The uneventful dreariness of Lake Burley Griffin (an occasional theme of this gaiety-loving column) will be suspended this weekend thanks to the eventful gaiety of the Canberra Classic Boatfest.
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The annual Boatfest gives us a glimpse of just what joy the lake might bring us if only the National Capital Authority loosened its Taliban-like grip on what is allowed to happen on the waters of that ornamental billabong. The NCA's attitude to powered craft is the same as the Taliban's attitude to dancing.
Boatfest organiser Robyn Thorne advises that "The Boatfest is open to traditional boats, either original vessels or new builds, powered by oar, sail, steam, internal combustion or electric motor. Most are built of wood, but all embody the elegance and craftsmanship of a bygone era.
"Our activities will again be located on Lake Burley Griffin, in and around Lotus Bay and the Canberra Yacht Club. The event is open to the public and entry is free. We will have over 20 boats in attendance, some coming from as far away as Portland in Victoria. Come and inspect the boats and maybe take a short ride."
For details please go to these eccentric sailors' website www.tradboatsact.com
The Traditional Boat Squadron of Australia Inc. will hold this Canberra Classic Boatfest on the weekend of April 22-24, the Anzac Day long weekend.
Meanwhile and still pursuing a watery theme, our never-to-be-forgotten April 12 item about Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman and his giant floating artworks http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-life/ganggang-woodworker-pays-witness-tree-homage-to-charles-weston-20160411-go37sa.html has attracted the attention of Jennifer Jones of Canberra's Wellspring Environmental Arts & Design.
We have urged the NCA to bring Hofman to Canberra to put a smile on the face of presently expressionless Lake Burley Griffin.
Just to recap, Hofman's latest installation is a gigantic floating fish (15 metres long and seven metres tall it is made out of 12,000 pink, orange and yellow learn-to-swim kickboards) that as we speak is bobbing on ornamental waters at Wuzhen an ancient town in China. A startling picture of it bobbed about on our 12 April column. Hofman's other creations have included a colossal rubber duck for Hong Kong's harbour and a mammoth hippopotamus for the Thames at London. Wittily, we have put it to the NCA that Lake Burley Griffin is a woebegone dressed-in-rags Cinderella and that Flotrentijn Hofman could be the Handsome Prince to lift her out of misery.
Jennifer Jones read and enthused over our Hofman item and advises "We [Wellspring] have done something like that, too! And we have also pondered often how wonderful it would be to bring a whole new vision to Canberra's lakes with a project designed for this very place."
She reminisces that Wellspring has in the past and in Vietnam undertaken two projects, one on the Perfume River and then another for Festival Hue.
"Hue is the country's ancient capital, which is, not unlike Griffin's Canberra, designed around land and water axes and has a backdrop of dramatic hills."
The pictures she has sent us show two towering and magnificent floating golden dragons playing with a huge lotus flower. Wellspring collaborated with Vietnamese artists to design and create large sculptures of two golden dragons (each 12 metres long) and a lotus, appearing to float on Hue's famous Perfume River throughout this international cultural festival.
She recalls that a big team of workers and arts students "proudly helped to create these works".
"Much of the reason the projects were so wildly popular in Vietnam is that they had profound cultural relevance, using symbols of the nation, parts of their creation myths, and a great unifier for them. What an intriguing challenge it would be to develop something for Canberra, which had equal cultural acceptance. We'd love to give it a go. if we can do it all in Vietnamese, we should be able to do it in English."
The discerning Jennifer Jones thanks us for our sterling support of public art which of course in our case extends to fine street art, both authorised and audacious.
With the New York Primary upon us it emerges that many artist-supporters of New Yorker Bernie Sanders have been organised into giving him street art support with pop-up murals. In our picture Nick Kuszyk (left) works on a welcoming mural for the charismatic Bernie.
It would be irresponsible of us to recommend that Canberra and Australia's street artists take inspiration from the soon-to-be-announced federal election. But if we were that irresponsible we would point artists to online galleries of brand-new inspirational Bernie Sanders street art in New York.
Some of the famous NY street artists who have taken part rejoice in great names. There is Hektad, Vandal Expressionism, Adam Dare, Clockwork Cros, Frank Ape, Xors, Lola Jiblazee, and TriHumph. Does Canberra have a Lola Jiblazee? If so will this Jezebel be spurred by the buzzes and thrills of the coming election?
