A Mossman artist, singer and conservationist has used her creative talents to share concerns about wind farms and their impact on native wildlife.
Anastasia Klose’s exhibition For thy sake I in love am grown comprised of drawings, video, installation and performance. It closes at Northside Contemporary Arts in Cairns today.
Anastasia completed a deep-dive examination into a proposed wind farm at Ravenshoe for conversation group Rainforest Reserves Australia, raising grave concerns about the project. It also provided inspiration for her exhibition.
“I just became really aware of what’s going on in Queensland, under our noses, without people really being aware of the potential environmental impacts of wind farms,” she said.
“I became really concerned and distressed at the thought of our beautiful wildlife being harmed by habitat clearance and by the sound of the wind turbines spinning potentially affecting their behaviour, driving them off the site.”
Anastasia said the singing component of the exhibition evoked the greatest emotion for gallery visitors.
“It’s been a beautiful experience because people returned to hear me sing, some people day after day, and some people wept,” she said.
“People take away the memory of being moved by listening and that memory is the artwork. It’s an immaterial artwork. It’s a memory of something that they may not have experienced before, that they haven’t heard that before, but that they can’t forget.”
It’s this passion and ability to think outside the square that has seen Anastasia appointed to Council’s new-look Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) Committee.
Anastasia , a RADF grant recipient last year, said emerging artists should apply for the funding too.
“It helped me pay for my singing instructions with (singing teacher) Alteouise DeVaughn, to buy materials and with my fuel costs,” she said.
“The grant was invaluable and it would’ve been more of a financial strain to hold this exhibit without it.”
Joining Anastasia on the committee are Rueben Dwyer, Tilly Melchert, Helen Ramoutsaki, Saisha Burchill Schonenberger, Mayor Lisa Scomazzon and Council Abigail Noli.
Douglas Shire Council Mayor Lisa Scomazzon said it was “refreshing to see so many news faces on the RADF Committee”.
“We are confident they’ll bring fresh ideas to the table and assist more emerging artists receive grants to make their creative visions a reality,” she said.
Stream 2 of the RADF funding opens today. For more information head to the Regional Arts Development Fund web page.
