The Gang actually managed a wonderful beach picnic and swim at Bithry on Saturday – as prelude to our weekend culture fix at Narek.
The lovely Sharon Peoples was down from Canberra…
…for the launch of her latest (always luscious) show, Red Shoes.
All the fans of her work were there…
…including some, like Carolyn, who even came appropriately shod!
Exhibition’s up until the 4th April. One for the girls. Not to be missed.
“We’re very comfortable with the baroque and quite uninterested in minimalism.”
– Einar and Jamex de la Torre
D’ya reckon…!
We love these guys. Thanks Nige for the pointer (Badger’s given up Facebook as a matter of principle.)
Check out the Tucson Museum of Art here
Enamelling Class with Netty Blair
Due to interest from within our local community Canberra Glassworks is excited to offer a Professional Workshop on Enamelling with our Netty Blair.
This intimate class will cover fundamental applications of low fire enamels onto both flat glass and 3D glass objects. Basic enamels, tools and glass will be supplied.
Dates: This workshop will be three sessions:
Saturday March 5th 1pm-4pm
Wednesday March 9th 6pm-9pm
Saturday March 12th 1pm-4pm
Cost:
$300 (inc. GST) per student
Registration:
If you are interested in registering for this class, please e-mail Mel George – mel.george@canberraglassworks.com – the following information by February 25th
You will be sent an invoice for the full amount, and once paid; this will confirm your placement. Class will be filled on a first come-first serve basis.
The coast is in for a real treat next weekend…
Steven Holland was spotted at the Red Cafe in Bega last week…
He was in town for a pre-production meeting with Gary Louie from the BVSC Waste mob who are putting together a fabulous recycled art project that will include a number of community workshops (facilitated by Steven) and culminate in an exhibition, tentatively titled reSOURCE, at the BVRG in August.
[Megsie, meanwhile, strenuously denies rumours that she’s recently been labelled a trashy old treasure – it’s all a load of rubbish, she reckons. n(Ed)]
Earlier that same day the Gang came face to face with an old fave while Megsie was judging the art at the Bega Show…
Ya gotta love Ozzie!!
Lucas Grogan, Spit It Out Babe
Fabulous looking show at Iain Dawson Gallery.
Finally we’ve managed to emerge from the quagmire of the day job to post the launch of the Tour de Force; in case of emergency break glass national tour in Wagga Wagga …was it only two weeks ago?
But, oh, how fabulous it was to fly in from the cold, overcast scenario of Bega to the expansive blue sky and welcoming warmth of Wagga Wagga. Darlings, what a contrast!
The Gang was met at the airport by the lovely Linda Elliot and taken to the National Art Glass Gallery for a squizz at the hang…
…before being dropped off at the Quest Apartments – with plenty of time for a swim in the pool before we needed to gussie up and make our way back to the Gallery…where we found Michael on deck (having just that minute driven in from Victoria)…
It’s quite fantastic to see the show at a different venue, and of course Wagga Wagga is one of our fave glass galleries – albeit an incredibly challenging space, installation wise. Michael Scarrone (who’s been curating there since 1999) has it all well in hand, of course.
[Michael, btw, is filling several shoes at present – including Acting Art Gallery Manager since Cath Bowdler moved on – hence his regrettable absence from the Ausglass conference the week before. n(Ed)]
It was a particularly pleasant opening: great local wine from Charles Sturt; tucker courtesy of the Friends of the Gallery; proceedings were kicked off by Wagga City Council’s GM, Phil Pinyon…
…then Megsie did her thang…
…and then Mayor Wayne Geale gave a speech…
…after which it was time to view the show…
…and press the flesh…
Anyhoo, we met lots of lovely peeps…
…and dinner afterwards was seriously pucker.
The only bummer is our perennial regret that Wagga Wagga is so far away. (If it was closer to the coast we’d live there!!)
Thanks to all involved for their wonderful hospitality.
And thanks particularly to the City of Wagga Wagga Art Gallery for their partnership with artisan in the development of this project.
Snaps of the opening and hang here.
All the good oil on the artists here.
Photo credits belong to Drew Halyday, also with sincere thanks […the Gang was a tad pre-occupied! n(Ed)]
Darlings!! Finally that bloody laundry unit has arrived (after a mere 8 month wait) and the upgrade of the deluxe cell accommodation at the Hideout is now well underway…
It’s still a bit of a construction site, but now inching seriously close to completion.
Whacko!!
The Gang and Maryanne hopped across Myrtle Mountain yesterday arvo for the launch of Sam Bailey and Sharon Cornthwaite’s exhibition at The Crossing…
Lots of funky retro brooches and jools for which both are renowned, plus a move into vintage clock biz (very cute old bikkie tin faces) and mexican-esque niche icons (which we’re always into) by Shazza, and 2-D work from Sam. Something for everyone really, and there were ample red spots to prove it.
Anyhoo, the artists did a fine job of working the crowd…
…entertainment was provided by Andrew Gray…
…and a lovely time was had by all (Anne and Pete always put on a seriously pleasant opening doo.)
Cognoscenti here.
As promised, here’s a little wander around Bernie and Matt’s gorgeous show at the Bega Valley Regional Gallery; even the wall blurb…
In 1988, the ANU School of Art established the Emerging Artists Support Scheme (EASS) to support artists at their critical point of graduation from the School. Over the years, EASS program has developed to include a diversity of scholarships, prizes and awards – all established with the generous assistance of the School of Art Patrons.
In 2009 the Bega Valley Regional Gallery joined the ranks of the Patrons, offering an exhibition to a Graduating student of exemplary merit at the annual Graduate Show.
The inaugural recipient of the award is Bernadette Foster, whose work is featured in this current exhibition thoughtworks, officially opened on Friday 4th February by the Head of the ANU School of Art, Gordon Bull.
Bernadette, who recently moved to Cobargo where she intends to establish a glass studio, describes her work as being fantasy objects that are the direct result of the forces that shape her daily life:
“In many ways my work is dependent on my relationship with my daughter Siofra, on the things that I’m exposed to because of her, our playful engagement and the stories we read together.
The world as seen through the eyes of a nine year old infuses my creative process, and this world I believe is familiar to all, as well as uniquely experienced by each one of us”.
‘Ultimately, my emphasis is to value the place of dreaming and imagination in contemporary life. I love working in hot glass, and this body of work displays a balance of skill and playfulness, as I push my technical abilities.’
thoughtworks also showcases the latest work from Bermagui artist Matthew Jones (who, quite coincidently, won last year’s Far South Coast Living Artist Scholarship.) His practice, too, has a playful, day-dreamy and colourful bent – though with a sense of quietude that provides a lovely visual foil and balance to the joyful pop-toon nature of the glass.
Matthew’s wonderful play of scale coupled with the soft serenity of the nursery emote the artist’s own current reality; of recent fatherhood. The portrait of baby Miro is, in effect, our very first ‘baby snap’ of a barely two-week old Jones Jnr.
In thoughtworks, the connection between creation, life and art has never been more sweetly portrayed, with an emotional intelligence that links us all to our common humanity.
It’s an absolute sweetie-darling of a show. And out in the foyer vitrines the Gallery’s featuring (courtesy of Steve Fox from Mogo Raw Art) the work of ceramicist Michael Williamson…
All in all, a little ray of sunshine in an otherwise disastrous general climate.
[We’re foregoing newspapers and current affairs programmes for the time being. n(Ed)]
More snaps here.
glass central canberra 
