FEATURE STORY
Bringing art to the
people The Immanuel Arts Festival continues to be one of the most important events on the Sunshine Coast arts calendar, supporting established, emerging and student artists. My Weekly Preview meets a few of the talented locals who are part of this year’s event. WORDS: Ingrid Nelson.
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evered Sunshine Coast artist Olga Garner-Morris still vividly recalls the thrill of her first visit to the Art Gallery of New South Wales as a child like it was yesterday. It was to be the beginning of a lifelong love affair with the world of art and sparked the beginning of what would become a successful career that has taken her as far as Buckingham Palace, where her work forms part of several collections. “I grew up in Wollongong in the 1950s and was taken on my first train ride to the gallery when I was just seven years old,” she says. “I was absolutely enamoured at everything I saw. “I remember asking the security guard at the gallery if I could please touch a painting. I wanted to touch a real painting. He very kindly lifted me up to touch it and that thrill never stopped.” Passionate about the arts and nurturing those who are interested in forging a career in visual arts, Olga is an artist in residence at this year’s much-anticipated Immanuel Arts Festival. Now in it’s 41st year, the festival is one of the Sunshine Coast’s most established arts events and offers an opportunity for artists of all ages, including students from any school across southeast Queensland, to showcase their talent and increase their profile. The event has grown from a small gathering to today’s thriving festival, which attracts nearly 300 emerging and
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established artists and more than 800 artworks across a number of different genres including painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, wearable art, film and creative. It also allows visitors and art lovers an opportunity to mingle with some of the artists and learn about the creative process behind each piece. Olga is a long-term avid supporter and promotor of the festival and says at a time when our young generation seem to be permanently tied to their phones and
don’t have time to dabble,” she says. “We need quiet time; time to think, time to be creative, which is very difficult for young people today.” Known for her stunning Australian landscapes, Olga began painting as soon as she could hold a pen and when it comes to trends, she sets her own agenda. “I am not a follower of trends in art. My preference is the great Australian landscape. I have taken Australia with me in all my major exhibitions overseas. Showing the natural beauty of my country
“My preference is the great Australian landscape. I have taken Australia with me in all my major exhibitions overseas” Olga Garner-Morris
computer screens, the encouragement of expression through art has never been more important. And it’s something she says comes naturally to all of us from a very early age. “I would say art is inherent in every child because a lot of children will draw or paint before they write the ABC or go to school. It’s a natural ability to be creative, but of course once you go to school you are under different pressures and you
has brought me success but I also enjoy creating abstract works to allow colour and the form of paint to do its own thing. It’s marvellous to watch paint move. I often add a touch of realism to these paintings which allows the viewer to relate to the composition.” Olga’s works are represented in the collections of Queen Elizabeth, the late Prince Philip, Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.
Olga Garner-Morris’ painting Ocean Traveller This year’s festival will showcase around 260 local artists in addition to a large number of students work from across southeast Queensland, attracting more than 2000 people over the three-day event. Immanuel Arts Festival convenor Lauren Nielsen works tirelessly with a team of parent volunteers to ensure artists across the region are given an opportunity to showcase their work in a gallery setting. “It’s a huge job that takes about six myweeklypreview.com.au
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