Buy Local - be rewarded

Lyn Dinwoddie of Glosters Better Home and Living enters a customer's Buy Local Card into the Buy Local entry box.

This month, local shoppers are encouraged to shop in Kyneton and reap the rewards of the Buy Local campaign. 
The Macedon Ranges Council-supported initiative has local businesses offering great specials and prize giveaways. 
To be in the running for prizes, pick up a Buy Local Card from participating businesses. 
When you purchase goods to the value of $10 or more from the Buy Local Businesses your card will be stamped. 
Once you have four different stamps you can enter your card in the entry boxes at Glosters Betta Store Kyneton, Ryans IGA Kyneton or Elliott Midland Newspapers Kyneton.
Entries put shoppers in the running to win a 510 litre Beko refrigerator, or a $500 Ryans IGA shopping voucher or a $200 Kyneton Traders shopping voucher.
Enter as often as you like. 
Entries close Tuesday May 7. 
The winners will be announced on Friday May 10. 
The Macedon Ranges Guardian and Midland Express will publish all the exciting giveaways and shopper specials throughout the campaign. See page 6 for more details. 
Buy Local will roll into other towns throughout 2013.

Project your art

Images promoting the upcoming Kyneton Music Festival are being projected onto the facade of the Kyneton Mechanics Institute in the lead-up to the event. Two artists will be given the chance to project their art onto an indoor or outdoor structure or space in the inaugural Projection Art Award. Photo: Chris Fleming (projected image: Erin Neale)

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is trialing a new artform in the region by giving two artists the chance to project onto an indoor or outdoor structure or space, such as a shop window, rock-face or building façade.

The inaugural Projection Art Award is funded by council, with $2000 on offer for two artists, plus access to either a short or long range projector. One award will be given for an indoor work and one for an outdoor work. 

Council's coordinator of cultural development, Robyn Till, said that artists of all backgrounds and experiences from within or outside the region could apply, as long as their work addresses a distinctly 'local' story.

"Our theme is 'Stories Within', to encourage artists to use local cultural or historical material, events or stories as inspiration for their projections.

"We invite artists to explore ways of producing captivating imagery about our region using this exciting visual medium," she said.

The award will be curated by Kent Wilson, who works as an artist, curator and writer, and lives locally in the Macedon Ranges. 

The proposed works must result from active engagement with the local community and/or local historical or cultural resources, but Ms Till said that artists are free to explore the story's artistic expression however they choose.

"This is an exciting opportunity to engage with a local community to produce an original piece of work for public exhibition," she said.

To apply, artists must submit a proposal for their artwork by April 1, 2013, with works to be exhibited publically prior to June 30, 2013. More information about the award can be found at www.mrsc.vic.gov.au or by contacting the curator via kent@kentwilson.net