The Bealiba Railway Station has been lovingly restored by Heather and Robert Cooper who enjoy sharing their passion for the station with railway enthusiasts and curious visitors alike. The Coopers also grow and produce some of the best caper and olive products known to man, all harvested from trees and bushes planted on the property, and this year they’ve partnered with a local chef to create a range of delicious tapenades and other delights for you to taste

During the Tiny Towns Arts Trail weekend the Ladies Lounge at the station will once again be transformed into a small gallery space and this year the Ladies Lounge will be hosting an exhibition of work by renowned local textile artist Jenny Bacon.

Jenny is the originator and curator (now retired) of the biennial “Golden Textures” Art Quilt Exhibition shown at Central Goldfields Art Gallery and a highly-accomplished textile artist in her own right.

Jenny creates contemporary quilts infused with the sensibilities of a 19th-century quilt maker, executed with the materials and technology of the 21st century. The local goldfields landscape, with its box ironbark forests; their shifting colours and shapes changing throughout the seasons, are a major influence for her quilts. Her sensitive attunement to colours and the feeling they evoke are a hallmark of her work.

In addition to Jenny’s work, Korong Vale artist David McTaggart will be exhibiting a series of his sculptural works, made from old fencing wire found littered around the rural landscape, along the railway platform.

David’s grandfather was a blacksmith and coachbuilder, and from a very young age David helped his grandfather at the forge. Welding and forming steel has become a deeply satisfying process for David and the idea of using found filament for his fabrication appeals to his resourcefulness and finding new applications for old materials. The fencing wire and recycled yarn used to create his sculptures and crochet work form a narrative resonance with the landscape and provide David with an exciting opportunity to explore drawing in three dimensions.

Don’t miss the chance to view David’s Sculptures and Jenny’s quilts in this intimate and unique setting. You can see more of Jenny’s work by visiting her website and following her on Instagram.