Stitching up art and a sense of community
Four years ago, Therese Flynn-Clarke met a group of likeminded women at a workshop about repurposing clothes.
A primary arts specialist teacher, practicing artist and sewing enthusiast, Therese was floored by the talent and proposed a monthly meet-up.
The group, now known as the Southside Upcycling Stitchers (SUS), are still sewing and creating together – and growing faster than ever.
Therese says the goal was to create a space that cultivated creativity and environmental awareness.
With financial support from the Regional Arts Development Fund, a partnership between the Queensland Government and Logan City Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland, the SUS group has been able to host a variety of art workshops to coincide with its first exhibition at Logan Art Gallery Pop Up ‘Stitched Together’.
“The most rewarding part of it all is how connected we’ve all become through art and sustainability – I just love this group, we have so many laughs.”
— Therese Flynn-Clarke
‘People were making amazing things – I could see the group’s potential and put in a proposal to showcase our work at the gallery,’ Therese says.
‘The exhibition name is a play on the phrase’s double meaning, as we repurpose and stitch things up and have also become stitched together as a collective.
‘And because we have so many practicing artists in our group, I thought it’d be a great idea to apply for the grant to create that bridge between art and community.’
The SUS group has collaborated with the Sewing Lair to run on-site workshops for the duration of the exhibition.
In some community sessions, attendees used items like old bedsheets, pasta bags and face masks to create Dolls of Hope and Promise.
These dolls are now proudly featured at the Logan Art Gallery Pop Up at Logan West Community Centre, 2 Wineglass Drive, Hillcrest.
‘The grant has just been fantastic – we’ve been able to really expand beyond the exhibition and share our skills with the wider community,’ Therese says.
‘It’s also given local artists the opportunity to develop a workshop around their practice with a focus on reusing and repurposing.
‘The most rewarding part of it all is how connected we’ve all become through art and sustainability – I just love this group, we have so many laughs.’
This project is supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF). RADF is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Logan City Council to support arts and culture in regional Queensland. Article photo by Kerry Warnholtz, supplied by Therese Flynn-Clarke.
Check out Therese’s work on her website, Facebook and Instagram. If you’d like more information about the SUS group, check out the Southside Upcycling Stitchers Facebook page.
By June Ho
