Community & Business
6 April, 2022
‘The Wisdom of Trees’ art exhibition now open in Pittsworth
A new art exhibition has officially opened in Pittsworth and everyone is welcome to go along and have a look.
‘The Wisdom of Trees’ exhibition had its official opening night recently to welcome people from near and far and inform them of the meaning behind the artworks on display.
The exhibition has been described as one that reveals the hidden gems of trees, what they contribute to our world and how necessary they are for our survival.
Organiser of the exhibition Bloss Hickson said it came about due to her passion for trees and her desire to educate others about their environmental importance.
“The exhibition came about because I’m really concerned about the over clearing in rural Queensland,” Ms Hickson said.
“I’m a grazier myself in Rolleston in the Central Highlands, and I have always believed in the value of trees and keeping the trees in the landscape, and I do at my home.
“We’ve just got rows of trees perpendicular to prevailing winds and on the contours, because trees keep the microbiology in the soil.
“You can see at properties that are just being cleared how the soil is slowly declining from the lack of biodiversity in the landscape.
“There’s no shade, there’s nothing to keep things cool, there’s nothing to keep the moisture in the landscape.
“Over cleared paddocks are just turning into hard, grassless areas.
“I wanted to do something that gave people an awareness of what the trees were doing in the landscape and how valuable they were, and art is such a lovely medium to get that message across.”
Ms Hickson said she wanted to get through to landholders that trees are important to keep in their landscape, so about five years ago she began a group named The Tree Tribe and they travelled around to properties to run field days.
“It’s a great little group and it seems to be getting ever bigger all the time,” Ms Hickson said.
“We up to about 50 or 60 members from all across Queensland - rural and coastal.”
After doing this for a few years, Ms Hickson said she decided to attend Beef Week last year with an art installation, and that’s when things really took off.
“It started at Beef Week last year when we did an art installation on the value of trees,” she said.
“I’ve always been concerned about the lack of knowledge of trees in the environment, and the lack of regard for them by landholders, so this movement has been happening for 35 years since I’ve been on my property, but it only really gained momentum when I decided to take something to Beef Week.
“After that, I thought I’d take it around the countryside as well.
“I put it out to The Tree Tribe group and they all came up with paintings and ideas and any form of art, and people sent me little tree wisdoms.
“Every painting has a wisdom to go with it and that’s the wisdom of the person who has painted the piece.
“There’s quite a lot to read going around.”
While the exhibition has essentially only started this year, Ms Hickson said she already has so much interest.
“We spent three months in Mitchell and then Ros Scotney heard me on the radio and invited me here to Pittsworth,” she said.
“I’ve also been invited to Monto and Yeppoon, and next year I’m going to Tambo, Injune and Surat.
“So it’s gaining momentum.”
The exhibition will be running until April 25th at ‘Sondrio on 67’ at 67 Yandilla Street, Pittsworth.
It will be open from 10am to 3pm on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and entry is free.
Everyone who attends is welcome to have a fridge magnet that features a painting of a tree.
