A UNIQUE art exhibition which highlights the plight of the Murray Darling Basin river and lakes system was officially opened in Millicent recently.
Source 2 Sea by Meningie based artist Rosa Merlino features over 40 pieces of artwork and aims to shine light on the Murray River and its importance.
The exhibition will remain at the Millicent Visitor Information Centre this month to include national water week and build awareness around the value of Australian water.
Ms Merlino is also a healthy rivers ambassador and says she has used art to share her knowledge and passion about the Murray River with the wider community.
“Whenever I make an exhibition it is normally made up of 40-50 pieces and it is usually to get some sort of discourse about something that either affects me personally or affects where I live,” she said.
“My activism about water really sort of hit the skids about four years ago when I realised the basin plan was being totally eroded.
“We started lobbying politicians very heavily.
“Last year, I decided we should do Source 2 Sea, which is basically artists standing up in solidarity to showcase the Murray Darling Basin and to build awareness where there may not be awareness in a more simple sort of format.
“The Murray Darling Basin not only supports two and a half million people directly, it supports all of us one way or another and especially in South Australia.
“I know Millicent is very lucky because the water supply here is a different sort of tract, but for most of South Australia including Port Augusta it is the Murray River.
“We have to be very mindful and stand up and protect it.”
The artwork featured in Ms Merlino’s Source 2 Sea exhibition spans across a decade and includes water paintings, installation work and sculptures.
Her pieces send a powerful and confronting message about the importance of the Murray River and how it has changed over the years.
Ms Merlino has also used items and materials found across the Coorong in some of her artwork, including paper, glass and dirt to make pigments.
Her passion for promoting the importance of the whole river system stems from life in Menginge when residents experienced the harsh reality of over-extraction coupled with a drought.
Last year she started the artist support movement Source 2 Sea with a number of voluntary ambassadors who aim to generate support for sustainable management to maintain a healthy Murray Darling Basin for the future.
Wattle Range Council libraries and cultural services manager Janice Nitschke thanked Ms Merlino for including Millicent on her schedule and added the exhibition was interesting and fitting for the region.
“Millicent is very fortunate to have your work on display here,” she said.
“What you do encapsulates what a lot of people do think about the issues we have with the Coorong.
“We are very lucky here we have lots of water, but at the same time this is our community up the road, this is what we pass through.
“Millicent is clean and green and water is really important to us.
“This has been an interesting journey watching the Coorong and the changes through it.”
The exhibition will run until November 2 and has been supported by the Federal Government’s Regional Arts Fund and Country Arts SA.
