Regrowth: A Community Imprint

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Following the recent bushfires across Towong Shire, many people in our rural community were carrying more than the visible signs of loss. Alongside the damaged fences, paddocks and homes sat the quieter impacts—exhaustion, uncertainty, and the emotional weight of beginning again.

Regrowth: A Community Imprint was created as a gentle invitation to pause.

Supported through a Regional Arts Victoria Quick Response Grant, the project brought together fifteen local women for a morning of botanical gel plate printmaking at Lucyvale Hall. Participants were invited to bring a piece of foliage from their own property or a place that held meaning for them. Some chose leaves from gardens that had survived the fires. Others brought new growth emerging from blackened landscapes. Each piece carried its own quiet story.

The workshop wasn't about creating perfect artwork.

It was about slowing down.

Around long tables scattered with leaves, grasses and printmaking plates, something beautiful unfolded. There was gentle conversation, shared cups of tea, moments of quiet reflection and women wandering between tables, admiring one another's work and offering words of encouragement. The atmosphere was calm, unhurried and deeply supportive.

One participant later shared that she had almost not attended because she had been rushing that morning, but afterwards described the experience as "an act of self-care."

Another, who admitted she had never considered herself artistic, stood proudly at the exhibition opening explaining the meaning behind her framed artwork to visitors.

These moments became some of the greatest successes of the project.

At the end of the workshop, each participant selected a favourite print and wrote a short reflection about its meaning. Their works were professionally framed and exhibited alongside these personal statements, creating Regrowth: A Community Imprint—a community exhibition celebrating resilience, renewal and the strength found within rural communities.

Watching visitors quietly read the reflections before moving to the next artwork was incredibly moving. The exhibition became more than a display of prints; it became a collection of voices. Together, the artworks told a story of people, place and the enduring relationship between the two.

One of the most touching moments came before the workshop had even begun.

Each invitation was individually hand-delivered to fire-affected households, wrapped in handmade paper with a pressed eucalyptus leaf attached. One recipient later wrote:

"I cannot emphasise enough how emotional and touching this invite made me feel. The wording was so sensitive and kind."

It was a reminder that thoughtful community engagement begins long before people walk through the door.

As the facilitator, it was a privilege to guide the workshop, but perhaps an even greater privilege to frame each participant's chosen artwork, knowing the stories they represented. Seeing the exhibition travel through our community—from Corryong Library to the Bush Mates Dance and finally Tallangatta Library—allowed many more people to experience these quiet yet powerful reflections.

Projects like Regrowth: A Community Imprint remind me that community arts are not simply about making things.

They are about creating spaces where people feel welcome.

Where conversation happens naturally.

Where confidence quietly grows.

Where stories are honoured.

And where creativity becomes another way of caring for one another.

As an artist and facilitator, I believe some of the most meaningful creative experiences are the ones that leave people feeling seen, connected and proud of what they have created—whether or not they have ever considered themselves "artistic."

I am deeply grateful to every participant who trusted the process and shared part of their story.

Regrowth: A Community Imprint was made possible through a Regional Arts Victoria Quick Response Grant, supported by the Australian Government, Regional Arts Australia and the Regional Arts Fund Recovery Boost – Project Grants program.

Special thanks to Towong Shire Council, Tallangatta Neighbourhood House, Corryong and Tallangatta Libraries, the Kurrajong CWA, and everyone whose generosity and support helped bring this project to life.