PHOTO
72619.0
Grenfell's Community Curtain has reached a milestone, with residents gathering to celebrate 25 years since the unveiling of the remarkable textile artwork that has become one of the town's most treasured cultural assets.
Speaking at the anniversary event, Delia Lennane recounted the story behind the curtain, describing it as a powerful symbol of community, creativity and determination.
The project began when The Henry Lawson High School needed a stage curtain for its auditorium.
As the Grenfell Dramatic Society regularly used the hall for productions, the group agreed to fund the project, a decision that ultimately led to the creation of one of the region's most significant community artworks.
"If not for the Grenfell Dramatic Society, this curtain would not exist as it does today," Delia said.
At the heart of the project was local artist Sylvia Brind, whose vision, skill and persistence transformed an ordinary curtain into a detailed textile mural depicting the history, landscape and people of the Grenfell district.
Inspired by a large mural she had seen in Griffith, Sylvia believed Grenfell could create something similar.
Rather than producing a patchwork of separate squares, she developed a design that flowed like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Volunteers were assigned individual elements, such as flowers and landscape details, which Sylvia later assembled into a cohesive artwork.
She designed the mural across five panels, featuring local landmarks, gold mining heritage, Aboriginal history, native birds, churches, sporting traditions, Greenethorpe, Quandialla, Caragabal and many other aspects of life in the Weddin Shire.
Using graph paper, watercolour paintings and enlarged photocopies, Sylvia painstakingly developed full-size patterns for every section of the curtain.
Community members, TAFE students and volunteers contributed sewing, embroidery, quilting and lacework, while donated materials found new life in the artwork.
"Lots of items and helpers came in during the first couple of years," Delia recalled.
"It was a recycling project before recycling was fashionable."
A number of local craftspeople contributed specialised skills.
Joy Bean created the intricate lacework featured on the Grenfell Record Office, while TAFE students assisted with sewing and embroidery.
New techniques, including the use of a fabric stabiliser known as Solvy, helped create the curtain's impressive landscape effects and sense of depth.
The project took nearly a decade to complete and faced numerous challenges, including difficulties securing funding.
Despite setbacks, Sylvia remained committed to her vision.
To demonstrate the value of the project she even created and donated a painted version of the design to Weddin Shire Council.
That artwork led to the commission of the well-known tiled mural on the main street motel wall, completed by Sylvia and Joan Bolton as part of Federation celebrations in 2001.
As the Federation celebrations approached, volunteers worked tirelessly to finish the curtain.
Large sections were assembled in the TAFE fashion room, where volunteers manoeuvred the enormous panels through industrial sewing machines.
The finished curtain was unveiled in 2001 before a packed audience at The Henry Lawson High School.
"I will never forget the collective 'ooh' from the audience when they saw the curtain for the first time," Delia said.
Although originally intended to hang permanently in the school hall, changing regulations and rising costs eventually led the Grenfell Dramatic Society to move its productions elsewhere.
Recognising the curtain's cultural significance, council arranged for it to be displayed in the library and visitor information hub, where it remains today.
Delia said the curtain represents far more than fabric and thread.
"It epitomises the values of community, creativity and sustainability," she said.
"The making of the curtain has now become history, but the original intent was to capture history."
She paid tribute to the many volunteers, contributors and supporters who helped bring the project to life, while acknowledging that the curtain's existence ultimately came down to one person's determination.
"Ultimately, there would be no curtain without one woman's passion," she said.
"Sylvia Brind's enthusiasm brought a community together, her confidence inspired others, and her artistic talent allowed for the creation of the outstanding textile artwork we see today."
Twenty-five years on, the Grenfell Community Curtain continues to tell the story of the district while standing as a lasting testament to the power of community collaboration and the vision of a remarkable local artist.