After years of exhibiting her art around the globe, Shonah Trescott has come home to Maitland to soak up the growing community and wide open spaces that you just can't get in the city.
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Ms Trescott studied at the National Art School in Sydney which led her to winning travelling art scholarships, taking her to France and Germany where she stayed for eight years.
It was in Germany that Ms Trescott met her husband, Puerto Rican artist Osvaldo Budet, where they participated in an international studio program and both held exhibitions in the famed Eigen + Art gallery.
In 2012 Ms Trescott & Mr Budet were invited to become fellows of an international scientific institution in Norway, which saw them live at the most northerly settlement in the world, as close to the north pole as you can get.
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Ms Trescott explained that she lived alongside scientists from all over the world on the base, where they could bounce of each other's ideas and expand the field between art and science.
During their time living at the scientific base the couple created a project on climate change through which they communicated the urgency of the work at the scientific base through the arts.
"That was a pretty amazing experience which we did together," Ms Trescott said.
"My husband did lots of films and photographs, and I was painting, drawing and writing."
Ms Trescott held an exhibition in Japan called Drawn into the light and a big exhibition in the museum of contemporary art in Puerto Rico, which showed paintings and photos from their experience living in the Arctic.
Ms Trescott said working alongside her husband was great as their work and processes are so different.
"I think that's why it works so well, because we don't work in the same ways it was really complementary in that sense, and our work in the exhibition showed two different sides of an artist looking at the issues which was really nice."
Ms Trescott is an advocate for the vital role the arts play in communicating important scientific issues such as climate change.
"I think it's really important because the general population doesn't know so much about environmental science or climate change, and in Australia unfortunately its still up for debate.
"I think the arts can play a really crucial role in trying to talk about the urgency of it and putting it on a level that everybody can understand, it's more accessible in that sense rather than just data."
"I'm really interested in that intersection of art and science, regardless of climate change, I think it's a really exciting place."
"I think we need to be more engaged with taking action and standing up for what we want to see happen... it's my passion to advocate for the environment," she said.
Ms Trescott's passion for fighting for what she believes in has been passed onto her son, Camilo, who recently held a fundraiser for his 8th birthday to support Tasmanian Devils.
"He was born in Puerto Rico but we did quite a lot of travelling with him, we went to some climate summits, my husband is an activist working in social issues and I'm really passionate about environmental issues so I guess he's just grown up around this," she said.
"He's choosing now and finding his own little voice."
Their family made the move to Australia after Camilo finished kindergarten in New York, and they realised they wanted him to be educated at an Australian school.
The family came back to Ms Trescott's home town of Maitland and were thinking of moving to Sydney when they saw how happy Camilo was around the family, and then the pandemic hit and they decided to stay in Maitland.
"We realised this is actually better in Maitland, we have more space and time to work and we have our community around us.
"It's been really grounding coming back to the community where I grew up," she said.
Ms Trescott's parents, siblings and nieces and nephews all live in Maitland, and Ms Trescott said they are thriving being surrounded by family connections.
According to Ms Trescott, Maitland and its wide open spaces is a stark contrast to New York, especially for Camilo.
"It's fantastic that there is so much open space here, it really struck us.
"I grew up around here and I'm used to that, but coming from New York to here Camilo thought this is so much better than New York, it just blew his little mind."
Ms Trescott has noticed that Maitland is growing, but still maintains its sense of community.
"I think Maitland is becoming a bit more diverse and is getting bigger, but on a local level there is that community feel.
"We have all the benefits of living more regionally, but we also have a lot of resources here and I think it's an interesting community... I'm happy to see it's becoming more diverse since I was a kid."
Ms Trescott said it's nice to come back to her home and see upgrades to The Levee, and the popularity of places like Maitland Park and Walka Water Works.
"It's those nice open communal spaces that create community, I think it's lovely."
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