Jemalong Sculpture Garden

The Jemalong Interactive Sculpture garden was produced with residents and staff at the Jemalong Residential Village, Dementia Unit in Forbes, NSW, Australia. Project funding came from Regional Arts NSW, Arts OutWest.

Over the month of January 2017 artists, Damian Castaldi and Solange Kershaw worked at the Jemalong Residential Village to develop the work, which they then produced in their home studio in Kandos.

The artists had meetings and workshops with residents and were advised and helped by staff members Janet Hannon, Krystyna Anderson, Merryl Morris, Gwen Barnard, Christine McMillan, the Arts OutWest, Arts and Health Coordinator and Dean Martyn (pictured below).

The residents had previously made and exhibited artworks with Christine McMillan and Ro Burns. As part of that process the artists were able to work with the subject matter, themes and content inspired by this exhibition of work.

These ideas included working with the residents’ early memories of rural upbringing, life on the farm or in town, travelling to and from school by foot, horse or pushbike, living with animals and dancing and singing in their local dance halls.