Community-engaged Bloom Festival exhibition set for Katanning Art Gallery

Bloom Festival fever is set to hit the Katanning Art Gallery next month for a three-day wildflower exhibition. As each stunning and vibrant bouquet takes centre stage, the delightful fragrances of the real flowers will gracefully accompany them, serving as a testament to the work’s inspiration. The event will start on Thursday, October 5 and Katanning Art Gallery co-ordinator James Woods said it was a scent-based experience as much as it was a visual one. “Is quite a thing of beauty, both visually and then from the smells from the flowers that are there,” he said. Mr Woods said the paintings were part of a collection curated by the Shire of Katanning and extended a warm invitation to all floral enthusiasts. “We invite members of the community organisations or individual members to come in and have a look at the paintings that we’ve selected for them,” he said. “And then they go away and construct a floral arrangement and put on the plinth underneath the painting. The Bloom gallery event takes place biennially and Mr Woods said it presents a wonderful opportunity for community members to actively engage with the art gallery. “We do it in association with Great Southern Treasures (Bloom Festival organisers) and we do it every two years,” Mr Woods said. “It’s a very community-involved event and perfect for people who take an interest in the wildflower season.” This year’s Bloom Festival will launch on Saturday at Piesse Park in Katanning and will visit a variety of areas in the Great Southern for six weeks.