The Avant Garden 08 project developed a range of temporary public art works installed in the Toowoomba Regional Council parks and around Toowoomba to coincide with the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers in Spring 2008.

There was also an exhibition of the maquettes and concept designs in the upstairs gallery of the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery.

The concept originated in the age old Australian can-do attitude - what can you do for a Festival of Flowers with fifty years of tradition if you are suffering a record drought and water shortages?

You bring in the local artists to fill the garden beds left empty by the dictates of the water shortage with the weird and the wonderful.

The project was a showcase for local Toowoomba artists as well as engaging the talents of three imported professional artists. It involved pre event workshops to engage the locals and produce a range of possible projects.

Although the project did suffer some vandalism it provided a lively and positive adjunct to the Festival of Flowers and attracted widespread enthusiasm and positive feedback.

Project Manager

Beverley Bloxham

Advisory Panel

Jill Kinnear
Ann-Maree Reaney
Ingrid Steinhardt

External Artists

Christian Bumbarra Thompson (Netherlands)
Marie Sierra (Melbourne)
Mona Ryder (Sydney)

Local artists

Deb Beaumont
Sally Charlton
Sally Colpoys
William Cripps
Kylie Goldthorpe
Dorothy Haig
Wanita Jones
Sandra Jarrett
Mary-Kate Khoo
Christian Low
Anna McMahon
Leonard Watson
Jennifer Wright (Summers)

Partners and Funding Bodies

Arts Queensland art+place
University of Southern Qld.
Toowoomba Regional Council
Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery

(JPG 107KB)	(JPG 124KB)	(JPG 116KB)	(JPG 333KB)
(JPG 125KB)	(JPG 106KB)	(JPG 424KB)	(JPG 92KB)

Photo credits