SKYWHALES: EVERY HEART SINGS
ARTS NORTH WEST AND TAMWORTH REGIONAL COUNCIL ARTS CONSULTATION
IMAGE: Patricia Piccinini, Skywhale, 2020, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, commissioned with the assistance of The Balnaves Foundation 2019, purchased 2020 © Patricia Piccinini
Tamworth Regional Council and Tamworth Regional Gallery presented ‘Skywhales: Every Heart Sings’ – the Tamworth flight of Patricia Piccinini’s Skywhalepapa and Skywhale at Tamworth Number 1# Oval on Saturday 6 May from 5:15am.
Skywhales: Every Heart Sings was a project originally created by Canberra-born artist Patricia Piccinini to mark Canberra’s centenary in 2023. Since then, the giant whale-like floating sculptures have generated interest and inspiration throughout their travels across the globe.
As artist Piccinini says, ‘For me, the place where I find wonder is in nature. The weather needs to be just right for the skywhales to fly, so when they do it is even more special.’
Arts North West collaborated with the event and conducted community consultation for the Tamworth Public Arts Policy and also delivered a Plein Air/ Life drawing workshop to capture the inflation and release of the ‘Skywhales’ in motion. The workshops had over 35 participants and were hosted by local artists Sophie Honess, Daniel Stanley and Moral Lackley.
Over 3000 people attended the event as an amazing show of support by the Tamworth community for public arts programming.
Skywhales: Every Heart Sings is a National Gallery Touring Event, the third instalment of The Balnaves Contemporary Series and a Know My Name project.
