The beautiful Glossy Black feather art installation by Sunshine Coast artist James Muller and EarthBase Productions will be adorning the entrance of Sunshine Beach State High School from Wednesday 6 November 2019.
The striking installation has featured at a number of festivals and events over the past few years, including the Floating Land Exhibition and Booin Gari festivals.
The installation is an initiative of the P&C in collaboration with local Glossy legend Bob Carey to help raise awareness in the school community of the plight of this vulnerable species. The occasion will be marked with a smoking ceremony at 2pm on Wednesday, 6 November 2019 on site – Gate 1 leading up to the administration entrance of Sunshine Beach State High School.
Uncle Tais Muckan, local elder for the Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) tribe, will perform a smoking ceremony at the event after which the artist will talk about the sculptures and the inspiration behind them.
According to local Glossy legend Bob Carey the area around the school is prime habitat of Glossy Black Cockatoos, one of Australia’s rarest cockatoos and listed as vulnerable under QLD and NSW legislation.
“Glossies can easily be observed feeding and drinking at Sunrise Beach from May to November with birdwatchers from all across the world coming to our school to experience their drinking ritual in the early evenings,”Mr Carey said.
“Glossies are extremely ‘fussy’ eaters with a very restricted diet. They will return to the same food tree time and again, often ignoring nearby trees that are full of cones. For this reason it is extremely important for existing stands of favoured food trees to be recognised and retained.”
P&C Vice President of Environment and Sustainability, Bettina Walter, said the P&C was committed to both helping students protect our native habitat as a legacy for future students as well as learning and honouring our indigenous culture. James Muller has collaborated with Lyndon Davis on the Glossy feather sculptures and thus they perfectly signify the schools endeavours.
The incoming school leadership team is committed to strengthening the biodiversity around the school and planting more Glossy Black feed trees.
The installation will remain in place for the remainder of the year.
image by Sigi Krenn (Glossies drinking from the SBSHS carpark puddle)
James Muller’s feather sculptures at the opening of Noosa Alive:
