Last chance to visit Festival of W this weekend

Saturday 15 July 2023 | Issue #454

There is still plenty more to see and do this weekend including live music sessions by local artists, ice skating, light and sound shows, and House of FoW will continue to provide a warm place to enjoy the festival vibe and local food and beverages. House of FoW is open Friday and Saturday 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 10pm, then Sunday 11am to 3pm.

FoW Sessions will continue this weekend with live music from Jez Swan and Take it Easy from 5pm to 8.50pm on Saturday, and Millie and Harry and Courtney Barron will close out the FoW Sessions between 12pm and 3pm on Sunday. You can find FoW Sessions inside the House of FoW marquee.

The ice skating rink has been popular with people of all ages and abilities taking up the opportunity to take part in this fun winter activity.

“Ice skating tickets are selling fast, so we are encouraging people to jump onto our website to secure their skating sessions to avoid disappointment,” Ms Parker said.

The most popular and 'social-media worthy' element of Festival of W has been the immersive ‘Lightvision: A Wagga Wagga surface to sky light journey’; a dazzling light and sound show curated by Mandylights, made just for Wagga Wagga.

‘Lightvision’ consists of four light zones in the Wollundry Lagoon precinct, including a grid of floating lights on the lagoon, a field of fibre optic lights that sway in the winter breeze, a forest of illuminated trees and projections on the side of the Civic Centre with artworks by local artists from The Art Factory.

In addition, local artists have been commissioned by Wagga Wagga City Council to create light and sound artworks for Festival of W.

Light art projection, Ode to the Mixtape, created by Wagga Wagga based multimedia artist Alice Peacock, features in the Civic Centre forecourt, with lights on from 5:30pm daily.

A temporary public art installation, Many Dances by sound artist Peter Mcilwain, featuring First Nations dancer Ivy Simpson, can be experienced on the Wollundry Lagoon boardwalk during Festival of W.

Festival of W is taking place at the Wollundry Lagoon precinct in Wagga Wagga's CBD. For more information and to book Skate Wagga Wagga sessions go to visitwagga.com/fow

This weekend is your last chance to immerse yourself in the light, sound, and experiences of Festival of W 2023.

The two-week festival, set to close this Sunday 16 July, has been running since 1 July and so far has seen thousands of festival goers embrace Wagga Wagga’s winter weather.

Events and Destination Coordinator

Kimberly Parker says she is happy with the support of the event so far.

“The Visit Wagga Wagga team are stoked with the turnout for Festival of W and how much the community and visitors have embraced the event this year,” Ms Parker said.

“Large crowds came out in the winter weather on Saturday night (8 July) to enjoy the one-off live music event, watch Kenji create a custom FoW ice sculpture, see and perform in the roving Menagerie performance by Curious Legends, enjoy all the tasty winter eats and embrace the overall winter festival atmosphere.”

TIME TO FOW: This weekend is the last opportunity to experience House of FoW.

Lord Baden Powell Drive lane closures

Motorists are advised of a series of lane closures on Lord Baden Powell Drive as part of the project to upgrade the road between Macleay Street and Captain Cook Drive.

Wagga Wagga City Council's Senior Project Manager Tim Morris said that the first lane closures took place this week, with more closures to follow in the coming 2-3 weeks.

"These closures will enable some of the required vegetation clearing to be carried out directly and safely from Lord Baden Powell Drive itself," Mr. Morris said.

"Our initial preference was to conduct all of the required clearing from the road reserve to avoid disrupting traffic. Unfortunately, due to the wet and boggy conditions, that option is not currently possible.

“While these lane closures are in effect, the other lane will remain open under traffic control measures, ensuring that traffic can continue to flow.”

To minimise any potential delays, Council recommends motorists and other road users consider using an alternative route, if possible.

“We sincerely appreciate your cooperation and patience during these works. Our staff will continue their efforts to minimise the impact on residents and businesses as much as possible," Mr. Morris said.

The project is funded by the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund, NSW Government and Wagga Wagga City Council.

For more information about the project page at wagga.nsw.gov.au/ lbpdupgrade

GREENHOUSE: Artist Elizabeth Kelly will speak at the event on Saturday.

Mid-Winter Celebration of Glass

Wagga Wagga Art Gallery announces a Mid-Winter Celebration of Glass, showcasing new exhibitions and artist talks at The National Art Glass Gallery on Saturday 15 July.

The two new exhibitions feature artists Elizabeth Kelly and Sarah Goffman. Their artwork practices are largely concerned with environmental themes, aligning with the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery's campaign Green 2023 - Year of Environmental Exhibitions and programs.

Elizabeth Kelly’s exhibition

Glasshouse/Greenhouse – Maison de Veree Verte features a large walk-in greenhouse, produced using recycled glass tiles.

The work references a warming planet and sustainable art practice; “for the last decade my practice has been about reusing materials… now I use found glass to build this kind of artwork,” Ms Kelly said.

Sarah Goffman’s Precious presents a series of new works responding to selected artworks from the National Art Glass Collection.

In a climate emergency, Goffman challenges audiences to rethink and revalue plastic; “just as glass is deemed precious, so too is plastic –sourced from fossil fuels it is also finite and malignant to the planet’s health,” Ms Goffman said.

Wagga Wagga Art Gallery Director Dr Lee-Anne Hall said: “These two new exhibitions are part of our GREEN 2023 year of environmentally focused programs.

“I hope the exhibitions generate conversations in response to the value placed on our planet’s resources.”

The Mid-Winter Celebration of Glass will include artist talks from Elizabeth Kelly and Sarah Goffman, plus Meredith Hinchliffe AM, advocate for the arts, freelance curator and writer.

All are welcome to attend on Saturday 15 July from 2pm at the National Art Glass Gallery.

Bookings are required via waggaartgallery.com.au/whats-on/ programs-and-events

CREATIVE EXPERIENCE: Local First Nations dancer Ivy Simpson with sound artist Peter Mcilwain on the Wollundry Lagoon boardwalk, where Many Dances is installed.

Capturing the sounds of Many Dances by the Wollundry Lagoon

A soundscape installation inspired by the Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri meaning of Wagga Wagga, ‘a place of many celebrations or many dances’, has been capturing the imagination of audiences walking along the Wollundry Lagoon boardwalk during the Festival of W.

Many Dances is a temporary public art installation commissioned for Festival of W by Council.

Sound artist Peter Mcilwain collaborated with local First Nations dancer Ivy Simpson to create the soundscape, recording the sounds and gestures of Ivy dancing on the boardwalk over the Wollundry Lagoon.

“Many Dances is about the gesture of dancing, so instead of including music in the work, what I’ve focused on is the sounds that dance gestures make,” Peter Mcilwain said.

“When people hear a dance gesture, they immediately connect it to a motion, a body, so the work is about hearing bodies moving in space, and in this case, in the space of the boardwalk over the lagoon.”

In developing the work, the artist undertook research into the history of dance and celebration in Wagga Wagga, including Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations gatherings, the Dixieland Dance Hall that floated over the Murrumbidgee River in the 1920s and 1930s, and the many different cultures that now live in the city.

“I thought it would be great to create a gestural piece that is focused on dance,” Peter Mcilwain said.

“It was a great joy to work with Ivy Simpson, she’s a First Nations dancer and since childhood she has learned all kinds of dancing.

“She was perfect for this idea that many dances can be many cultures, many people, and many forms of engagement with the place, with life, and with the future.”

Many Dances will be in place at the Wollundry Lagoon boardwalk until Sunday 30 July 2023.

Meet energetic Rocky Rocky is a 2-year-old, male, blue roan, Cattle Dog. He is high energy and is ready for his new home where he has plenty of space to run around and explore.

The adoption fee for Rocky (impound no D23/0318) is $276.00 and includes microchipping, lifetime registration, vaccination, desexing, heartworm test, flea/worming treatment and ID tag.

Meet all our available pets at graswagga.com.au or visit the shelter from Monday to Saturday, 1pm – 4:15pm.

Vacancies

Gardener (Sportsgrounds)

$2,045.38 gpf + super

Closing: Monday, 17 July 2023

Assistant Senior Water Reclamation Operator $2,896.12 gpf + super

Closing: Wednesday, 19 July 2023

Boilermaker Welder / Water Reclamation Operator $2,896.12 gpf + super

Closing: Wednesday, 19 July 2023

Gardener (Tree Maintenance) $2,045.38 gpf + super

Closing: Wednesday, 26 July 2023

Truck Driver (Tree Maintenance) $2,088.00 gpf + super

Closing: Wednesday, 26 July 2023

Arborist / Arboriculturist $2,310.74 gpf + super

Closing: Wednesday, 26 July 2023

Mechanic $2,896.12 gpf + super

Closing: Thursday, 27 July 2023

Mechanic Supervisor $3,136.26 gpf + super

Closing: Thursday, 27 July 2023 gpf = gross salary per fortnight

Wagga Wagga City Council is an EEO employer

Enquiries: 1300 292 442

For more details and to apply, visit: wagga.nsw.gov.au/ jobs

Road closures

COPLAND STREET (BETWEEN

KOORINGAL RD AND SUTTON ST)

Date: Wednesday 19 July 2023

Duration: 8am to 4pm

Reason: Flood barrier training

Detour: Sutton St, Nagle St, Hammond Av

ALL NOTICES NOW ONLINE AT: wagga.nsw.gov.au/publicnotices