A PROJECT to weave a million stars to honour the memory of Jill Meagher is receiving astronomical levels of support.
Artist Maryann Talia Pau (pictured), co-founder of the Altona-based Pacific Women’s Weaving Circle, is amazed by interest sparked by her One Million Stars to End Violence project.
The idea struck her while her family was helping prepare the vigil for Ms Meagher in a Brunswick church. “We were helping collect the messages for Jill’s family. It was hard to put something like this into words so I started weaving these stars; it just evolved from there.”
Ms Pau says the public outpouring of emotion in response to Ms Meagher’s disappearance in Brunswick on September 22 and the finding of her body one week later near a dirt road at Gisborne South has shown “the connection we feel as a community”.
“It has impacted on so many people, but here is a positive way for people to connect,” she said.
Adrian Ernest Bayley, of Coburg, has been charged with the rape and murder of the 29-year-old ABC employee.
Ms Pau says she was also inspired by a message left among the floral tributes to Ms Meagher; it was a quote from Martin Luther King Jnr: Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
Ms Pau will be in Footscray next Wednesday to run ‘star weaving’ workshops at the opening of Colour Box Studio’s month-long Pop Up Shop. The space, to feature art, craft and designs by Melbourne artists, will be opened at 5pm on November 7. Studio director and local filmmaker Amie Batalibasi says the artist-run space will help makers pursue, display and sell their craft.
The November 7 launch will also feature prizes and a chance to meet the artists. The shop will be open to the public until December 5. An Open Studios weekend is from November 24-25.
Colour Box Studio is at 236 Nicholson Street, Footscray. More details: colourboxstudio.com
