Board Broads

Circle of Life…Savers 2023

Repurposed materials: decommissioned rescue boards, paper, paint, rope, trampoline frames

400 x 500 x 500 cm

Not for sale

About the Work

Circle of Life…Savers is a sculptural tribute to all surf lifesavers, raising awareness of their contribution to our Australian beach culture and lifestyle. The national association Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) is the largest volunteer movement of its kind in the world, with approximately 182,000 members. It is represented by the inner circle of red and yellow boards. The outer circle represents our local Townsville branch Arcadian Surf Life Saving Club Inc., which is celebrating 95 years of community engagement in 2023. We want people to reflect on the vigilance and service that volunteer lifesavers provide in making our beaches safe.

About the Artists

Board Broads is a group of women who became connected through our attendance at The HUB Creative Space, highlighting the premise of how art brings people together. Collectively, we truly believe that art has the ability to bind people to place as well as to each other. While we are an eclectic group, we all agree that the Townsville Strand is our place, whether we walk it, swim it or just enjoy its amenity. Individually, we are:

• Fiona Banner, mosaicist and potter, BA Fine Arts, Wolverhampton Polytechnic
• Sue Bright, owner/operator/maker The Hub Creative Space, 2015 Fringe Ephemera
• Penny Glew, emerging artist, former Arcadian Surf Life Club member
• Alison Macdiarmid, artist, BA Visual Arts, JCU, 2005, 2007 Strand Ephemera
• Jane Mellors, marine biologist, BSc, MSc, PhD, JCU, Grad Dip Ed. Charles Darwin University
• Kate Thomas, ADF Veteran, beachcomber, BA Performance BEd JCU.

We would like to thank: Arcadia Life Saving Club, Picnic Bay Life Saving Club, It’s Paint, Tropical Packaging, Design Worx Apparel, The Hub Creative Space, Donna Stark and Ross Glew.