The Shoalhaven's Gateway sculpture remains a beacon of resilience and community connection.
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Dora Rognvaldsdottir a sculptor, arts educator and community artist, came up with the idea for this piece of art.
It was installed earlier this year and majestically sits on the Ulladulla Harbour's foreshore.
Many people are drawn to it - they want to see it, touch it, walk around it and reflect upon its meaning.
This beautiful piece of art will be the focus of a community celebration this Sunday, May 29
Because it was a community-based project members of the community are welcome to attend the celebration.
The celebration starts this Sunday at 10am near the work on the Ulladulla Harbour.
It will be followed by morning tea at the Ulladulla Civic Centre.
People wanting to attend the morning tea, for catering purposes, are asked to RSVP at events.humanitix.com/gateway
Dora engaged the community in the process and wants people to be part of Sunday's event.
The gateway participants got to use creativity as part of their healing process following the Black Summer Bushfire crisis.
"After the shock and destruction of the 2019/2020 bushfires I was moved to bring our community together to create a large scale commemorative public sculpture," she said.
The work consists of three tall steel spires in the shape of flames - they symbolise a gateway with several entrances and as Dora explains it shows the community coming together to withstand a natural disaster
"The bottom part of each spire is based on photographs of different communities and people's different experiences during fires," she said.
"Above those images are panels of ceramic works and tiles commemorating the flora and fauna destroyed by the fires."
The creations from the community members, under Dora's guidance, were detailed and personal.
Community members made 1200 ceramic animals which are now part of the work.
Dora said the project grew beyond her expectations due to the community's enthusiasm.