Artist Callout: Rescue of Riverina Native Birds Project
Western Riverina Arts and South West Arts are seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from artists (all media) from the Murray and Riverina regions to develop artworks that:
• Depict the Plains-Wanderer, Australasian Bittern and/or Malleefowl and/or their native grassland habitats
• 12 Entries will be selected for Exhibition to be displayed and traveled throughout the region in 2022.
• Artists will receive funding to create their works.
The plains-wanderer (Pedionomous torquatus) is a small, ground-dwelling bird that inhabits sparse native grasslands. Long term monitoring of the Plains-wanderer population in this area has shown they have declined by 93% since 2001. Plains-wanderers are classified as critically endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and are listed as Endangered under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW), as well as an iconic species under the NSW Saving our Species Program.
The Australiasian Bitten (Botaurus poiciloptilus) or also known as the Bunyip Bird is a large, stocky bird that inhabits south-eastern Australia. The Bittern is endangered and is known to inhabit tall, dense vegetation growing in shallow freshwater wetlands or rice fields. The Murray/Riverina region is considered a hot spot for the species and critical to its survival.
The Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata) is a stocky ground-dwelling bird about the size of a domestic chicken. It is notable for the large nesting mounds constructed by the males and lack of parental care after the chick’s hatch. Malleefowl are shy, wary, solitary birds that usually fly only to escape danger or reach a tree to roost in. Although very active, they are seldom seen as they freeze if disturbed, relying on their intricately patterned plumage to render them invisible. It occupies semiarid mallee scrub where it is now reduced to three separate populations: the Murray-Murrumbidgee basin, along the fringes of the Simpson Desert and the semiarid fringe of Western Australia’s fertile southwest corner.
Aims
The aims of this initiative are to:
• Build support for threatened species conservation and management across the region
• Engage the community at events to promote Plains-wanderer, Bittern and Malleefowl conservation
• Set-up artworks in regional and isolated communities to increase community engagement and inclusion
• Provide opportunities for community participation and artist collaboration.
Rationale
The exhibition will focus on these regionally significant species and tour within the region containing habitat critical to its survival. All three birds are very cryptic species, therefore depicting them through artworks provides an alternative pathway to engage with the community and promote conservation.
The travelling art exhibition will also allow engagement with more isolated communities within the region.
Management, terms and conditions
• This initiative will be managed and coordinated by South West Arts, Murray Local Land Services, Riverina Local Land Services and Western Riverina Arts.
• 12 artists will be selected from the responses to this EOI to develop their artworks for Exhibition across the region and virtually. By agreeing to participate in this initiative, the artist will agree to enable their work to tour the region in 2022.
• The artists selected to develop their work will be judged by a selection panel made up of SWA, WRA and a representative from Riverina Local Land Services.
• Selected artists will be funded to create their work. An amount of $500 (GST Exclusive) will be paid in a one-off payment to a nominated account.
• All artworks must be made available for sale via the Exhibition (in all its formats) and including the SWA online Creative Store. 70% of the income generated from the sale of artworks will be returned to the artist who created the artwork with 30% going to the SWA and WRA Artist Micro Grants Programs.
• Produced artworks remain the property of the artist unless sold. Artists must nominate the sale price for their work.
Dates
EOI Call out: 5 November 2021
EOI Close: 5PM 26 November 2021
EOI Assessment: 3 December 2021
Commissioning of works: 10 December 2021
Gallery and Virtual Exhibition: 10 March 2022
Regional Tour: 15 March 2022
Word Doc Expressions of Interest can be submitted to comms@westrivarts.com.au or promo@southwestarts.com.au.
Image: Detail of 'Plains-Wanderer: Surviving Paddock' book by Josephine Duffy from the Bringing Back The Plains-Wanderer From The Brink Exhibition.
