Taroom artist Hilary Coulter working on a piece of embroidery art during the at home residency program in August.

Eight artists with a connection to the Central Highlands and Banana region are sharing their creative journeys as they explore social and environmental challenges in the current context.

Sarah Larsen, Michelle Gray and Raelene Bock, Lisa Roebig-Holmes, Rebecca Collis, Hilary Coulter and Jayne and Pablo Centurion received support from Central Highlands Regional, Banana Shire Council and the Queensland Government through the Regional Arts Development Fund to participate in the Tough and Tender Beauty – Artist ‘at home’ residency program for the month of August.

Central Highlands Regional Council General Manager Communities John McDougall said the program was a great initiative to encourage skill sharing and creative development amongst local artists and share the power of art with the wider public.

‘Artistic expression can be an effective tool to process complex information, change and abstract thoughts,’ he said.

‘With many changes and challenges for people in our communities in recent times, we are glad to have this opportunity to support a group of talented artists and enable them to share their creative journeys with the wider community.’

Taroom-based contemporary embroidery and textiles artist Hilary Coulter said the theme of tough and tender beauty evoked notions of vulnerability.

‘It’s not only feeling exposed and defenceless, but about the way we deal with challenges and how they force us to grow and adapt, hopefully for the better,’ she said.

‘In my residency, I am going to explore where community life has and has not changes, as well as methods of illustrating this through embroidery genre paintings or paintings of everyday life.’

The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government, Central Highlands Regional Council and Banana Shire Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.

Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said “Projects funded through RADF provide pathways for learning, contribute to the creation of jobs, foster creativity and boost cultural tourism.”

More information about participating artists and a blog that follows their work is available on the Tough and Tender Beauty blog

About the program

The Tough and Tender Beauty – Artist ‘at home’ residency program is a response to the challenges Queensland’s regional communities have faced in recent times. This includes drought, fire and floods and now the pandemic. The program explores ways in which the arts can be used to respond, reimagine and rebuild. CQUniversity and the Central Queensland Regional Arts Services Network host the program. Central Highlands Regional Council and Banana Shire Council are contributing to the fourth round of artist residencies in partnership with the Queensland Government’s Regional Arts Development Fund.