Names like Pam Martin, Ginetta Rositano, Steph Hartwich and Margaret Westblade are just some of the local milliners who are about to make a splash on the international stage when they, as members of the Riverina Millinery Association, host the 2012 International Millinery Forum in Wagga next week.

Riverina Millinery Association president Rose Organ believes over the last decade millinery and millinery education in Wagga has grown so rapidly that there was a need for the association to be established to give milliners an added outlet to practice and teach the craft.

“We set it up because we felt there were people around who love millinery, but don’t have the time to get to a class,” she said.

“Once a month we hold a workshop for members to encourage them to learn the skills and dabble in millinery.

“But it’s also to extend an offer of friendship, companionship and therapy to country people.”

This week is an exciting time for the association as it hosts the 2012 International Millinery Forum, a series of workshops bringing together the most talented and well-known millinery teachers from across the globe.

It will see over 200 milliners descend on Wagga this weekend for a week-long program of workshops, social events and tours of Wagga.

To show their dedication to millinery, and in particular millinery in regional Australia, the Wagga Art Gallery E3 Art Space will host an exhibition of works by association members titled Invigoration, Inspiration and Innovation.

Milliners’ work on display includes Pam Martin, Margaret Westblade, Steph Hartwich, Ginetta Rositano, Tracey Bell and Sharon Fuller.

The exhibition will be on show from 10am to noon, and 1pm to 3pm on Tuesday, January 17 to Friday, January 20.

The public will be able to view the works from the windows outside these times.