The Gang thought long and hard about whether or not we’d get the skates back on to belt up to Sydney yet again – this time for the launch of the Procter Fellowship exhibition, In Essence: The Legacy of Stephen Procter, at Sabbia this coming Friday night – but in the end decided ag’in it.

It all looks a tad visually frenetic (less might have been more perhaps) and a couple of the artists selected triggered a veritable mexican wave of incredulous eyebrow raising (their specious claims that Stephen was an influence on their work and/or philosophic practice are tenuous AT BEST.) Anyhoo, enough said about that…[Megsie started to climb on to her soap-box for a rant, but we talked her down. n(Ed)]

On the positive side the exhibition promotes the continuing awareness of the all-important Procter Fellowship, set up after Stephen’s demise to provide an annual travelling/mentoring scholarship, and includes a number of the recipients (…further down the track it’d be great to see this developed into a regular happening, featuring perhaps just the work of Stephen and the ongoing progression of Fellows.)

The added inclusion of work by his old friends and early comrades-in-glass-arms (Ray Flavell and Joel Philip Myers), themselves so instrumental in Stephen’s own development, is a really nice touch – and a practical reminder of the efficasy of encouragement, support and engagement during the critical stages of an emerging artist’s evolving career.  And, of course, there’d be no show without Punch – Jane Bruce, who worked with Stephen during most of the period of his tenure as Head of the ANU School of Art Glass Workshop (and was instrumental in assisting Christine Procter in the foundation of the Fellowship) not only has work in the exhibition but is rumoured to be making the pilgrimage DownUnder in person.

So it promises to be a big, glossy affair with plenty of flesh pressing and, one hopes, lots of lovely lucre raised for the Fellowship coffers. For additional info go to the Sabbia website (though at this juncture we notice they’ve not yet uploaded the blurb – keep watch on that space…)