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Queensland’s museums and galleries are opening their doors and inviting visitors to join the worldwide celebrations for International Museum Day (18 May) during Museums Alight! which runs from 15 to 23 May 2010.

Now in its sixth year, Museums Alight! is a state-wide annual event presented by Museum and Gallery Services Queensland (M&GSQ) to highlight the great contribution Queensland museums and galleries make to their communities.

This year, Dogwood Crossing @ Miles and Miles Historical Village & Museum are responding to the International Museum Day theme of Museums for Social Harmony by hosting the Through Curious Spaces to Curious Places – Progressive Dinner.

Book now for this great evening to be held on Friday 21 May 2010, starting at Dogwood Crossing @ Miles at 5.30pm. Enjoy drinks while viewing the featured exhibition: Curious Spaces by past and present USQ Spatial Construction Students. Students from the local high school involved in a 3D art workshop with the USQ students will be on hand to show and speak about the installations they created in response to the exhibition.

Next stop is the Miles Historical Village and Museum for main course and dessert.  The evening provides the perfect opportunity to explore the Museum’s original homestead, which is built from timber slabs and was originally the “Hipong” homestead north of Miles. Furnished in period style, the homestead’s dirt floors and open fireplace are grim reminders of pioneering days.  To conclude the evening the radio play “Ghost Bats” by Sally McDonald will be performed by a local cast using the homestead as a backdrop.

Did you know that Dogwood Crossing @ Miles and the Miles Historical Village and Museum are open 7 days a week, 364 days a year, closed only on Christmas Day?

Anne Keam

Cultural Officer at Dogwood Crossing @ Miles Historical Village & Museum

Phone: 07 4628 5566

Email: anne.keam@wdrc.qld.gov.au

Visit the Museum and Gallery Services Queensland website www.magsq.com.au for full details of participating Queensland venues and related special events.

Chloe Sayer, an internationally recognized specialist in Latin American art and culture, will present a lecture for the Toowoomba Group of the Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society (ADFAS) on Tuesday, 18th May. Chloe, who hails from London, will speak on the ground-breaking art of  Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

Kahlo and Rivera have iconic status in Mexico. Responding to the revolutionary fervor that swept Mexico in the early decades of the twentieth century, these two artists helped to shape the cultural identity of contemporary Mexico. Rivera’s vast murals adorn the walls of many public buildings in Mexico and combine social criticism with faith in human progress. Frida Kahlo’s art on the other hand is usually in a small format and often she is the subject of her paintings.

This is a lecture not to be missed by people with an interest in key contributors to the development of international art.

Chloe Sayer’s lecture will be given in the Glennie Room, The Glennie School, Herries Street, Toowoomba on Tuesday 18 May starting at 6.45 pm and will be followed by supper.

Members of the public are welcome to attend. The cost is $20 for persons who are not members of ADFAS. For further information about Chloe Sayer’s lecture and about membership of ADFAS, contact the Secretary of ADFAS, Toowoomba on 07 4636 6164.

Firefighters from across the State will go head-to-head 14^th and 15^th May as the final round of the Road Crash Rescue (RCR) Challenge comes to a thrilling conclusion at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.

With the competitive tradition which started at the inaugural National RCR Competition in Brisbane, Queensland in 1995, the Holmatro RCR Challenge trophy has always been a prized possession for all teams striving to attain the top award.

The RCR Competition format provides all participants with the opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge, better preparing themselves for ‘real life’ incidents in their work environment and provide a better service to the community. Road Crash Rescue Challenges have been held over the last year, with teams from each region competing against each other for their bid to be judged best in the state”.

Eight teams (including an SES team from Far North Queensland) will line up against each other this Friday (14^th May) and Saturday (15^th May) in a display of strength, courage and comradeship across a number of rescue scenarios in which their technique and skill will be assessed.

It really is a great opportunity for our firefighters and SES teams to show the public, and ultimately each other, the skills and techniques required to rescues lives and save property on a daily basis”, State Road Crash Rescue Challenge Coordinator Grant Gaskin said.

Teams will be competing for a range of trophies and the prestigious title of 2010 State RCR winner. The winning team will go on to represent the State later in the year at the 2010 Australasian Rescue Challenge (ARRO) to be held in Melbourne.

Awards and trophies will be presented to the winners at a presentation dinner on Saturday night 15^th May at the City Golf Club.

In conjunction with the State RCR Challenge a Community Safety Expo with the focus and theme Zero harm to our Community” will also be run over the two days.

Members of the public will have the opportunity to test their driving abilities in the Shared Vision simulator, and Queensland Police Service (QPS) and Drive 4 Life along with many other exhibitors will be on hand  – all with the aim to help save lives through safe driver training, improved road practices and awareness.

For more information:

Di Warr, QFRS SWR Community Liaison Officer Mb: 0407 033 788

Cancer Council Queensland’s Dalby Volunteer Branch is stirring up community support for the charity, hosting a ‘mad hatters’ inspired Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea on Sunday May 30.

The afternoon garden tea party will be held in the beautiful surrounds at Dalby’s Winter Gardens. Cancer Council Queensland branch volunteer and event organiser, Lola Stegar, says the Dalby Branch have a tradition of hosting Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea.

The branch is excited to be hosting Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea again, we’ve been involved in the campaign for over 10 years now,” Ms Stegar said. Guests are encouraged to dress for the tea party theme, in their best mad hat.”

Entertainment will include a fashion parade, school band, stalls, a multi-draw raffle, and lots of activities for youngsters. Entry is $10 per person and everyone in the community is welcome to attend the event, which starts at 1:30pm,” she said.

Dalby Winter Gardens is located at 7 Spring Creek Drive, Dalby.

Regional Fundraising Co-ordinator for Cancer Council Queensland, Gael Evans, says Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea is the largest, most successful fundraising event of its kind in Australia.

Money raised through Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea funds cancer research, patient support services and education programs on the prevention and early detection of cancer,” Ms Evans said.

Cancer Council Queensland is not government funded and relies solely on the generosity of Queenslanders to continue its vital work. Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea is officially held on May 27, but people can hold their morning tea anytime throughout May or June,” she said.

For more information visit www.biggestmorningtea.com.au or call 1300 65 65 85.

Gael Evans, Regional Fundraising Co-ordinator, Cancer Council Queensland Ph: 4690 5804 or 0407 134 057

The countdown to the 2010 Hampton Food and Arts Festival has begun with just days until the annual celebration of local food, arts and culture kicks off on Sunday 16^th May. The quiet village of just 500 residents will swell to more than 4,000 as visitors from all over South East Queensland converge on Hampton’s Chapman Park to enjoy a day out in the high country.

Foodies are well catered for at this year’s Festival. Acclaimed chefs Matt Golinski and Alastair McLeod will showcase the district’s renowned produce in a series of lively cooking demonstrations, while a diverse array of local restaurants, food producers and wineries will offer everything from shiraz to sourdough. The concept of Slow Food will mark a new direction for the Festival.

Our featured chef Matt Golinski has had a long involvement with the Slow Food movement,” said food co-ordinator Rosemary Jones. We’re excited about the possibility of launching a Slow Food convivium on the Darling Downs and encourage Festival goers to get involved.”

Lovers of fine art will find a range of interesting works exhibited in the Art Marquee, all created by artists living within 50km of Hampton. Sculpture, painting, and photography will all be on display, and a series of demonstrations will be held around the theme soft textiles”.

The Hampton Festival is an important launching pad for young and emerging artists,” said art co-ordinator Sue Oliver. We’re proud of our local talent, and want to do everything possible to foster their development.” To this end, the Hampton Art Exhibition is again offering a substantial cash prize, and works will be available for purchase throughout the day.

But what would a festival be without music. Jazz singer Grace Knight is this year’s headline act.

Tickets for the Saturday concert, An Evening with Grace Knight”, have sold out but she will also be performing at Sunday’s main event.  Knight will be supported by a mix of great musicians including Hopney Moffet, the Jimmy Watts Band and locals the Prettiest Girl in the County and Pretty Ugly, and they can all be seen for the general admission price.

The 2010 Hampton Festival promises to be a brilliant day out in a wonderful country setting. Gates open at 9.30am and entry is $10 (under 12’s free). A free bus service will run from Toowoomba and Highfields to Chapman Park courtesy of Bus Queensland Toowoomba.  For times and lots of other information check out the Festival website, www.hamptonfestival.com

Kerri Seccombe

Marketing & Publicity

Hampton Food & Arts Festival

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The Lions Club of Clifton has arranged a bus to take footy fans down for the BIG game between the Broncos and the Titans at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Friday 14^th May 2010.

Lions Club of Clifton President Mr. Vaughn Pauli said the trip is $70.00 per person ($45.00 for Children) which includes a return bus trip and entry to the game with great seats, the bus will be leaving Clifton at 3.30pm and will do a pick up at Toowoomba just after 4pm, those who are interested can call me or Karen on 07 46123 775 or 0417 773 624”

Our Lions club is one of more than 45,000 clubs in 200 countries.   All monies raised from this bus trip will go to our Clifton Lions Club Medical Research Personality Quest Entrant – Miss Danielle Nottage” Said Mr. Pauli.

There are only 14 tickets left so call now!!

The David Hack Classic Meet in and around the Aerotec Hangar, Spitfire Street Toowoomba Airport will run from 9am to 3pm Sunday 2nd May.

Those who attend will see a spectacular display of approximately 600 classic cars, trucks, military vehicles and various others (i.e. Hot Rods, Utes, Racing Cars, Motor Bikes & Historic planes) and demonstrations.

There will be a static display of rare Warbirds – the Zuccoli private collection of restored war planes and visiting aircraft, and joy rides and adventure flights will also be available.

Food and drink stalls on the grounds, so just bring yourself and your camera. The Meet is an annual event in memory of David Hack, and is staged by the Rotary Club of Toowoomba North, and benefits the Leukaemia Foundation, Blue Care and other charities.

Al Gibson

Vice Chairman, David Hack Committee