A catalyst within our community

Story: April Spadina 

In every town, in every scene, there is always an iconic figure who has a certain presence about them, embracing the life of the community in which they live. They are known in their circles as a memorable, respected and admired individual, known for their unique spirit.  For Maryborough, one such icon in the arts and cultural scene was the vivacious Val McIntosh.

With her crooked smile and crackling laugh, Val called Maryborough her home and in her life here she became a well-known identity as an artist and tutor, a familiar presence in Gatakers ArtSpace in particular the Printmakers Space, producing an incredible volume of beautiful artworks.  Such was her accomplishment in art and her life career as a teacher, she combined the two to share her skills as an art tutor with students embracing the passion for art she bestowed upon them with zeal and proficiency.

Val was a teacher for life, but her intelligence and tenacity also made her a student for life. Never a shrinking violet, at the age of seventy-eight she obtained her train driver’s ticket and was a regular driver of Maryborough’s Mary Ann steam engine.  A remarkable but unsurprising accomplishment as Val was a strong-willed feminist and advocate for equality. She loved a drink and a smoke, relaxing and laughing with friends and accepting everyone at face value.

A lover and protector of cats, the feline image appearing in many of her artworks, including herself -  appearing once at an exhibition opening, aged in her vibrant late seventies dressed in a slinky catsuit, complete with cat’s ears and pointed leather boots, she swung her cat’s tail she held in one hand, in the other hand a glass of red wine, and that wonderful cheeky, crooked smile beaming across her face.  Val was in her element.

On a warm, February summers night Val quietly left this Earthly plane. She took with her that wonderful crooked smile and crackling laugh, her brilliance and her strong nature, but she left behind a legacy rich in art, friendship and community spirit and a reminder to embrace life with both hands, and to always swing your cat’s tail for all it’s worth.

Vale Val McIntosh.

One of Val's last works graces the cover of the March Fraser Coast Scene Guide