Art tells the tale of trauma

A MUDDY, broken clock, a football jersey and dozens of local paintings are hanging on the walls of the Lockyer Valley Art Gallery.

Lissa Brown, a member of the Lockyer Valley Cultural Centre, looks at a montage of images featured as part of the “Living Journey One Year On” exhibition. Picture: Claudia Baxter

A MUDDY, broken clock, a football jersey and dozens of local paintings are hanging on the walls of the Lockyer Valley Art Gallery.

The "Living Journey One Year On" exhibition, which will close on Sunday, is made up of pieces of art and flood memorabilia put together by members of the Lockyer Valley community.

Dozens of residents took part in community workshops in Gatton, Laidley, Forest Hill and Murphys Creek in the lead up to the exhibition.

The resulting paintings hang on the wall of the gallery divided into the categories "Flood", "Devastation", "Survival", "Recovery" and "Moving Forward".

Along with the paintings from the workshops are a number of other pieces from local artists, as well as striking flood-damaged debris.

A water-damaged clock, still cased with mud, from the Murphys Creek house of Selwyn and Kate Schefe, who died in the disaster, takes pride of place on one wall.

Meanwhile a jersey with the colours of the Murphys Maulers and the Mussellbrook Rams, who held a charity match for the victims, hangs on another.

Prince William's message to the community, read by the Governor General at the anniversary commemoration, is framed in the gallery, along with personal stories of residents and a photographic display.

Lockyer Valley mayor Steve Jones encouraged people to attend the gallery before it closed.

"The display is a way for personal stories of recovery, strength and resilience to be expressed and shared with others," he said.

"Leading up to its opening, a number of workshops were held where children were invited to share their thoughts on the flood. Their pictures are displayed along an entire wall of the gallery."

The exhibition will finish this Sunday.

Originally published as Art tells the tale of trauma