Blue Mountains News

All About Orchids will be a free event presented by Council and Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre, to celebrate the installation of Blackheath’s newest public artwork,Reveal: A Celebration of Blue Mountains Orchids.

This event will include a range of free activities for all ages including an orchid themed sideshow with games for kids, art workshops and making tables, talks with artist Joel Mitchell and Orchid specialist Sabine Hanisch, educational activities, honey tasting, flower themed face painting, live music by the Bonnie Doon Duo, and plant stalls with tube stock to help you create your own native garden.

The artwork will be installed on Wednesday, 27 March and is the creation of Blue Mountains artist, Joel Mitchell, who employs imagery of the natural world as a vehicle to explore themes of hope, inheritance, restoration, and renewal.

Joel was inspired by the diverse range of Blue Mountains orchids, which boasts over 130 species, in particular the recently re-discovered orchid,Corunastylis reflexa, by local eight-year-old Arabella Hanisch Jasiak, which hadn’t been seen for 145 years.

The sculpture will be positioned near the Blackheath Rotary Clock and Neate Park and will feature multiple orchid inspired structures, that will illuminate at night and are a celebration of the Blue Mountains as one of the most ecologically and botanically diverse regions on Australia’s east coast.

Blue Mountains Mayor, Cr Mark Greenhill, said: “We live within an extraordinary region that boasts such a diverse tapestry of flora and fauna. Joel’s sculptural artwork will be a beautiful reminder of this, to be enjoyed by both residents and visitors to Blackheath.”

All About Orchids is being held as a day to highlight, educate and inspire our community about the intricacies of our diverse mountain ecologies. The day itself is a collaboration between Blue Mountains City Council and several locally based organisations, entertainers, artists and community groups.

Jade Hudson, Coordinator at the Blackheath Area Neighbour Centre, says: “BANC is thrilled to help host this event in Blackheath, alongside BMCC, to bring the local community together. We invite everyone to come along to this free, family-friendly event and learn all about orchids. BANC will be there running a fundraising sausage sizzle and an art activity in Bates Hall.”

The commissioning and installation of the Reveal: A Celebration of Blue Mountains Orchids public artwork is part of the Blackheath Village Centre upgrade project, funded with 1.5 M from the Australian Government.

All About Orchids will take place at Bates Hall in Blackheath on Saturday, April 6, from midday to 3pm.