Get crafty with festival guitars

By Adair Winder

Jun 14, 2022

Art and music: Winter Blues Festival committee member Dave Callanan surrounded himself with some colourful entries in the decorated guitar competition. Photo by David Chapman

Blank guitars for the annual Winter Blues Festival decorative guitar competition are now able to be collected by those who are eager to get into the community spirit.

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Individuals, organisations and community groups can purchase a blank guitar for $5 each from the Campaspe Library, which they can then decorate and bring back to get judged for prizes in July (date yet to be announced).

After judging, all of the decorative guitars are then lined up in shop windows around Echuca Moama for community members and tourists to admire and marvel at.

Winter Blues Festival committee member and decorative guitars competition co-ordinator Dave Callanan said he had been working hard to revitalise the much-loved guitar competition after a two-year hiatus.

“The guitars turn it from being just a music festival into something that the whole community can be invested in and can be proud of,” Mr Callanan said.

In a collaborative effort by the community, Rochester Mitre 10 donated the timber for the guitars and the guitar blanks were created and cut-out by Echuca Moama Men's Shed members.

Organisers have asked that guitars be decorated in the theme of Blues music but said children were free to create whatever design they wanted to.

School holiday guitar painting sessions will be held with Patricia Rowe at the Campaspe Library, however, bookings are essential.

This year’s Winter Blues Festival will be held from July 28 to 31 across various locations.

By Adair Winder