Frank Kurec arrived in Australia in 1950 a post war refugee from Europe. Married to Katarina, they raised a family of 6 children in Heyfield. Frank’s creativity was evident in the huge garden where he became so proficient in pruning and grafting, he was much in demand locally for his skills. He also wove baskets from willow wands that have become heirlooms within the family.

Katarina Kurec, married to Frank, arrived with him and their two young children from Austria. Katarina was to spend the rest of her life in Heyfield caring for her family. Like Frank, Katarina expressed her creativity in many ways with the garden being a major inspiration for her. In later life she began drawing in her own distinctive style using felt tip pens to render flowers she grew. These she sent off to family and friends for birthdays, Christmas etc, year after year. The messages inside were written with much warmth and were greatly appreciated by all who received them.

Erica Kurec lives and works in the Dandenong ranges. She obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Visual Art from Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education in 1981 and she trained as a Registered Nurse at Central Gippsland Hospital in Traralgon in 1968.

She has exhibited in multiple exhibitions including Ukrainian Echoes at National Gallery of Victoria, Latrobe Valley Women at Latrobe Regional Gallery, and Botanica as part of The Melbourne Festival. Combining her background in art and health care Erica has curated and facilitated exhibitions across multiple community spaces including nursing homes and care facilities, community halls, the SIDS foundation, local schools and human rights advocacy groups.

Casey Brew Kurec is a graphic designer and musician based in Melbourne. A 2023 RMIT graduate with an Associate Degree in Graphic Design, Casey runs a freelance practice specialising in branding, visual identity and motion graphics. Alongside design, Casey has played guitar in several heavy rock and metal bands, performing across Australia and throughout Europe, including Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. He is also the creator of Squash Team, a self-published comic series with three issues to date.

Kiera Brew Kurec is an artist, writer and researcher living and working on Gadigal land (Sydney Australia).

Brew Kurec graduated with a Masters Fine Art from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2015. Her practice led research which explored Performance, Ritual and Transformation, located the history of contemporary performance practice in ancient ritual.

She has interned and conducted independent research into the the conservation and archiving of performance practice at major institutions in New York including MoMA archives, NYU Special Collections, Franklin Furnace and the Asian Art Archive in America. In 2024 Brew Kurec co-curated and exhibited in the exhibition “Collection/Connection” in collaboration with Eva Abbinga at the Ukrainian Museum of Australia.

She has exhibited and performed, given talks and undertaken residency extensively through Australia and internationally, and is the recipient of multiple grants and awards. Brew Kurec the co-creator of the arts podcast Pro Prac.

Born into a family of six children to Frank and Katherina Kurec, I was the only one who chose not to attend university, instead learning a trade through hands-on experience. I began working at 15, first as a carpenter apprentice, then in a sawmill, before becoming a survey chainman with a local surveyor. Over a 30-year career, I gained extensive experience as an assistant surveyor and draftsperson, working across Australia and New Zealand.

During a period of change, I developed a passion for horticulture and landscape design through self-directed study. This led to a 15-year role as a project manager in landscape design with Traralgon City Council and Latrobe City. Before retiring, I ran my own landscape design and construction company, specialising in wetland projects, completing 15 major works across Gippsland alongside private garden designs.

Now fully retired, I continue to pursue my love of landscape at home, developing a 2,400-square-metre garden in Heyfield with my wife, Anne, surrounded by our five children. My work reflects a lifelong commitment to hands-on learning and creativity.

Anne Kurec (nee Ablett) is the daughter-in-law of Frank and Katherina Kurec and is married to Stephen Kurec. Although she married into a Ukrainian family, Anne warmly embraced many of their traditions—especially food preserving. Over the years, she has perfected her jams, pickled cucumbers, bottled fruits, chutneys, and relishes, which are now enjoyed and appreciated by her friends and family.

Jessica Duffy is a secondary school Visual Arts teacher and emerging local artist based in Cairns. She completed a double Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts and Education at Monash University before relocating to Cairns from Heyfield, Victoria. It wasn’t until after having two children that she began exploring the world of semi-abstract painting. Her depictions of flowers, plants, and patterns are inspired by the beauty, memories, and connections she finds in the natural world.

Olivia Kurec is a Senior Interior Designer with over a decade of experience in commercial architecture. Since graduating from Swinburne University with a Bachelor of Design (Interior Design) (Honours) in 2012, she has worked with some of Australia’s most esteemed architectural practices across the retail, hospitality, education, and healthcare sectors.

Projects Olivia has contributed to have received international recognition, reflecting her commitment to design excellence, collaboration, and thoughtful innovation. She approaches each project as an opportunity to elevate user experience — creating environments that are purposeful, inclusive, and enduring.

Mary Kurec Buchanan. Mothercraft Nurse and Mother. Enjoyed crafting in my youth. Patchworking quilts, embroidery, sewing and lots of knitting. These days I enjoy fossicking in Op Shops looking for those old, treasured memories from our past that we were so eager to part with.

Ash Buchanan is a global leader in mindset science and an experienced wellbeing and regenerative practitioner. He helps people live a mindset-aware life, so they can be the change and be the transformation in a changing and transforming world. He is also the author of three books: Mindset Aware, The Nature of Mindset, and Handbook of Mindset Research.

James Buchanan is a mathematics teacher based in Perth, Western Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering and Science and a Graduate Diploma in Education. His professional career is dedicated to teaching and inspiring students through the beauty of mathematics. Buchanan’s creative work draws on his background in surveying and his interest in mapping, exploring how memory and place intersect. His artwork reflects personal experiences in Heyfield, Victoria, and a connection to his Ukrainian heritage.

Emil Toonen (b. 1983, Foster South Gippsland Victoria Australia, Gunaikurnai Country) is a Gippsland based artist primarily working in sculpture. Toonen received a BFA from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2005, did his time with DCG Design and cut his teeth working with Erwin Fabian. He has exhibited steadily with solo hows at CCP, Kings, Incinerator Gallery, Window space-Beeac, Chamber Presents and VCA Artspace. Recent group shows include George Paton Gallery, Chamber Presents, Maffra Exhibition Space and TCB.

Melanie Kurec is a member of the Kurec family. She has participated in Homeground- Place, Object, Memory 2002 at Gippsland Art Gallery and Homegound- Memory and Meaning 2018 Maffra Art Space.

Lisa Kurec graduated from Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education (GIAE)with a Diploma of Visual Art and a Graduate Diploma of Education in 1982.

She is a dedicated art teacher of 30 years in secondary schools across Gippsland. Lisa has exhibited in various group shows including Ukrainian Echoes at National Gallery of Victoria, held a solo show in the Vault Trafalgar in 2009 and participated in Homeground: Place, Object, Memory at the Sale Regional Gallery and at the Homegound- Memory and Meaning exhibition 2018 Maffra Art Space.

Lisa has been participating in Open Studios in Baw Baw Shire for many years demonstrating her passion for etching.

Tessa Bodman pursued her creative and cultural interests at Monash University, where she graduated from a Bachelor of Visual Arts and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Ukrainian studies in 2017. Tessa currently works in the vocational education sector where she supports vulnerable members of the community in Southeast Melbourne to re-engage in education. She has explored her creative interests through screen printing under the name River Mint Print – the focus of her imagery on Australian flora and birds.

Calef Kurec Benn. I am the son of Lisa Benn who was the youngest of 6 children to Frank and Katarina. I enjoy landscaping the garden as my grandfather did.