New exhibition marks 70 years of the iconic Magnetic Island to Townsville swim

A new art exhibition is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the iconic Magnetic Island to Townsville swim. Read about the important issue it’s bringing to the surface.

Visionary behind the Swim Art Prizer Julie Boxsell, with Drill Hall Studio proprietor Sue Tilley and Healthy Waters Partnership executive officer Kara-Mae Coulter-Atkins. Picture: Supplied.

Exploring the powerful connection between art and nature, a unique exhibition is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the iconic Magnetic Island to Townsville race and highlighting the health of our region’s waterways.

Running until July 22 at the Drill Hall Studio, the Cameron & Co Swim Art Prize is the inaugural exhibition of works by local and regional artists to mark 70 years of the iconic Townsville Open Water Swimming Association (TOWSA) Magnetic Island to Townsville Swim.

With a grand prize of $1000, the exhibition highlights the colourful history of the event which began in 1954 when three local men did the swim in shark-proof cages.

For the past 16 years, brave people have travelled from far and wide to race the 8km stretch between Picnic Bay and the Strand, without the protection of cages.

The exhibition features a diverse range of artworks, including paintings, sculptures, and multimedia pieces, all inspired by the TOWSA swim, and by Townsville’s vibrant aquatic environments.

Historical clipping from the early days of the Magnetic Island to Townsville Swim. Picture: Supplied.

The iconic Magnetic Island to Townsville Swim has been swum for the past 70 years. Picture: Supplied.

In addition to the prize entries, a 1983 painting by Peter Lawson of an early race event has been loaned by City Galleries, along with a collection of photographs and clippings of the historic race.

Townsville nurse, distance swimmer, and visionary behind the art prize Julie Boxsell said when she swims in open water, there’s a feeling of freedom she can’t find anywhere else. “Our rivers and ocean fuel my body and my mental health. For me to be healthy, our waterways must be healthy,” Ms Boxsell said.

Artists Heather Byrne and Sue Tilley are participating in the Cameron & Co Swim Art Prize at Drill Hall Studio. Picture: Supplied.

Artist Sharron Crowe has entered Great Expectations and Swimmer in the Cameron & Co Swim Art Prize at Drill Hall Studio. Picture: Supplied.

The exhibition will culminate on July 19 with the unveiling of the fifth annual Townsville Waterways Report Card, revealing the state of our region’s rivers, creeks, and coastal waters.

A collective of more than 20 organisations behind the report card, the Healthy Waters Partnership has thrown its support behind the art prize.

The upcoming 2024 Waterways Report Card will be released at Drill Hall Studio on July 19. Picture: Supplied.

Healthy Waters Partnership executive officer Kara-Mae Coulter-Atkins said healthy waters matter to us for many reasons, not least because we swim, fish, paddle, and dive in our marine and freshwater waterways.

“This exhibition captures the essence of our connection to swimming and water, and we encourage all locals to take a look,” Ms Coulter-Atkins said.

Artworks on display for the Cameron & Co Swim Art Prize at Drill Hall Studio. Picture: Malcolm Tattersall.

There will be considerable interest in seeing whether the report card shows an improvement in the water quality of the Bohle River Freshwater Sub-Basin, after four years of receiving the poor grade of “D”.

The 2024 Salt 66 Magnetic Island to Townsville Swim will take place on July 20.

Originally published as New exhibition marks 70 years of the iconic Magnetic Island to Townsville swim