Art, the Environment and a good glass of wine

​Every good story has a beginning. I hope this is one.

His name was Warren Thompson. I didn’t know him, had never met him, and didn’t want to. Through no fault of his own he had come into my orbit at a time I wasn’t ready.
Lew, a mutual friend, had called me and said that he had been tasked with the job of getting Warren and I together with the aim of running an art show, as I had experience in that field.
But I had just wound up the KernArt Prize, a charity art show that ran for six years, and my tank was low. I wasn't interested.
He called again. I said no.

Some time later, at an event at our local Woodleigh Hall, there was a strange man sitting at our table. He stood, put out his hand and said, "I’m Warren Thompson, and we need to talk". Talk about being ambushed!
It’s a lot harder to say no face to face. The following Sunday Warren came to our house and, as he, my partner Rob and myself sat at the kitchen table with a bottle of Pepperjack between us, he laid his dream in front of me...

Warren was an educated man with a passion for fine art, good wine, and the Landcare Network, of which he was a member. His dream was to hold an art show as a fundraiser with all funds raised going to the not-for-profit Landcare Public Fund for environmental projects within Bass Coast.
You can’t drive around this region without seeing their good work, from tree plantings along the Bass Hills to farm regeneration, and protection for wildlife, so the cause is just.
That first bottle of red was followed by another as we developed our plans. I was starting to get excited.

But a week later Warren called to say he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Three weeks later he was gone.
It stopped us in our tracks…..

We could have given up then, but infused with his passion, we decided to go ahead and make Warren’s dream become reality. Funds were raised through sponsorships with local businesses, and members of the Bass Coast Landcare Network also chipped in to cover the prize money.
Warren Thompson’s sons donated some money for a special Warren Thompson Award for Landscape to honour their father, and the two groups he was involved with, Bass Valley Landcare and Three Creeks Landcare, also donated.
And so we have it. The Landcare Art Prize 2024 invites artists of all styles, medium, and ages to enter their work. An internationally known artist with a love of the environment, Herman Pekel will judge the entries and present awards.
With a total prize pool of $2600, artists are invited to enter. To have an entry form emailed to you contact [email protected]

Running on the Melbourne Cup weekend, there will be a “dress to impress” Champagne Gala opening night on Friday 1st November at 7pm at the Kernot Community Hall, 1060 Loch Kernot Rd, Kernot. The exhibition continues on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd 10am to 4pm and entry is by gold coin donation. All works will be for sale with the commission also going to Landcare.
Those wishing to attend the opening night can purchase tickets for $20 per ticket per person through Trybooking using the link https://www.trybooking.com/CUDND opening night tickets.
So come along and celebrate, the way Warren Thompson would have wanted, and we will raise a glass in his honour.
 
 Enquiries phone the coordinator Janice Orchard on 0419 301 363.

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