WHO said Perth’s art scene was full of namby-pamby hipster fops?
The back-room staff at Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts have muscled-up and romped home in this year’s Rottnest Channel Swim.
“We did the Rotto swim to advocate the importance of art in a healthy community”
The “PICAnauts”, including curator Leigh Robb and communication manager Renae Coles, raised $4500 and completed their inaugural Rotto swim in a very respectable seven hours and 18 minutes.
“Our training started back in November when our ex-military production manager took us on a bootcamp at Heirisson Island,” Ms Coles says. “It was intense and he had us jumping over logs, climbing fences and doing all kinds of madcap stuff.
“We then started the swimming in earnest in January, because none of us had swum long distances since our school days.
“We did the Rotto swim to advocate the importance of art in a healthy community, and also to raise funds for the artists we support through our PICA studios program.”
Ms Coles says they are planning more physical challenges to raise funds for artists and connect with the wider community.
by STEPHEN POLLOCK
Perth Voice Interactive 
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