Uke Art Exhibition

Now in it’s fourth year, one of the highlights of the Cairns Ukulele Festival is the Uke Art Exhibition, featuring the works of dozens of artists who have all decorated a ukulele for the exhibition to help raise money for charity.

Each artist is given a ukulele and free rein to turn the instrument in a personal masterpiece. Artists never cease to amaze the audiences with their creativity and approach to this diminutive instrument, and this year’s exhibition is no exception! With works from emerging artists as well as established artists such as Roland Nancarrow and Greg Dwyer, the exhibition is sure to delight young and old.

Thanks to the generous support of The Pier Shopping Centre Management, various community groups and a new exhibition manager, Aleta Tulk, the festival will create a most exciting exhibition space within The Pier.

“As the Event Manager this year for the Ukulele Art Exhibition, I am thrilled to be working on a project that combines my two greatest love: music and art. Whilst I have worked at many festivals over the years, being involved in last year’s Ukulele Festival changed my life. It got me playing music again, which I hadn’t done for so long and gave me one of the most joyful times I have ever experienced. It’s my favourite event and brings so much happiness to the local community”, Ms Tulk said.

Charity: Salvation Army

This year’s beneficiary of the Uke Art Exhibition and Auction is the Salvation Army.

Lieutenant Darren Kingston was excited to learn that we were to be beneficiaries as he has been a part of the Ukulele Festival before and believes it to be a great tourism festival for all people, especially families, and any event that can promote bringing families together aligns well with the organisation’s focus. “The Salvation Army helps 26000 people a year through our region with food clothing and shelter through four welfare centres at Innisfail, Atherton, Mareeba and Cairns, that provide food, and assistance with bills. Our seven family stores provide help with clothing, furniture and electrical needs. There is a general counsellor, a financial counsellor and an emergency services team that provide food in disasters. Our courts and prison chaplains provide support to defendants and their families. The money that will be raised will help the people in our community who cannot afford basic necessities such as food.”

Other arts activities

This year’s festival arts program not only includes an Arts Exhibition, it also sees the return of artistic activities such as the Paint ‘n’ Play and Tiki Carving workshops, also to be held at the Pier Shopping Centre. Other activities at The Pier will include weekly arts and crafts workshops, all within the theme of the ukulele festival, conducted by festival partners Reuse and Recycle Cairns Inc. and The Store, whose team members will also be manning the Art Exhibition.

“The people at Reuse and Recycle, Cairns Inc. and The Store (G7a The Pier) are thrilled to be Support Crew for the Ukulele Art Exhibition. Creative spirits are bubbling up with ideas to provide craft and art workshops and pieces for the Exhibition installation. Such fun! We are more than happy to be getting our glitter on as part of this very popular Cairns event”, said co-ordinator and CEO Char Paul.

Opening Uke Art Exhibition
Date: Friday 28 June
Time: 6pm
Entertainment by Craig Chee (Hawaii), The Montgomery Brothers and more!

Closing event / final bids
Date: Friday 12 July
Time: 6pm

Paint ‘n’ Play workshops
Kids workshop (7+): Tuesday 2 July, 10am-1pm
Adults workshop: Wednesday 3 July, 5.30pm – 8.30pm

Tiki Carving
Workshop 1: Pier Shopping Centre
Date: Friday 5 July, 1pm – 5pm (allow a little bit of extra time just in case!)

Workshop 2: Fogarty Park
Date: Saturday 6 July
Time: 12 – 4pm (you will finish in time to participate in the world record attempt!)

Arts and crafts workshops
Every weekend in June in the Pier Shopping Centre