Horizon Festival is a celebration of all things Sunshine Coast.
It provides a platform for local artists, honours the stories and artworks of First Nations people, and puts the natural landscape of the region at centre stage for all to witness, experience and admire.
The offering is expansive – visual art, music, theatre, dance, words and ideas, film, and workshops. . . All inspired by the Coast. Check out our top picks here.
With the festivities approaching, there are whispers of a unique and exciting arts scene brewing on the Sunshine Coast. So visual artist, founder and curator of the 40 Under 40 Exhibition Amanda Bennetts (@amanda_bennetts_art / @40under40exhibition) has been kind enough to provide details on what five (maybe more than five) Sunshine Coast artists deserve a follow.
By the way – each of these listed artists is involved in Horizon Festival as well. Amanda is also a Co-Curator for Horizon visual art exhibition Phototropism and immersive art and music event 'Electrotropism'.
“You may associate the Sunshine Coast with its great weather, stunning beaches and our accumulation of garish roadside 'things', such as that pub, the carnival rides and, of course, that oversized pineapple garden ornament. However, you may be shocked that the Sunshine Coast is no stranger to the finer things in life – art being the finest of all (in my biased opinion). Beaming with a vibrant yet gritty underground arts scene that melds surf and skate culture, music, performance and visual arts, the Sunny Coast has it going on! Throw in a few outstanding artist-run initiatives, some mighty fine public galleries and a stunningly supportive council, and you'll soon realise that 'little sister' Sunny Coast is having more than just a fleeting moment.
“Whether you're a culture vulture, an enthusiastic beginner or just curious about our region's artists, I have compiled a list of five of the region's finest artists for you to follow. So, buckle up and hold on to your craft beer tinny as I take you on a journey sampling just a few of the artists our creative coast has to offer.”
One
Itamar Freed & Courtney Scheu - @itamar_freed @courtscheuThe two individuals who make up this dynamic duo are established artists in their own right, but together they gift us a captivating collaboration. Itamar is a visual artist working in the medium of photography, crafting hyper-realistic representations of portraits and landscapes. Courtney is a performer, dancer, choreographer and visual artist. Selfishly, the Sunshine Coast can thank the pandemic for locking these internationally acclaimed artists in our region. This has resulted in the duo blessing us with many creative offerings, including a large-scale sculptural artwork featured in the Final Call exhibition at USC Gallery and performances such as 'Plastic Belly'. You can witness Courtney and Itamar's most recent collaboration in the upcoming performance 'Sand' as part of the Horizon Festival.
Two
Ruby Donohoe - @rubybridgetdonohoeAnyone who meets Ruby Donohoe falls under the spell of her insightful intelligence, radiating energy and immense talent. Ruby is a performer, visual artist and founding Co-Director of the interdisciplinary arts collective IN, an artist-run initiative based out of The Old Lock Up, Maroochydore. IN is co-run with June Sartracom, Sharna Barker, and myself. You can witness Ruby's talent in Aha Ensemble's exhibition, Absolutely Everybody Judges, at the IMA and as the mighty leader of the Coast's most underwhelming flock of synchronised swimmers, 'The Sinkers', at the upcoming Horizon Festival. The absolute beauty of being a spectator of the outdoor performance: you remain dry while the troupe of below-average synchronised swimmers frolic and splash fabulously around in the water.
Three
Warwick Gow - @warwickgowphotoWarwick Gow – does he need an introduction? The wildly talented Gow is an artist, photographer, and Curator/Co-Founder of Lantana Space, an artist-run initiative in Moffat Beach. Lantana Space is co-founded by fellow artists Jordyn Burnett, Ebony Busk and Coen Keyte. It is a socially conscious, experimental, contemporary art space designed to foster the arts on the Sunshine Coast. Warwick's art practice sits within photography and experimental media, exploring portraiture as a way to bring local fringe culture closer to the mainstream. Warwick's crusty and colourful work uses photographs, zines and installation art to destabilise notions of identity and representation. You can catch Warwick as both Co-Curator and artist in the exhibition Phototropism, an immersive visual art exhibition as part of the Horizon Festival. The exhibition features artists James Hornsby, Joseph Burgess, Seamus Platt, Christine Ko, Tasmin Handsaker, Zaide and Macami and myself.
Four
Evelyn Marina Paolino - @_evelynmarinaEvelyn Marina Paolino (pronounced pow-leeno) is a visual artist whose art is as fabulous as her name! An abstract painter, fabric designer and generally well-rounded-good-at-everything human, she is known for her blue hues and nostalgic text-based work. Evelyn was recently featured in the Noosa Regional Gallery exhibition PAINT, which showcased six younger painters from our region. The widely successful show also included Ebony Busk, June Sartracom, Lauren Jones, Mitchell Cheesman and Odessa Mahony-de Vries. If you missed the impeccably-curated exhibition, you could catch Evelyn's vibrant work in the upcoming RISOFEST at the Horizon Festival. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention that she is also one of the below-average synchronised swimmers from 'The Sinkers' – evidently, we are a well-connected bunch here on the Sunshine Coast.
Five
Fin Wegner - @abstracthumanradioFin Wegner is The Abstract Human Radio (Abhura), a frequencies project that explores the arts through immersive and interactive installations and experimental music practices. Depending on the vibe, one can expect any combination of audiovisual performance, interactive installation, projection art, or ambient vinyl disc jockeying during Fin's performances. Fin has performed as a part of the Yonder Festival, but you can catch the Abstract Human Radio vibe at 'Electrotropism' as part of the Horizon festival line-up. This is an immersive event where your senses will be put on overdrive with art projections, soundscapes, installations and music by artists and musicians.
Horizon Festival is on the Sunshine Coast from 26 August-4 September.
