimental effects of litter on our waterways, while also providing practical steps that individuals can take to contribute towards its mitigation.

Kirstin, is the founder and visionary of Coastal Waste Warriors. Together with her family she established this local Clean Up group as a heartfelt tribute to her beloved daughter, Amber, who tragically passed away. Amber adored nature, particularly the waterways and was captivated by the dolphins. The Coastal Waste Warriors has now been actively functioning for more than four years. Through their monthly clean-up initiatives, they have successfully gathered an impressive four tonnes of litter, comprising a staggering 100,000 individual pieces. What began as a humble endeavour has evolved into a powerful movement, attracting the participation of several hundred passionate volunteers.

Coastal Waste Warriors next cleanup event is scheduled for 12th November at Doddis’s Beach, + always extend a warm invitation to new participants. It’s an opportunity to play a vital role in safeguarding our precious local waterways and the diverse wildlife that call it home. The Cleanups are also excellent ways to connect with like-minded individuals who share a passion for environmental conservation. By lending a helping hand, you'll not only make a positive impact but also experience all the good feels of working with others in the community to make a difference for our waterways.

https://coastalwastewarriors.com.au/get-involved
https://www.facebook.com/CoastalWasteWarriors

The Wetland Stories is exhibition is on until November 17th at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre and is a project is supported by Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program
# Ramsar

Estuary Guardians Mandurah Marie Mitchell Art Alana Grant

15/10/2023

At the Wetland Stories exhibition today I enjoyed a fun collaborative presentation with Mandurah Volunteer Dolphin Rescue Group (MVDRG). I had the pleasure of being accompanied by Barbara Sing and Robyn Bickell, dedicated volunteers from MVDRG.

I delivered my artists talk which was followed by an inspiring presentation on the efforts taken by MVDRG to conserve the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, as well as ways in which the community can contribute. An upcoming event that aims to actively involve people in this cause is the Lucas Legacy Clean Up, scheduled to take place on the 22nd of October (See more details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/602961668449490).

This event is intricately linked to the artwork displayed in the exhibition. Barb and Robyn graciously allowed their portraits to be photographed for the projection series, and these portraits are currently on display in the gallery. This art project also involved students from Warnbro Community High School and it was a lovely surprise to have Ebony Beeley, one of the students involved, and her family visit this afternoon. Alongside Ebony's artwork, the exhibition showcases the work of seven other talented Warnbro students.

Come down and see it for yourself. The exhibition is open until 17th of November at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre.

Artist from the Wetland Stories exhibition, have organised a series of engaging activities including artists' talks, community presentations, and workshops.

On the upcoming Saturday, I will be presenting my artist talk in conjunction with a community presentation by Coastal Waste Warriors Community. To learn more about this event, kindly visit the provided link: https://events.humanitix.com/artist-talk-and-community-presentation-sharon-meredith-and-coastal-waste-warriors

Marie Mitchell Art has water colour workshops for kids, and the Postcards to the Future activity planned.

For a comprehensive overview of all the events taking place as part of the Wetland Stories exhibition, please consult the full program: https://www.mariemitchellart.com.au/wetland-stories-exhibition

For more information about how to get involved with the protection to the Indo-Pacific bottlenose please visit: https://www.estuaryguardians.com.au/

14/10/2023

Last night marked the culmination of our efforts as we unveiled the Wetland Stories Exhibition. It's been a collaboration with two amazing local artists and amazing ladies Marie Mitchell Art and Alana Grant Art. I’ve personally learnt so much and I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together. We have also been incredibly fortunate to receive the support we have from Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, and the City of Mandurah Arts Festival. It is an extraordinary feeling, something truly special. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us along this journey, everyone who attended the opening and those who plan to visit in the upcoming weeks. The Wetland Stories exhibition will be on display at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre until November 17th. For more information, please refer to the details below.
www.mariemitchellart.com.au/wetland-stories-exhibitions