Following the devastating Bush Fires on the Forestier &
Tasman Peninsulas near Port Arthur in January 2013, the community rose like a phoenix ‘Out of
the Ashes’.
This exhibition is a testament to the strength of the human spirit,
& the incredible healing power of the creative process.
Out of the Ashes
Photography and Art Touring Exhbition
On January 4th, 2013, a catastrophic bush fire raged through
the communities of Forcett and the Forestier and Tasman Peninsulas,
indiscriminately razing and devouring almost everything in its path. It was an
unforgiving and relentless firestorm - fickle to the whim of the wind - a
ferocious inferno leaving only destruction and chaos in its wake. And when it
finally ran out of puff it left a community desolate and devastated - changing
the community’s internal and external landscapes forever.
BUT that was then.
And now - although the hurdles are still many and the
healing journey ahead still long and daunting - the community refused to buckle
- to fall to its knees. Instead it chose to rise unbowed like a phoenix from
the ashes.
So many positive changes have occurred since January 2013
and one can sense a softening around the jagged edges of the grief that etch
the landscape and tear at the community’s heart. Spring is finally here and
with it miraculous changes. The community at last can feel the warmth of the
sun on its face.
The ‘Out of the Ashes’ Photography & Art Exhibition not
only documents these miraculous changes, it is also a testament to the
formidable strength of a community, the resilience of the human spirit and the
incredible healing power of the creative process.
The Out of the Ashes Exhibition showcases photographic
images from members of the community, drawings from children evacuated at Port
Arthur Historic site and art works by respected local artists Jill Harris, Kris
Schaffer and Cate Foley Burke and Jeweller Sally Ferrar.
See the exhibition at the Museum Coffee Shop in the Asylum, Port Arthur Historic Site 1 November - 1 December, 2013
(Access to the exhibition is included in the cost of Site entry and free for local community members and residents).
It will also be exhibited at the Dunalley Waterfront Café &
Gallery 14th December 2013–31st January, 2014 and a state-wide tour is
in the offing during 2014.