National acclaim for local artist

LOCAL Indigenous artist Karen Kirk’s dot painting has been nationally recognised, winning the best Indigenous Artist at the Rodney Fox exhibition in Adelaide.

The painting of the rare leafy sea dragon, photographed by her friend and associate Steve Jones, captured the eyes of many, with its unique design and brilliant colours.

When Mr Jones showed Ms Kirk the underwater photo he took of the sea dragon, she instantly fell in love with its beauty and got to work painting it in her own unique way.

“I said ‘I reckon I can paint that, but it will have to be in all dots’ and he said that if I could turn it into an Indigenous painting he would love it,” Ms Kirk said.

“It is all freehand, I didn’t trace anything, and I can’t usually draw them in first with pencil.”

When learning she had won best indigenous artist, she was beyond excited with her exact words being “oh wow”.

Since winning, she has received enquiries from across the country and many words of praise.

“I’m surprised (people) say my paintings are amazing, so beautiful and when they say they love the colours and the Dreamtime stories,” she said.

“It is a lovely feeling being complimented.”

The painting was so well received by Mr Jones that he entered it into the Rodney Fox exhibition in Adelaide, where he watched hundred of visitors observe her painting in awe.

“When this contest was announced and I read that there was going to be an Indigenous Art category, how could I not take this painting down from our hallway and enter it?” he said.

“Other than the aforementioned striking detail, it’s also three feet by two in size so it

Local First Nations artist Karen Kirk has been recognised for her unique contemporary dot paintings. BELOW: The painting of the rare leafy sea dragon that Karen won an award for.

Health and wellbeing grants open

APPLICATIONS are now open for grants through Health and Wellbeing Queensland for community-based projects and research focused on nutrition, physical activity, sleep, health equity and wellbeing.

Queenslanders with exciting ideas to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people can apply for a share of funding to bring their projects to life.

Two-thirds of adults and one in four children are living with overweight or obesity in the State, which impacts on individuals and families and costs the Queensland health system an estimated $756 million per year.

Applications for GenQ

Health and Wellbeing Queensland Community Grants and GenQ Health and Wellbeing

Queensland Impact Grants are open now and will close on 22 March.

GenQ Health and Wellbeing

Queensland Community Grants offer up to $20,000 per project to help community organisations, councils and non-government sector deliver programs within the community that support children’s health and wellbeing.

Further funding rounds under the Health and Wellbeing Grants Program will open later in the year. For more information about the grants and how to apply, visit www.hw.qld.gov.au/grants

Change lives with foster care

LOCALS are being asked to consider becoming foster parents, with a state-wide recruitment campaign now underway.

The television and digital campaign showcase stories of real foster carers sharing their unique stories to encourage more Queenslanders to take on the role.

These include a Cairns couple, Lisa and Clayton, who not only have three biological children, but have been foster carers for more than six years.

“There are some children… who have had a really rough start or have had something really serious happen in their life and we need to help them,” Lisa said.

work with you to arrange placements that meet your needs and work well for your family.

“The children just want someone to be there and love them. They want that routine. They want to know where the next meal's coming from, that it's all in a nice predictable fashion. And if you can provide that, you can provide foster care.” was always going to stand out at the exhibition.

Queensland currently has more than 6,000 foster and kinship carer families who come from all walks of life. This includes married couples with children of their own, single parent carers, members of the LGBTIQA+ community and First Nations carers.

“Entered in Karen’s name, of course, as soon as its association to me was known I had so many people come up to me wanting to know more about it.”

Ms Kirk’s painting will remain in the exhibition for the next several weeks.

“I’ve met people from all different walks of life who work shift work and full-time jobs. That’s no barrier to caring. The agency (foster care agency) will

Anyone interested in becoming a foster care should visit www.qld.gov.au/fostercare or call Queensland Foster and Kinship Care on 1300 550 877.

A brunch hosted by the CWA Tolga Branch and Tablelands Soroptimist

March at the Tolga CWA Hall.

Great movies on Malanda’s big screen

SOME great movies are on the big screen this week at Malanda’s Majestic Theatre.

Don’t miss out on the sports drama focusing on the incredible high stakes world of boxing. “Creed III” tells the story of Adonis Creed who, after dominating the boxing world, has been thriving in both his career and family life.

Marvel Studio’s super- hero action adventure comedy “The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” completes its Majestic season this weekend, so make sure you don’t miss out on this entertaining action flick.

Back by popular demand is the comedy drama “A Man Called Otto”. Also back for a final session on Friday is “The Fablemans”, an easy going movie, loosely based on Steven Spielberg’s childhood days.