Easter exhibition at Uki

By Madeleine Murray

UKI CELEBRATES its annual art event Images of Uki over the Easter weekend.

Open to all artists in the 2484 postcode, Images demonstrates the incredible creativity and variety of our local artists.

This year there are 100 artworks on display including mixed media, ceramics, sculpture, paintings and drawings.

Images is always a fun event with loads of visitors and lots of interesting, eclectic art. There is a people’s prize with viewers voting on a paper ballot. The winners, from first to tenth, are announced around 3pm on Sunday. Most work is available to buy for very reasonable prices.

Images was founded by Julia Hancock and began in 2010 as the art section of the extremely successful Ukitopia.

The first curator was Lisa Arronis of Yellow Brick Studio in Murwillumbah. Then Lorraine Lintern became its driving force with Edith Streiner as curator for the next nine years. Today Heather McClelland is the organiser and Jenny Sayer is this year’s curator.

Images receives invaluable sponsorship from local Uki businesses and is supported by a swarm of volunteers working behind the scenes. Everyone is welcome to the opening on Good Friday at 6pm in the Uki Hall. There will be complimentary food and drink, and music performed by Megan Albany and Mark Mittag. Images of Uki opens at 6pm on Friday, April 7, in the Uki Hall. The exhibit is open from 9am-4pm from April 1-10.

THE SCHOOL holidays are swooping upon us again, and Summertime is officially over as Daylight Savings finishes and clocks fall back on Sunday.

Our Sunset Soirées adjust to start an hour earlier from Easter weekend, and the takeover of terrific kids’ movies begins on our single screen. The first week, we have two game-based adaptations transporting us into their respective worlds.

The Super Mario Bros Movie sees our favourite Italian plumber-come-superhero in full CGI glory, continuing the trend of transmedia versions of Gen-X’s most nostalgic platform pastimes.

Last holidays, we had rival company, Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog speeding across our giant screen, and now it’s Nintendo’s turn. I remember well the battle of the gaming giants as a child. I admittedly spent a hefty chunk of my solo childhood years playing Tetris, which I know programmed my brain well for spatial awareness and strengthened my logic skills – I thank that game every time I need to stack tight spaces.

California Games (really wish they’d bring this one back!), Duck Hunt (these days most shooting practice in games is against humans or monsters rather than the sport-hunting-based games, no doubt due to the decline in blood-sports in the real world), any car-racing game (Micro Machines remains my preferred version) and of course, Super Mario, were high on my playlist. We all worry about how much our kids are on their screens, but I recall the inordinate number of hours I, myself, spent transfixed, thumbs twitching madly on controller buttons. I’m looking forward to sharing a journey into the world of Super Mario with my kids, although their reference for the characters of this classic come from Super Smash Bros, an entirely different game style from the 2D platform of linear levels, with bouncing mushrooms to eat to grow momentarily bigger and stronger. At least the sound effects have carried over. The certain tone of Mario’s “boing” jump is emblazoned in the collective consciousness of my generation, integrated into Pop Culture. Dungeons and Dragons is a fun formulaic romp through that world, sure to delight fans, and create new ones.