Sirens of Gunnedah launched in Gallery Lane Cove

Wednesday night was the official launch of the city exhibition of Sirens of Gunnedah, which was first unveiled in November last year at the Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery.

The exhibition features portraits of 50 Gunnedah women, which were taken by the dynamic duo, Alyssa Barwick and Marie Low, now known as Two Cats Creative.

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The showcase in Sydney is a joint effort between Lane Cove City Council and Gunnedah Shire Council, which formed a sister city relationship in the late 1990s as a result of severe drought.

After the explosive success of Sirens in Gunnedah, Ms Low and Ms Barwick secured a sister cities grant from Gunnedah Shire Council to host the exhibition in Sydney, and were further supported by Lane Cove council.

The photography pair were unable to attend the launch in person because of the COVID crisis, but prepared a video message, which was shared at the opening.

Ms Barwick said the project started as "a little kernel of an idea" and grew into something much bigger.

"It's really something that has changed our lives and something we would never have imagined," she said.

"It's everything. It's our heart, it's our soul."

Ms Low said it had been "an amazing journey" and they were thrilled to share it with the shire's sister city.

"We've come a long way and we've brought a lot of people with us," she said.

"We'd also like to say an enormous thank you to all the people who supported us. You really have helped us make this what it is today and this exhibition is a tribute to you."

Siren and parliamentary minister, Sarah Mitchell, shared her thoughts on the Sirens experience via video, saying Ms Low and Ms Barwick were "amazing, phenomenal, fabulous women".

"I had an amazing experience being part of this project and I cannot thank both Alyssa and Marie for asking me to be part of it," she said.

"I think I speak for all the sirens when I say it was an incredible experience and one I'll always remember.

"It's so exciting to think we are hanging on the walls there in Lane Cove."

Gunnedah shire mayor Jamie Chaffey also featured in the launch video, saying the exhibition was "something we're so deeply proud of".

Lane Cove mayor Pam Palmer hosted the launch and said Sirens of Gunnedah was "yet another surprising and wonderful outcome of Lane Cove's valued relationship with its sister city".

She said it was fitting that Sirens was on display at Gallery Lane Cove because the gallery's very first display was a joint exhibition between the city suburb and Gunnedah.