Winner of official Mardi Gras 2024 artwork announced
Courtney with her dog Pablo
Local artist Courtney Lewis has won the 2024 Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras art competition with her work Parade of Joy.
The digital work features a parade of joyful dancing characters, each depicted in a colour from the progressive pride flag, intertwined with the rainbow flag forming the shape of the Murrumbidgee River.
Ms Lewis said she wanted the artwork to mirror the vibrant atmosphere at the Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras.
“I wanted to make it really fun, bubbly and inclusive, and for people to be able to pick a character that they like and relate to,” Ms Lewis said.
“They individually represent a different colour of the progressive pride flag, but their personalities came about as I was drawing them. They told me what they wanted to be.
“I also wanted something that would create the feeling of wrapping around us all and bringing us all together so you can’t go past our river with that beautiful shape it has.”
Formerly employed in retail, Ms Lewis discovered her passion for art during a year-long stay in hospital recovering from a brain injury. She now operates De Lew Designs Australia with her mother, a former milliner.
Ms Lewis said she was excited Parade of Joy would be used to promote the Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras Festival and feature on official 2024 Mardi Gras merchandise.
“I feel proud and a bit shocked; it makes me really happy,” Ms Lewis said.
“I feel like Wagga is a lot more inclusive than it used to be; it’s a lot friendlier.
“You don’t have to struggle with things alone; there is a lot more joy and acceptance now. There are a lot of little communities and groups in the LGBT spaces of Wagga and heaps of people that are going to be your people. Look for them and they’re there.”
For more information on the Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras Festival, visit waggamardigras.com
The winning artwork
About Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras:
The Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras is an annual event that celebrates love, diversity, and equality. It brings together people from all walks of life to celebrate LGBTQIA+ pride, fostering a sense of community and acceptance in the heart of Wagga Wagga.