Acclaimed artist Reg Mombassa was so moved by the plight of the Cobargo district after the New Year's Eve bushfire he designed an artwork inspired by the town.
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The piece by the artist, of Mambo Graphics and Mental As Anything fame, even has a mountain like Peak Alone appearing in the background.
"It's very special and we are very honoured to have Reg Mombassa do that for everybody," Fire Up Cobargo Rebuild Festival's event organiser Kathryn Doolin said.
Ms Doolin said Mr Mombassa was one of the first people she contacted when she started organising the festival, telling him "Cobargo is broken" and she wanted to put on a festival to help the town rebuild.
"He's awesome, he's a really lovely person," she said.
"We were on the phone for over an hour the first time we talked.
"He's been affected by the bushfires too, mentally and emotionally."
When the artist visited the Murrah earlier this year for a show with his band Dog Trumpet he did some sketches for the project and recently released the piece.
"It absolutely blew me away, I was speechless," Ms Doolin said of when she first saw it.
"When he opened up his notebook, I had no words.
"I knew it'd be fantastic, he's got his own style of artwork. But I didn't think he'd do so much detail.
"It's a perfect representation of what we've been going through."
She is in the process of organising for the artwork to be printed onto shirts, tea towels and stubby holders and the sales from those items will all go to the Fire Up Cobargo Rebuild Festival.
Any profits from the festival, to be held over September 18-20 at the Cobargo Showground, will go into the region's community.
The shirts and items will be sold in Cobargo at shops that include Ground Lounge and a lot on inquiries have already been made over them.
Ms Doolin said they will be available in the next few weeks, so keep an eye on the festival's Facebook page for updates or visit Ground Lounge in Cobargo.
The three-day music festival will showcase local businesses and is about rebuilding and community.
"I personally feel if we're going to get through this we've got to get through it together," Ms Doolin said.
Albert McKnight
Journalist at Bega District News.
Journalist at Bega District News.
