The Roberts Creek mandala, an annual community art project begun 28 years ago by Robert Marion and Erica Snowlake, was in peril of fading this summer. Marion declared in early July that his customary creative leadership at the Roberts Creek pier would conflict with his recent purchase of a new home. “Stop for this year and come back strong next,” he wrote in an online statement. “We love the mandala. We shall return!”
After a fortnight, a trio of Sunshine Coast teens stepped into the breach. “This is such an important tradition to everyone on the Sunshine Coast,” said Emily Webster, who in September will begin her Grade 12 year at Elphinstone Secondary School. “We didn’t want to see it not happen this year.” She and Sol Battaglio, a recent Chatelech graduate, were sitting on the beach as they began brainstorming. “Let’s start tomorrow morning,” urged Webster. “We’re going to talk to a few people and see who could help us.”
Webster is a painter who exhibited her captivating works at The Kube’s showcase of emerging artists in January. Battaglio himself creates in pencil, oils, pastel and charcoal. As they set out to revive the mandala in time for this weekend’s Creek Daze celebration, they enlisted the help of Molly Riepe, a textile artist and one of the ringleaders of the youth-led Ripped Open Fashion Cabaret held in May.
“I didn’t even have a moment of asking, ‘How are you going to do that?’” said Riepe. “It was just like: oh, we’re painting the mandala! It really is the beating heart of Roberts Creek.”
“This is such an important thing for everyone here,” added Webster, “especially for the kids, and everyone looks forward to it every year so they can come together and see familiar faces and create something beautiful together.”
The teens contacted Marion, who gave his blessing and wished them luck. They solicited donations of supplies and advice from local businesses and community members. Acclaimed muralist Dean Schutz came onboard (recommended by Casandra Fletcher of the One Straw Society), offering both expertise in large-format painting and a selection of secondhand pigment.
On Aug. 4, the group scrubbed the site and laid down design contours in white primer. Community members are invited to contribute unique designs within pre-defined panels of the overall artwork: a crab festooned in a celestial starburst.
“I did take some inspiration from Rob’s style,” said Battaglio, “and how he usually finds meaning in the area with different animals. Since it was the month of Cancer, and since the Dungeness crab in history has been a main food source for the Sunshine Coast, we created a crab surrounded by planets.” The nine bodies of the Solar System bisect the crustacean while the sun illuminates its pincers from below and behind.
“We’re going to put a Tree of Life in the middle to kind of symbolize what we have brought back to life again this year,” said Webster.
The team’s fast-paced logistics entailed checking whether a permit was required (it wasn’t) and securing event insurance. Individuals and families can contribute their designs every day until Aug. 9. The finished mandala will be the centrepiece of Creek Daze, organized by the Roberts Creek Community Association this Sunday, Aug. 10. The proceedings get under way with the Higgledy Piggledy Parade at (very approximately) 11:11 a.m.
Webster, Battaglio and Riepe will be onsite every day until the mandala’s completion. “We are not doing the mandala,” emphasized Webster. “It’s not our mandala. We’re just inspiring and pushing for people to do it again this year. It’s a community thing. We’re all doing the mandala.”
