Jackeys Marsh Forest Festival Art Trail 2012

The Art Trail has been an integral part of the Jackeys Marsh Forest Festival since it resurfaced 4 years ago and serves as a welcome reminder of the core purpose of this event.

Jo Anglesey's work titled Rainbow

Positioned above the main site of the festival, punters are enticed onto the winding, bush track to experience an array of ephemeral works produced by both emerging and established Tasmanian environmental artists. Art is wound through this whole festival. Sonia Hindrum’s Pleiades (felt spheres) hang from the trees that greet those entering the staged area, Linda Barkers’ Dragonfly float from precarious branches next to the track that connects the camp ground to the gathering space and Rick Bindon’s Tree Tent takes shape positioned high in the branches of a large gum tree.

The surrounding bush is as much a part of the art trail as the artwork itself. The nature of the festival means that the theme of the work is about promoting sustainable living, protecting Tasmania’s forests and educating the community.

Jackeys Marsh Forest Festival 2012

My last foray into Jackeys Marsh was around 25 years ago when I was on work experience for The Examiner newspaper. I was sent with a reporter and photographer to cover the front line protests. It was a harrowing experience as I stood in the rain, sinking into the mud in my 80’s court shoes, watching people literally jump on the bulldozers. The anger, passion and desperation from both sides was palpable and left an indelible print on my memory. This is a festival that has been built on a foundation of forestry activism.