The St Arnaud and district community is invited to the official unveiling of a new sculpture in Queen Mary Botanic Gardens.
Northern Grampians Shire Council and Queen Mary Botanic Garden Advisory Group will host the unveiling on Friday, September 11 at 1.30pm.
The sculpture, brought to life by experienced multidisciplinary design studio United Make, is the centrepiece of a new Buddleia Garden.
'Where the Garden Gathers' is inspired by shapes and geometry found in nature and is described as 'a sculptural meeting point between flower, pollinator, light and landscape'.
Rising from a single stem, its clustered forms unfold like a bloom, part flower, part honeycomb, part imagined habitat.
The work reflects the quiet intelligence of nature, with many small structures coming together to create something larger, stronger and alive.
As sunlight and shadow move across its weathered surface, the sculpture changes throughout the day, inviting visitors to pause and notice the hidden patterns that connect all living things.
Mayor Karen Hyslop said she was excited to unveil the work to the community and thanked everyone involved in delivering the project.
In February and March this year, council sought quotes from appropriately qualified and experienced artists to deliver community engagement, design and installation of a public art sculpture at Queen Mary Botanic Gardens in St Arnaud.
"The artwork was always intended to be the centrepiece of a new Buddleia Garden that the Queen Mary Botanic Garden Advisory Group was establishing with support from the Friends of the Queen Mary Gardens Committee," Cr Hyslop said.
"The design brief was developed in collaboration with the advisory group, and the theme of the proposed sculpture was 'of the natural world, relevant to regional Victoria'."
Cr Hyslop said council's Public Art Working Group assessed 23 quality submissions through a robust process in line with council's Public Art Guidelines, and in consultation with a representative of council's Public Art Reference Group.
"Ultimately, the tender was awarded to United Make and we are excited to showcase the results to the community," she said.
The Buddleia Garden will provide a welcoming habitat for many butterfly species, including Yellow Admirals, Swallowtails, Red-spotted Jezebels and Lesser Wanderers, to name just a few.
It will also attract bees, honeyeaters and other nectar-feeding birds, bringing colour, movement and life to the garden. The garden also features a beautiful selection of salvias.
Several of the Buddleias were specially bred and generously donated by Jean and Ellen Reid of the St Arnaud Bible Museum and Butterfly Centre.
From October through to June, the Buddleia Garden will come alive with butterflies, birds and other important native pollinators.
"Congratulations to council's Parks and Gardens team, who created the Buddleia Garden and do such a fantastic job keeping all of our green spaces looking amazing," Cr Hyslop said.
"The botanic gardens is such a wonderful asset for our community and visitors alike.
"Council is pleased to work collaboratively with the gardens' advisory group and Friends of the Queen Mary Gardens Committee to ensure this beautiful green space in the middle of our town continues to flourish."
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