Poppy project to adorn MAC during April
Published on 25 March 2015
Local residents will have the opportunity to contribute to a major art installation at Mildura Arts Centre, with free poppy making workshops getting The Remembrance Wreath project underway on Tuesday 31 March.
Poppies are the official symbol of remembrance for those lost in War and as MAC commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the Great War, the external walls and grounds around the Rio Vista fountain will be transformed into a sea of red.
“Initially The Remembrance Wreath project will create one poppy for every local life lost during World War I hostilities,” Arts and Culture portfolio Councillor Jill Joslyn explained. “The first poppies will be placed around Rio Vista fountain.
“No special creative skills are needed to create the poppies. All materials will be supplied and visitors to MAC during April will be encouraged to make a poppy and add it to the wreath.”
John McCrae’s poem In Flanders Fields was the inspiration behind the original poppy movement, with American Moina Belle Michael leading a campaign to see the poppy adopted as the official symbol of remembrance.
Two community workshops have also been planned, with everyone from children through to grandparents welcome to come along and get the project underway. The workshops will run from 10:30am to 11:30am on Tuesday 31 March and Wednesday 1 April.
“If you can’t make it to one of the workshops, then please just call in to MAC and make a make a poppy at any time,” Cr Joslyn said. “We need over 300 just to represent the local lives lost in World War I but it would be great if we could have enough to represent every single local lost to war since that time.”
A number of commemorative exhibitions are already on show at MAC including the Shrine of Remembrance’s Touring Exhibition Australia Will Be There: Victorians in the First World War (1914–1919) and Dominic Redfern’s WIRE.
More information about the World War I commemorations are available from www.milduraartscentre.com.au or on (03) 5018 8330.
EXHIBITIONS CURRENTLY ON SHOW
Australia Will Be There: Victorians in the First World War (1914–1919)
Shrine of Remembrance Touring Exhibition
Exhibition: Until Sunday 10 May 2015
WIRE
Dominic Redfern
Exhibition: Until Sunday 3 May 2015
WWI: artists and aftermath
Mildura Arts Centre collection works and selected artefacts
Exhibition: Until Sunday 3 May 2015
ENDS
Media enquiries
Angela Umback
p) 03 5018 8689
e) angela.umback@mildura.vic.gov.au