Elsie Lange
This weekend, 11 branches of the Victorian Country Women’s Association (CWA) will come together to put their collective talents on show for their Creative Arts Exhibition 2022.
At the Lancefield Mechanics Institute on Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10, the annual show will feature art, including drawing and painting, and hand crafts, like knitting, crochet and embroidery and more.
Kyneton Twilighters CWA branch member Sharon McNamara-Youl said there will be a number of awards for cooking, known as home industries, too.
“We have [prizes for] the perfect sponge, to the perfect scone, to the perfect jam, to preserved fruits and veg and all sorts of stuff,” Ms McNamara-Youl said.
“This year we’ve changed up our categories a bit to acknowledge the different dietary requirements people have, so we’ve got our first gluten-free category for baking, which is going to be terrific.
“We’ve got a fermented foods category as well, I’m excited to have won that with my home-brewed kombucha,” she said.
She said there will even be a home-baked bread category, for people to show-off the skills they perfected during the pandemic.
“All of our lockdown sourdough work is getting put on show,” she said.
In its 94th year, the CWA means something different to each of its members, who join together to outwardly support the community, while also supporting each other.
“We all come to the association as individuals, some of us come to give back to the community and help with fundraising, some of us come just for friendship,” Ms McNamara-Youl said.
The Creative Arts Exhibition is happening at the Lancefield Mechanics Institute on Saturday, April 9, 10am-4pm, and Sunday, April 10, 10am-3pm. Entry is $5, children under 16 are free and and lunch, morning and afternoon teas will be available.
