Our area was closed to the outside world for 12 months because of the 2019/2020 fires and then covid took over our lives.
During the bushfires of 2019/20 we were completely surrounded by fires.
Our only escape route being directly north. Many of our local community are volunteer fire-fighters and each area had RFS team members out fighting fires for months.
Our area was a tourist no-go zone. After the fires our borders were still very limited by the extent of the destructive fires.
Then we were again a no-go zone as the pandemic gained momentum. The ski season went ahead but on a limited basis.
What does this mean? Our region relies heavily on tourism. No tourism no income for our businesses. Our farmers and their families had already suffered. Now our local business owners were closing down their businesses one by one.
We have all been in isolation for so long that depression has been hovering for a long time.
There had been discussions about the lack of an art gallery in our region – the Snowy-Monaro region. The only art galleries in existence that were remotely close to us were those in Canberra and Bega. The Snowy Mountains Photographic Society put forward a submission for a micro grant from South-East Arts in the hope that we could start up a small gallery. We were very fortunate to receive this grant, and with $1000 and some keen local artists we established the Jindabyne Art Gallery.
Opening the art gallery has brought in fresh air and a spot of brightness. Our community has rallied around and helped us get started. We have offered our artists a reason to start creating by giving them an exhibition space and chance of earning some much needed income.
https://www.jindabyne-art-gallery.com/