Local artists have submitted an interesting array of algae views for a SA Living Artists exhibition, to be opened this weekend.

The Holdfast Art Project was conceived by fellow artists Jo Fife and Sally O’Connor in September 2021.

A groundswell of interest led to the formation of a group of 10 artists constituting the backbone of the project.

Through research, engagement and creative development, the artists have produced a body of experimental and conceptual work that will include a short documentary with Boandik Elder Uncle Ken Jones and Aunty Michelle Jacquelin-Furr, and a five-minute underwater film depicting the diversity of algae in our local waters.

Workshops have led to a community art project exhibition, from which images will be chosen for signage along the foreshore at Port MacDonnell as an educational tool for the community and tourists.

Community engagement workshops brought together two groups of 20 artists in the Port MacDonnell Community Hall.

After a Welcome to Country and an introduction to local algae, artists from Port MacDonnell, Mount Gambier, Naracoorte, the Riverland and Barossa studied, drew and painted algae which had been collected from the foreshore the day before.

With a promise of more to come, a Cyanotype printmaking workshop followed run by Thumb Print Workshop Inc.

Follow up workshops to prepare linocut plates and dry point plates occurred in the Thumb Print studio on Suttontown Road in Mount Gambier with an enthusiastic group returning to print their work.

Subsequent to the printing workshops, about 80 entries have been submitted to exhibit artwork in the Holdfast Art Project SALA exhibition in the Port MacDonnell Community Complex.

This exhibition will open on Sunday at 12.30pm at the Port MacDonnell Community Complex, and work from the exhibition will be chosen to be used on signage on the foreshore at Port MacDonnell.

The Holdfast Art Project continues into 2024, with an exhibition of work from Jo and Sally, including the documentary and underwater films at the Riddoch Cultural Art Centre in April.

Further activities stemming from the exhibition include a talk by Warrnambool’s Deacon University PhD student Zoe Brittain on the Sustainability of Seaweed on August 18 at the Port MacDonnell Community Complex from 6pm to 7.30pm.

There will also be a walk on Port MacDonnell/Ngaranga Beach with Zoe on August 19 at 7am, and artists’ talks and launch of the Citizen Science Spotter’s Club on September 3 at 12.30pm in the gallery at Port MacDonnell Community Complex.