Artists paint national park

A group of 20 artists got together on Saturday to paint the area designated as Malta's first nature and history park.

Their works will be exhibited at the end of June in an event organised by Din l-Art Helwa.

The park stretches from Anchor Bay to Golden Bay in the north-west of the island and includes the area of Xaghra l-Hamra, once earmarked for a golf course.

The painters fanned out across the area, which includes spectacular cliffs, garigue, clay slopes and arable land, as well as archaeological sites such as rock-cut chambers, corbelled huts and cart ruts.

"These artists, with their eye for visual beauty, especially appreciate the fact that this scenic area is to be protected and conserved. The park has such an abundance of gorgeous views, that it has been hard to choose where to stop walking and start painting," said director of Din l-Art Helwa Petra Bianchi, who is coordinating the project with artist Kenneth Zammit Tabona.

The participating artists are Mr Zammit Tabona, James Vella Clark, Andrew Borg, Justine Meli Bugeja, Albert Caruana, Mona Vella, Angela Theuma, Jeni Caruana, Henry Alamango, Jason Lu, Denise Borg Millo, Marisa Attard, Ronnie Channer, Caroline Navarro, Anna Galea, Carol Jaccarini, Gabby Holland, Christine Xuereb, Jacqui Agius and Arlette Zammit.

The government recently announced its intention to entrust the management of the National Park to the NGOs Din l-Art Helwa and Nature Trust.