Spread the love

Manly Beach will once again play host to the world’s surfing elite when the Vissla Sydney Surf Pro returns from 16 – 24 March, 2019. As a proud community sponsor of the event, Novotel Sydney Manly Pacific are collaborating with local Northern Beaches artist, Libby Watkins, to present an art exhibition titled ‘Escape to Paradiso,’ as part of the event’s nine-day festivities.

The exhibition, which will run in conjunction with the Vissla Sydney Surf Pro, from 7am to 7pm daily, invites guests to enter a magical island, ‘Paradiso’, an island utopia created by Libby Watkins. The work of the multi-talented artist, fashion and textile designer is inspired by the surrounds of Manly and the Northern Beaches of Sydney. A utopia of botanical and sea creatures living on the island ‘Paradiso’ are comparatively alike to the local sea life found on the shores of Manly Beach. ‘Paradiso’ is covered in tropical palm trees hugged by reef coves, jungles and botanicals of the most decadent tropical accents. The artist encourages visitors to escape reality and enter the realm of this foreign tropical land, and adventure around her island forgetting the real world.

Libby Watkins has evolved over the years with hand-painted artworks to also include limited edition homewares, exclusive statement fashion pieces and accessories and conversational pieces for the home. Libby experiments and creates in her studio not only with paints and her trusty brushes but pushes traditional concepts and reality, taking to different and unique forms, using mixed mediums from paper to fabric. In a world of mass production, Libby introduces people to hand-made, limited edition pieces all etched from the island, designed to take you to a world far away.

Stay at Novotel Sydney Manly Pacific to experience ‘Escape to Paradiso’ and the Vissla Sydney Surf Pro with rates starting from $254* per night, room only. Situated just 18 minutes from downtown Sydney by fast-ferry, Novotel Sydney Manly Pacific is located at 55 North Steyne Manly.

The Vissla Sydney Surf Pro is a collaboration between World Surf League and Surfing NSW to run Sydney’s largest surfing event at the iconic Manly Beach. The World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 6,000 rated events will feature some of the world’s best surfers, including Kelly Slater, as they look to kick their 2019 competitive campaigns into gear prior to the start of the 2019 Championship Tour (CT).

Visit novotelmanlypacific.com.au

Terms & conditions apply.