Warialda puts on an elegant affair

Certainly, Warialda has endured its share of tough times but there is an attitude out among the corduroy hills surrounding this close-knit community and their message is stoic: Don’t give up without a laugh.

Enter cartoonist David Moor, a farmer from Gunyerwarilda who was commissioned over the years to create dozens of caricatures of well-known locals, doing things that everyone has seen before, but not so ... black and white.

The Warialda Chamber of Commerce came up with an idea to replicate a few of Mr Moor’s cartoons, blown up big, on vacant walls all over the central business district of town – on the pharmacy, the school, the pub, the post office, the rural store, the doctor ... the list goes on.

Meanwhile, the Warialda Show Committee was looking for a way to differentiate the town’s annual art exhibition, which fell on Mother’s Day weekend – the very same as Goondiwindi’s annual show and which inevitably loses entries and audience to that flashier event held on the other side of the Golden Triangle.

“Their art prize was always much bigger,” explained the show committee’s Claudia Cush, who has an inspiration to becoming an art teacher. “So we decided to go big. And as my father says, bite off more than you can chew and chew like mad!”

Claudia and her mother Laura worked with Mr Moor’s wife Cheryl and the chamber’s Ann Willis to hatch a bold plan that included a take-over of the abandoned Soil Conservation Service offices in Hope Street.

The ultimate goal was to open its doors to a grand exhibition, celebrated with cocktails and nibblies, with a fine dress theme of “black and white” so as to fit in with all the ink and paper framed along the walls.

The old soil con building proved to be an ideal pop-up gallery, with bright paintwork and excellent lighting. Hanging artwork included those from a number of local artists, and some from further afield like Jo White, Moree, Jenny Bailey, Croppa Creek and Careena Chambers, Gunnedah.

As the building had lain empty for the past decade, it was an easy booking. What a shame the state government couldn’t shout the facility for free – considering money was raised for community good.

In fact the organising committee coughed up $1000 to hire the vacant building for a week, which is a rent more suited to the coast, rather than the greater Gwydir.

But no matter. The community who attended, dressed in their finest attire, raised $15,000 before costs with $3000 going to local drought relief.

“The standard of art was more than we expected,” admitted Laura Cush. “It’s good to see it looking so classy.”

“There is good art around here,” said clay sculptor and Yetman farmer Angela Edward. “The country artist embraces a lot of variety. And events like this bring people together.”

Ms Edward attended the night, dressed in black, especially to support Mr Moor, whom she got to know during a wool classers’ course and she raised an eyebrow while explaining his comic distractions.

The ultimate aim of this inaugural event is to return next year with another new-look exhibition, and attract new talent to show alongside formidable local artists.

Of course the showing was hard work. Some volunteers may return to create another effort next year, others may not.

“If you want to test your marriage throw an exhibition,” Mr Moor advised the assemblage on Friday night. Yet, in spite of a cranky case of the ‘flu this artist with a comic eye laughed his way through the evening.

Indeed, humour was central to the night and Dan Gilmore Coolatai, entertained guests as master of ceremony, He gave great examples of how to smile at oneself, such as showing his portrait of a black dog on a black night – printed on black paper – or telling how he caused an accident in front of the pub when his attention was distracted by one of Mr Moor’s cartoons, hanging on the exterior wall. Turns out the driver ahead of him was distracted by another cartoon outside the post office. 

It seems inspiration is a big thing around Warialda, where mentors have sparked desires in new endeavours.

Sharon Gilmore teaches art at Warialda High School and has done great things to inspire her students. The flow-on effect was clear on the night.

Local general practitioners, the dedicated 24/7 husband and wife team of Dr Diana Coote and Dr Clem Gordon have been part of the community for three decades and in that time inspired a ten local children to enter the medical profession. Their concern is a lack of interest in getting doctors to move to Warialda. Seems they don’t realise its style and class!