Ararat Regional Art Gallery

Ararat Basketfest - Residential Workshops

2012-02-02T03:33:00.014-08:00

Ararat Regional Art Gallery will present Douglas Fuchs’ 'Floating Forest’ from 17 February to 1 April 2012, in partnership with the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. Douglas Fuchs (1947-86) was an American basket maker who came to Australia on a Craft Council of Australia Fellowship in 1981-82. The result of his residency was 'Floating Forest', a monumental fibre installation, which was presented in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney and is widely credited with introducing a contemporary approach to basketry in Australia.

ARARAT BASKETFEST 2012 is a series of public programs which will augment 'Floating Forest' and broaden the context in which basketry in Australia can be appreciated, 30 years after Douglas Fuchs’ landmark installation. The program includes: a symposium, children's workshops, artist talks and associated exhibitions. There is also an opportunity for a small number of people to participate in intensive residential workshops led by Wendy Golden and Lucy Irvine.

RESIDENTIAL WORKSHOPS AT ALLANVALE

Residential workshops provide an opportunity to learn from professional makers in an immersive environment. Participants stay at the historic Allanvale Shearers’ Quarters, near Great Western. The fee is $380 (inc. GST) per person, per workshop, which includes the two day workshop, materials, twin-share accommodation (Friday and Saturday nights) and meals, including a special Saturday night dinner. Numbers are limited to 15 people per workshop and payment in advance is required to secure a place.

Wendy Golden - 'Random Weave Unravelled'

18 & 19 February 2012
The various techniques of random weaving will be taught in this two day workshop. You will be provided with dyed and natural rattan to create your own unique shaped basket. When this is formed you will be able to incorporate materials from the environment into the structure. Traditional basket weaving bases will also be shown as this can assist with shaping. While there will be material supplied for this workshop you are welcome to bring your own with which to experiment if you wish. Discussion on the identification, collection and treatment of plant materials from your environment will be included. This is a fun workshop as it provides lots of opportunity to unleash your creativity. Arrive on Friday 17 February 2012 for an artist's talk by Wendy at 5pm and the joint exhibition opening of Wendy's exhibition, Paired: Woven Forms and Floating Forest. Wendy's workshop will begin the following morning in the beautiful Allanvale surroundings.

Lucy Irvine - 'Sculptural Weaving'

24 & 25 March 2012
Over the course of this intensive workshop participants will have the opportunity to experiment with a range of materials including plaster, wire and polythene as well as materials found on site, to weave a series of evocative and thought provoking pieces. Encouraging a sculptural perspective to vessel making and weaving, this workshop offers the time for experienced weavers to develop new approaches to their practice. Equally those with no weaving or sculpting experience may enjoy the space to create without the boundaries defined between craft and art. No prerequisite skills are required. Arrive on Friday 23 March 2012 for Lucy's artist's talk at 6pm and enjoy a drink at a special preview of her exhibition, Mapless.

To receive an enrollment form or further details about these workshops or a brochure for ARARAT BASKETFEST 2012, please contact the gallery by phone on 03 5352 2836 or email: gallery@ararat.vic.gov.au For the ARARAT BASKETFEST 2012 program click here.

Walking in the Artist’s Footsteps

2011-12-20T20:32:00.000-08:00

Gordon Morrison, Director of Art Gallery of Ballarat opened the exhibition on Friday 16 December at 6pm.

Pictured right is Eugene von Guérard's 'Mount Langi from Pleasant Creek' (1871) from the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, on display at Ararat Regional Art Gallery until 12 February 2012.

An iconic painter of colonial Australia, Austria‐born Eugene von Guérard (1811–1901) is sometimes referred to as the ‘father of Australian landscape painting’. This year the National Gallery of Victoria marked the artist’s bicentenary with a major exhibition, ‘Eugene von Guérard: Nature Revealed’. Now Ararat Regional Art Gallery will see out this celebratory year with, 'Australian Landscapes: Eugene von Guérard in the Antipodes’, an Art Gallery of Ballarat Travelling Exhibition presented from 15 December 2011 to 12 February 2012. The exhibition chronicles Eugene von Guérard's peripatetic ways through an entire set of 24 magnificent lithographs from 1866‐67 which capture some of the most remarkable and spectacular parts of South Eastern Australia and Tasmania.

Augmenting this outstanding exhibition is an oil painting of immense local significance: Eugene von Guérard’s ‘Mount Langi from Pleasant Creek’ from 1871, which is on loan from the National Gallery of Victoria. ‘Mount Langi from Pleasant Creek’ is a rare document of the early period of settlement and expansion in our region. The painting features gold mining in the foreground and a sweeping vista of the Pyrenees ranges in the distance.

It seems that ‘Mount Langi from Pleasant Creek’ depicts a view of the Pyrenees Ranges from the Big Hill Lookout in Stawell, which was then known as Pleasant Creek. However, the painting was also previously known by the title, ‘The Gold Diggings at Ararat’, until research uncovered and reinstated its original title.

The questions remains: is the painting based on a view of Mount Langi Ghiran from Stawell or from elsewhere in the region? If it is a view from Stawell, did von Guérard bring forward the Pyrenees Ranges and condense the middle ground in order to maximise the painting’s picturesque qualities? Or did he source the scene from elsewhere in the region, perhaps a little closer to Ararat, as the painting’s previous title suggests?

The local community can assist in locating and photographing the vantage point from which von Guérard sourced this image. If you think you know where this view can be found, please contact Ararat Regional Art Gallery on 5352 2836 or gallery@ararat.vic.gov.au

Li Gang - in the grey scale

2011-11-20T18:17:00.001-08:00

LI GANG, Seoul Subway no.4 2008, chromogenic print, courtesy of the artist

Ararat Regional Art Gallery current exhibition, ‘Li Gang -in the grey scale’ features large-scale contemporary photography by Beijing-based artist, Li Gang. Using hand‐built cameras, Li Gang produces large and complex images of contemporary East Asian urban spaces, including Beijing and Seoul. The use of hand‐built cameras introduces risk and accidents to Li Gang’s work. In his photographs, instead of control and mastery, there is magic and mystery. The photographic darkroom was always a place of magic and Li Gang returns to those roots.

We were honoured to welcome to Ararat, Madam He Ta, Cultural Consul from the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Melbourne, who officially opened the exhibition on Saturday 5 November 2011 at 2pm. Madam He Ta was welcomed and introduced by Mayor Cr. Andrea Marian who spoke of the significance of Ararat’s historic and contemporary relationship with China.

Ararat's connection with China that dates back to over 150 years when miners from Guangdong Province came to Victoria in search of the rich deposits of gold. The city's contemporary relationship with China is underpinned an active sister city relationship with Taishan in Quangdong province, and friendship agreements with Ji'an in Jiangxi Province and Huzhou City and Yiwu City within Zhejiang Province. Given the important of this active contemporary relationship, it was a great honour to have Madam He Ta with us to offically open 'Li Gang - in the grey scale'.

Tony Trembath, the curator of the exhibition, also spoke at the opening and his remarks helped provide a context for better engaging with Li Gang’s work. Tony is an established and respected Australian artist who has maintained a studio in Beijing since 2007, where he works for several months each creating new work inspired by this vital and fascinating city. Tony is the driving force behind the exhibition and he has worked closely with Li Gang over several years to bring this ambitious show to Australia – the first ever touring exhibition by a Chinese contemporary photographer. A very fine, fully illustrated bilingual catalogue accompanies the exhibition, and includes essays by Tony Trembath and Dr Isobel Crombie, Senior Curator, Photography, National Gallery of Victoria.

'Li Gang - in the grey scale' is touring to six public galleries in four Australian states as part of the Year of Chinese Culture in Australia from July 2011 to June 2012. The exhibition was launched at the Monash Gallery of Art in September 2010 (check out the MGA link for a great interview with Tony Trembath about the show), and continues at Ararat Regional Art Gallery until 11 December.

The Big Basket

2011-11-15T20:56:00.001-08:00

Ararat Regional Art Gallery celebrated Children’s Week on Tuesday 25 October 2011 with a community art event leading to the creation of ‘The Big Basket’. Around 100 school children from Ararat, Stawell and the wider regional community participated in a one-day workshop led by basket maker, Cherree Densley, and held at Alexandra Hall, Ararat.

The theme of the project, ‘We’re all in the same basket’, aimed to maximise participation and encourage cooperation amongst children across a range of ages and abilities. The outcome of this intensive day of creativity was the creation of a one and a half square metre woven basket constructed from hay and wool and surrounded by a multitude of grass dolls. The dolls were individually created by participating children and placed around the basket to reflect the theme of community unity.

Now completed, ‘The Big Basket’ will tour to participating and host schools that will have the opportunity to create more dolls, ultimately representing hundreds of children from the community. The basket is presently on display at the Skene Street School in Stawell and will visit other schools in the region in the coming months. Following its tour, the basket will be exhibited at the Ararat Regional Art Gallery in February 2012 as part of a program to complement the 30th anniversary presentation of `Floating Forest’ - a basketry-based installation by the late American artist, Douglas Fuchs. Ararat Regional Art Gallery's Children's Week event was presented in partnership with the Victorian Government's Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Optical Collusion

2011-10-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

Donna and Chris at Ararat Regional Art Gallery

'Wheatstone Chamber' (2010)

We had the pleasure of welcoming Melbourne-based artists, Donna Kendrigan and Chris Henshke to Ararat for the official opening of their exhibition, 'Optical Collusion' on Saturday 8 october 2011 from 2pm. Donna and Chris provided an artists' talk about this intriguing exhibition of pre-cinema optical devices, reworked with post-cinema technologies.

Collaboratively developed by Chris and Donna, the exhibited works reflect both artists’ knowledge of and fascination with the scientific and aesthetic history of optical invention. These sculptural pieces contain digital media, including works funded by the Australia Council Visual Arts Board. Tricks of perception mediated by technology are not new - magic lanterns and stereoscopes were popular entertainments in the Enlightenment and Victorian eras. These hands-on, interactive artworks play upon our perceptions and the self imposed deceptions of contemporary media technologies.

Chris Henschke and Donna Kendrigan work under the name, Topologies, a name chosen by chance that describes their collaborative artworks and processes and is a manifestation of their combined creativity. For more information about the artists, visit the Topologies website. 'Optical Collusion' is supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria and the Community Support Fund, and has in-kind sponsorship from Global Bionic Optics Ltd who have created a ‘Once In A Generation Innovation’ – The Infinity LensTM range of products.

1st Tamworth Textile Triennial Opening

2011-09-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

Ararat Regional Art Gallery director, Anthony Camm at the opening of the 1st Tamworth Textile Triennial with Tamworth Regional Gallery staff (l to r) Kate Hofman, Pam Brown and Tamworth director, Sandra McMahon.

Patrick Snelling speaking about the exhibition.

Tamworth Regional Gallery's 1st Textile Triennial, 'Sensorial Loop', was officially opened by ABC presenter, Claudia Chan-Shaw, on Friday 30 September 2011 at 6pm. Although this is Tamworth's first triennial, it builds on 18 earlier biennial exhibitions, which have provided an important platform for surveying developments in contemporary textile art practice.

Ararat Regional Art Gallery's director, Anthony Camm, had an opportunity to visit Tamworth Regional Gallery for the first time to attend the launch of the triennial. His visit was possible thanks to a grant from the Gordon Darling Foundation. Ararat Regional Art Gallery and Tamworth Regional Gallery share similar collection and programming specialisations and his visit provided an opportunity not to only view the triennial exhibition, but to meet staff and participating artists and view the collection area.

This triennial exhibition has been astutely curated by Patrick Snelling, and is thought provoking in the way it addresses the diverse concerns of artists working with textiles fibre materials and techniques today. It is especially interesting to see the work of established artists alongside recent graduates and to consider the extraordinary developments that have occurred since textile fibre art first came to prominence in the 1970s. A series of curator and artists' talks held on the weekend following the opening inspired lively discussion about the state of textile fibre art in Australia. ‘Sensorial Loop’ will soon commence its national tour, which includes Ararat Regional Art Gallery in 2013.

ABC Radio has posted an interview with Patrick Snelling online about the triennial exhibition, which shows photographs of the featured artworks. A catalogue accompanying the exhibition can be purchased from Tamworth Regional Art Gallery, including in a lovely, limited edition boxed version. There is an extract from Patrick Snelling's catalogue essay on his blog.

Leo Sayer launches Geoff Todd exhibition

2011-08-31T09:05:00.000-07:00

On Sunday 18 August 2011, Ararat Regional Art Gallery's latest exhibition, 'Private Pop: Prints, multiples, ephemera, and the paintings of Geoff Todd', was launched by international recording artist, Leo Sayer. Leo visited Ararat from his home in Sydney to launch this impressive exhibition by his friend and collaborator, Geoff Todd. 'Private Pop' presents objects from Geoff's private art collection alongside his own paintings informed by the artists he has admired and the artworks and ephemera he has collected. The exhibition contunues until 25 September 2011.

Margaret Burin from ABC Ballarat has recorded a great interview with Geoff about the exhibition, which is available on-line - click here. There is a nice interview with Geoff in the Ararat Advertiser as well - click here.

Neville Pilven's exhibition opening

2011-07-11T19:54:00.001-07:00

(l to r) Artist Neville Pilven with opening speaker, Paul Kane.

Ararat Regional Art Gallery's current exhibition, 'The Wimmera and other places', recent paintings by Neville Pilven was officially opened by Paul Kane on Saturday 9 July 2011 at 2pm.

Neville spends a lot of time painting at his second home and studio located on the fringe of the Wimmera, near Stawell. We are very excited to showcase the work of a senior professional artist who has such a strong regional connection to the gallery. There was a warm atmosphere at the opening with many of Neville's family members and friends in attendance. Paul Kane's opening remarks were eloquent and insightful, and the celebratory atmosphere was further enhanced by the music of violinist, Andrea Keeble.

We were especially pleased that American poet and critic, Paul Kane, could visit Ararat to open Neville's show. Paul had just arrived in Australia to attend the Mildura Writers' Festival, where he serves as its Artistic Director. Paul has a long interest in Australian culture and is Professor of English and Environmental Studies at Vassar College, USA.

Born in 1939, Neville Pilven studied at the National Gallery Art School and the George Bell School. In the mid-1960s, Pilven left Australia for several years of European travel, study and painting, to England, Spain and Hydra, Greece. In 1972, he studied printmaking at Morley College, London, before returning to Australia in 1973, to settle in Melbourne. He was a finalist in the John McCaughey Invitation Art Prize, 1979, National Gallery of Victoria. Neville has held twenty solo exhibitions, many with leading Melbourne galleries. His work is in collections including Artbank, Latrobe University, Westpac, National Bank and Telstra. For more information about Neville Pilven, visit his website

Annemieke Mein

2011-07-04T00:48:00.001-07:00

Above: (l to r) Anthony Camm, Director, Ararat Regional Art Gallery; Annemieke Mein, and Anton Vardy, Director, Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, at the opening.

We have been so incredibly busy since the opening of our Annemieke Mein exhibition on 19 July 2011, so it has been a while since we lasted posted. Here are some photos from the opening - finally. The exhibition has just closed (on 3 July) and was one of our most popular shows ever. The exhibition received a phenomenal response, with many people deeply affected by their experience of viewing Annemieke's work. Thanks to our staff and volunteers who have worked incredibly hard to make the exhibition a success. We are especially grateful to Annemieke Mein and to the Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, for lending works and supporting the exhibition.

Annemieke Mein in Ararat

2011-05-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ararat Regional Art Gallery is proud to present an exhibition by textile artist, Annemieke Mein OAM, from 19 May to 3 July 2011. Annemieke’s meticulous representation of the natural world through textiles is distinctive in the Australian art world. Her singular vision has inspired audiences for three decades and she remains unique amongst Australian artists for the fervent interest her work attracts in the community.

Over the years, Annemieke has pushed the technical and pictorial boundaries of her work in textiles. Underpinning her practice is an astute eye for detail borne from an intense engagement with the natural world. Annemieke has said that each of her artworks “requires extensive research, field studies, observation, specimen collecting, countless sketches and a disciplined timetable of working hours”. This stunning exhibition surveys Annemieke’s career from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, with works loaned from the Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale and from her own collection. The exhibition also includes samplers and drawings that provide an insight into Annemieke’s creative process. Two soft sculptures from Ararat’s permanent collection are also included and will be contextualised alongside related loaned works.

The Annemieke Mein exhibition will be officially opened by Anton Vardy, Director, Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale on Thursday 19 May at 6pm in the presence of Annemieke Mein OAM.

Image: Annemieke Mein, 'Pink Emperor Gum Moth' 1982 (detail), Collection: Ararat Regional Art Gallery, purchased with the assistance of an Australia Council Crafts Board Grant, 1982, Photo: Terence Bogue.

The Shilo project comes to Ararat

2011-04-11T19:44:00.001-07:00

Ararat Regional Art Gallery launched its newest exhibition, 'The Shilo project', last Friday afternoon to an appreciative audience. 'The Shilo project' is a NETS Victoria touring exhibition developed by the Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne, and is curated by its Director, Dr Chris McAuliffe.

An iconic album cover from the 1970s, Neil Diamond's 'Shilo' is the stmulus for this exhibition which explores the introcate relationship between pop music and contemporary art. The original album cover featured an innovative join-the-dot image of Neil Diamond, inviting fans to complete their own portrait. 100 leading contemporary artists were invited to respond to the artistic challenge posed by the do-it-yourself 'Shilo' album cover.

'The Shilo project' is fascinating both in terms of the surprising artistic responses that emerged from the chellenge, but also for its innovative and inclusive exhibition design. Vicitors to the exhibition can leaf through racks of Neil Diamond album covers as if they are visiting a record store. They can even pull up a bean bag, relax and play the 'Shilo' album on a record player as part of the exhibition experience.

We were very pleased to welcome the exhibition's curator, Dr Chris McAuliffe, to Ararat last Friday to speak about the ideas informing 'The Shilo project' and the process involved in developing this intriguing exhibition. Dr McAuliffe's talk was followed by an exhibition opening reception where people had a chance to view the exhibition and enjoy the 'Shilo' album. Local artists who contributed their own Shilo album covers to the Ararat presentation of the exhibition were also in attendance.

Nalda Searles Visits Ararat

2011-04-04T15:43:00.000-07:00

l to r, Christina McGuiness and Nalda Searles with Ararat Regional Art Gallery Director, Anthony Camm

On Friday 1 April 2011, we were honoured to welcome the esteemed contemporary fibre artist Nalda Searles to Ararat Regional Art Gallery for a series of events that concluded our presentation of the ART ON THE MOVE touring exhibition 'Nalda Searles - Drifting in My Own Land'. Nalda travelled from Perth with exhibition coordinator, Christine McGuiness, to present an artist's talk and attend an exhibition closing reception. We were thrilled that during her brief visit Nalda was able to share her prespective on fibre art through an intensive workshop for a small group of participants. Visitors came from far and wide to participate in the workshop which was held in the Shearer's Quarters at Allanvale Homestead. The gallery will hold future workshops at Allanvale. If you would like to receive advanced notice of future workshops please subscribe to the gallery's e-newsletter.

About Time in Horsham

2011-02-23T15:29:00.001-08:00

(l to r) Anthony Camm, Mardi Nowak and Adam Harding at Horsham Regional Art Gallery ( l to r: tapestries by Valerie Kirk, Kate Derum and Gerda van Hamond)

Our touring exhibition, 'About Time: Australian Studio Tapestry 1975-2005' was officially opened at Horsham Regional Art Gallery on Sunday 20 February at 3pm. The exhibition looks great in the gallery's temporary home. It was nice to see many people from Horsham's textile community in attendance and the inclusion of a Horsham community tapestry at the entrance to the exhibition was a nice reminder of the importance of the community tapestry movement in the studio tapestry story. Horsham Regional Art Gallery Director, Adam Harding was a great host and with his colleague Michael Shiell has done a great job in presenting and promoting the show.

We are thrilled that Mardi Nowak, who is an artist-weaver featured in 'About Time', has agreed to deliver public programs to support the exhibition's tour throughout regional Victoria. The day after the opening, Mardi presented a very successful talk in Horsham to over 50 high school students from across the Wimmera. Thanks Mardi! Mardi is also Curator of the Town Hall Gallery in Hawthorn.

The 'About Time' catalogue essays are now available to read on-line at Craft Victoria's 'Craft Culture' respository of craft writing. Ararat Regional Art Gallery Director, Anthony Camm's essay provides a response to the works in the show and their place in the rise of the studio tapestry movement. Essays by notable artist-weavers, Professor Kay Lawrence AM, Sara Lindsay and Hilary Green, from a section of the catalogue called, 'Reflections from the Field', can also be read on-line.

The Horsham show closes on 6 March, after which the exhibition will travel to Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery (1 July-14 Aug)and Central Goldfields Art Gallery in Maryborough (4 Sept-9 Oct). 'About Time' is funded by the Regional Exhibitions Touring Initiative and its catalogue is sponsored by the Gordon Darling Foundation.

Nalda Searles - Drifting in My Own Land

2011-02-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

Debby and Mark installing Nalda Searles' 'Loitering at the Dancehall' (2008)

'Nalda Searles - Drifting in My Own Land' - an ART ON THE MOVE touring exhibition - will open at Ararat Regional Art Gallery tomorrow and will continue until 3 April 2011. We have just finished installing the exhibition and have had a lot of fun discovering Nalda's different artworks hidden in the many crates that carried them across the Nullabor to Ararat, which is the first gallery beyond Western Australia to present the exhibition. Nalda's exhibition will appeal to people interested in both surface design in textiles and the sculptural use of fibre materials. This is an exhibition that will no doubt attract many visitors given Nalda's profile in the textile/fibre art world.

Nalda Searles is a living icon of Western Australian art. For nearly thirty years she has been an innovator in the use of native plant fibres and found objects from the environment for the production of fibre-textiles, sculpture and installation artworks. Her exhibition is an expression of identity in relation to physical and social landscape. She has drawn on her own life, memories of her parents and the experiences of numerous regional women she has known in the gradual development of the twenty one exhibition works on view.

Nalda will travel to Ararat for a closing reception on Friday 1 April at 6pm, which will feature closing remarks from exhibition project coordinator, Christina McGuinness. Prior to the official closing, Nalda will present a free artist's talk at 4.30pm.

Ararat Regional Art Gallery will also offer an intensive residential workshop with Nalda Searles from 1 to 3 April 2011. The workshop will be held at Allanvale Shearers’ Quarters, located on a magnificent working sheep property, in the vicinity of the Great Western wineries and within a half‐hour scenic drive to the Grampians. The fee is $330 (including GST) per person, which includes the two day workshop, including materials, basic twin‐share accommodation and meals, including a Saturday night catered dinner. There are only a few places remaining and payment in advance is required to secure a place. For information and application forms, phone
(03) 5352 2836 or email: gallery@ararat.vic.gov.au

For more information about Nalda you can visit her blogs: Fodder for Making and The Stringmakers, or read an Artlink review of 'Nalda Searles - Driting in My Own Land' by textile artist and writer, Holly Story.

The national tour of this exhibition is managed by ART ON THE MOVE. This exhibition is supported by Visions of Australia, an Australian Government program supporting touring exhibitions by providing funding assistance for the development and touring of Australian cultural material across Australia.

Celebrating the Glover Legacy

2011-01-24T17:53:00.000-08:00

The daughters of Eileen and John H. Glover, (l to r) Margie Glover, Ellie McCutcheon and Cate Whitehead, with opening speaker, David Crofts.

Ararat Regional Art Gallery officially opened it's latest exhibition, 'Parallel Lives: The Art of Eileen Glover and John H. Glover' on Thursday, 13 January 2011 at 6pm. 'Parallel Lives' is a tribute and celebration of the lives and work of Eileen and John H. Glover, well-known community identities in Stawell and across the Western region, who died in 2007. Despite a very wet evening - and the floods that subsequently followed - people travelled from far and wide to celebrate the exhibition opening. Melbourne-based writer and friend of the Glover family, David Crofts, provided opening remarks that were marvelously evocative and gave a sense of Eileen and John's respective and shared personal and artistic journeys.

'Parallel Lives' has its genesis in conversations between the artist's three daughters about their parents' creative lives and the rich legacy and influence it has had on them and their individual creativity. The exhibition spans 60 years of art making and includes paintings, drawings and mixed media works dating back to the 1930s. The exhibition features a range of journals and artist's books produced by Eileen and John early in their artistic lives, and these are a real highlight. An extraordinary comic book depicting the Australian countryside is an early example of Eileen's life-long interest in horses serving as source material for her art. John is represented by a number of journals, including one from 1934 that was completed while he was resident at the Boy's Training Farm, Tally-Ho. The journal shows a sketch from a photograph of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was opened in 1932. John was to later draw the newly constructed bridge on-site after riding his bicycle from Melbourne to Sydney in 1937, and this drawing is also featured in the exhibition. This is just one of the fascinating stories that emerge when viewing 'Parallel Lives' - an exhibition that aims to capture the spirit of Eileen and John's life-long commitment to art that was passionately pursued from their youth to their later years. The exhibition continues until 13 February 2011.

Y Now

2010-12-21T17:26:00.001-08:00

Meg Harrington, Alex Prockter and Hamish Harrington at the exhibition opening.

The Mayor Cr Andrea Marian officially opened 'Y Now: 2010 VCE Graduate Exhibition' on 16 December 2010 at 6pm. The Mayor provided her opening remarks to a large crowd including secondary school principals, teachers and community representatives and, of course, the participating young artists and their families and friends. The exhibition opening provided an opportunity for the community to join in celebrating the students' talents and achievements in the visual arts and the conclusion of their VCE studies. The opening of 'Y Now' coincided with the announcement of VCE results and there was much excitement and discussion about future plans for study and careers.

This is the third time an annual celebration of VCE graduates has been presented at the Ararat Regional Art Gallery. It has taken some time to develop this event, but the success of the 2010 exhibition has established this VCE celebration as a core part of the Gallery's community programming. Eleven young artists from across the region feature in 'Y Now' representing their respective schools, Marian College Ararat, Donald High School, Lake Bolac College or Ararat College. This year's exhibition features many impressive artworks in a range of mediums including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, ceramics and textiles. The young artists have explored diverse subject areas including fairy tales, childhood themes, animals and nature and social justice issues. Some students have also presented their work in applied art areas such as fashion and theatre design. Journals from some of the exhibitors are on display as well, and these provide a sense of the process involved in creating the artworks featured in the exhibition.

Rainbow Love

2010-12-21T17:00:00.001-08:00

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Artist Cath Johnston and Jules Walker, Community Development & Health Promotion Manager for Grampians Community Health.

Ararat Rural City Mayor, Cr Andrea Marian officially opened Cath Johnston's exhibition, Rainbow Love on Thursday 9 December 2010 at 6pm. The opening was one of our new Mayor's first official engagements. Cr Marian spoke passionately about the struggle to receive equal rights and recognition for gay and lesbian people, with reference to Cath's exhibition and interactive 'Rainbow Love' sculpture. Cath's exhibition is deeply informed by her personal circumstances and values and its creation is motivated by a desire to break down prejudices in the community towards the recognition of same sex relationships.

'Rainbow Love' presents the idea of 'Love' in a sculptural form. Integral to this interactive artwork is the tying of rainbow ribbons by gallery visitors on to each of the sculptural letters that form the word "Love'. Cath said, "I have created this installation in support of the designation of 2011 as a year of action for equal love". Cath chose the word 'Love' for her sculpture because she feels it is "the unifying ethos by which all change, tolerance, acceptance, hope, equality and positivity evolve". In the introductory panel to the exhibition she writes, "We are all equal in love. My personal wish is that one day very soon all gay, lesbian, bisexual, trangender and intersex (GLBTI) people will be able to legitimise their love for one another by law. She then asks the viewer, 'What is your hope for our shared future?' ".

Many Become One

2010-11-09T18:54:00.001-08:00

Ararat-based artist Jade Kahle was approached earlier this year with the idea of introducing textile craft skills to children leading to an installation outcome in response to the 2010 Children’s Week theme, ‘A Caring World Shares’. The project has been funded through a Children's Week grant from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. This resulting installation ‘Many Become One’ is the culmination of the collaboration between Jade and the participating children. The exhibition was launched by Ararat Rural City Councillor Anne Marshall last Tuesday afternoon, 3 November.

Jade’s concept for ‘Many Become One’ focuses on forms from nature, such as beehives, bird nests and wasp daubs. A half-seen and imagined world of bee and bird is evoked through crochet, knitting and stitch-work, with honeycomb motifs symbolising unity, building and co-operation. Each workshop led to the creation of the various textile pieces that feature in the installation that was designed and constructed by Jade. The individual elements were made by primary school students from Ararat West, Ararat North, Landsborough, Moyston, Willaura, St Mary’s in Ararat and Skene Street in Stawell. Children from the monthly Embroiderers Guild Needles and Pins children’s textile group also contributed to the installation. The installation is presented until 5 December 2010.

Jade Kahle is an artist and designer who has been working with her zooblast label since 2004. For more information visit the zooblast webpage.

Ivan Durrant - Boundary Rider

2010-11-09T14:58:00.001-08:00

Ivan Durrant, 'Ball Carrier' 2010, acrylic on masonite, 97 x 148cm

Ivan Durrant is well known for his confronting happenings, sculptures, films and paintings of the 1970s and 1980s. Ararat Regional Art Gallery is pleased to present Ivan's most recent series of paintings,'Boundary Rider', in which he celebrates the colours of a football match in a semi-abstract style. 'Boundary Rider' is an exhibition that provokes a response from the viewer and many interesting conversations have been had in the Gallery since the exhibition went up on the walls. It has been interesting to see how visitors to the exhibition react when confronted by Ivan's intensely bright paintings with their strongly contrasting colours and out-of-focus and sometimes almost abstract representation of moments from football matches. This recent series of paintings has attracted considerable critical attention with Ivan winning the prestigious Sulman Prize in 2009 and having two 'Boundary rider' paintings acquired and currently on show at the National Gallery of Australia. This exhibition, which continues until 12 December 2010, provides an opportunity to view the work of one of Australia's great contemporary painters.

Artist Tony Flint opened the exhibition

Ivan Durrant's 'Boundary Rider' exhibition was officially opened on Saturday 6 November 2010. It was great to welcome Ivan back to Ararat following his visit in 2009 for the opening of the Albert Tucker exhibition 'The Intruder: The Perfect Allegory' which he curated. Ivan's good friend and fellow painter Tony Flint opened 'Boundary Rider' with a warm and insightful appreciation of Ivan and his work. To see some images of Tony's paintings click here.

Living Treasure

2010-09-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

Liz Williamson presenting her floor talk

Dr Kevin Murray opens the exhibition.

Last night we celebrated the official opening of Liz Williamson:Textiles, which is an Object Gallery Touring Exhibition as part of its Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft series. Liz was raised at Carisbrook, near Maryborough, and her regional Victorian connections remain strong to this day. It was great to welcome many of Liz's family and friends to the opening. We were thrilled that Liz could attend and present a floor talk prior to the opening. Dr Kevin Murray, Adjunct Professor at RMIT University and well-known craft writer and curator officially opened the exhibition to a large and appreciative crowd. Ararat Regional Art Gallery is the exclusive Victorian presenter of the exhibition which continues until 31 October 2010.

Upcoming Events

2010-09-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

Simon Tedeschi Piano Recital
Acclaimed US-based Australian pianist Simon Tedeschi will perform the music of Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Gershwin and Fats Waller at the Ararat Performing Art Centre on Wednesday 29 September 2010 at 8pm. Advertised ticket prices are $22 full price, $19 Concession and $15 Students, but Ararat Regional Art Gallery members will receive a 25% discount on the purchase price of tickets for the recital. This offer is only available when visiting the Ararat Performing Arts Centre box office or booking by phoning 5352 2181. Please mention this offer when booking your tickets and present your current gallery membership card when collecting your tickets.

Liz Williamson: Textiles – Floor Talk and Exhibition Opening
We are thrilled to confirm that the esteemed textile artist Liz Williamson will be present at the Ararat Regional Art Gallery exhibition opening of her touring exhibition, 'Liz Williamson: Textiles' on Thursday 30 September 2010. This exhibition is an initiative of the Sydney-based organisation, Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design, as part of its Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft series. Liz will present at floor talk on at 5pm which will be followed by the official opening of her exhibition at 6pm by Dr Kevin Murray. Dr Murray is Adjunct Professor at RMIT University and a well-known craft curator and advocate. It will be a great night and we hope to see you there!

Antiques Evaluation Day
Antiques and collectibles valuer, Lester DeVere will help you piece together the origins of your trinkets and treasures and advise you on their worth. Bring along your favourite antique or collectable or just come for the fun. There will be two sessions presented on Friday 8 October 2010: a morning session from 10.30am to 12pm, and an afternoon session from 1.30pm to 3pm. Bookings are essential. The cost is $5 per person, which entitles you to bring along one object for valuation. The session is designed to be informative and interactive. It is important to note that Lester will value all pieces in an open forum. These are not formal written valuations, but provided in a fun and educational environment of learning. The Antiques Evaluation Day will be held in the Art & Craft workshop, next door to Ararat Regional Art Gallery. Tea and coffee will be provided. For information or to confirm attendance, please contact Marcella Crowley on 5352 2836 or email: mcrowley@ararat.vic.gov.au

Australian Studio Tapestry

2010-08-16T20:43:00.001-07:00

Above: Tim Gresham with his tapestry 'Triptych from Red (2002)
Below: (l to r) Cresside Collette, Gerda van Hamond, Marie Cook, Sara Lindsay

Ararat Regional Art Gallery’s latest exhibition, “About Time: Australian Studio Tapestry 1975-2005” was officially opened on Saturday 14 August 2010 at 2pm by tapestry artist and Head of Art, South West TAFE, Warrnambool, Marie Cook. Marie, whose work is represented in the exhibition, joined tapestry artists from Melbourne and across Victoria at the opening.

“About Time” features 23 mostly large-scale tapestries in a rare survey of independent tapestry practice. The exhibition draws on the Gallery’s substantial holdings of studio tapestry, alongside some selected loans from other public galleries and private collections. While the exhibition does not tell the complete story of studio tapestry in Australia, it does aim to promote a greater understanding of the movement and acknowledge those who have been important in establishing and advancing this field of contemporary craft practice.

Since 2008 the Gallery’s studio tapestry sub-collection has been strengthened with acquisitions of major tapestries by important artists Kate Derum and Sara Lindsay. The “About Time” exhibition opening provided an opportunity to announce the Gallery’s successful funding application to the Robert Salzer Foundation, through the Public Galleries Association of Victoria, to support the acquisition of Tim Gresham’s ‘Triptych from Red’ from 2002.

“Triptych from Red” explores the tension between the immediacy of photography and the slowness of the weaving process. Tim, who is also a professional photographer, has distilled compositional elements from his photographs of the built environment to create this stunning abstract tapestry in three parts. Tim’s ambitious tapestry, which is presently on display in the “About Time” exhibition, took a year to weave and featured in the National Gallery of Victoria’s prestigious Colin and Cecily Rigg Craft Award in 2003. “About Time” continues until 26 September 2010.

Virginia Kaiser's 'Outback Stories'

2010-07-04T18:04:00.001-07:00

Virginia Kaiser, 'Shapes in the Landscape' 2010, Bulrushes & dyed rattan core x 4, muehlenbeckia & dyed rattan core x 1, Photo: Boris Hlavica

Participants in Virginia's two day workshop

Virginia Kaiser is an artist who employs a wide range of weaving techniques and natural fibre materials in her sculptures and baskets. Her current exhibition 'Outback Stories' is deeply informed by the landscape around Broken Hill where she presently lives. Her exhibition is presented at Ararat Regional Art Gallery until 8 August.

Virginia's life and work has been closely tied to the development of the craft movement in Australia and the practice of basketry in particular. She is widely recognised as a leader in contemporary Australian fibre art as an exhibiting artist, curator and mentor. 'Outback Stories’ is dedicated to some of the key influences in Virginia’s life, including South Australian basketry pioneer Jean Lange and American fibre artist Douglas Fuchs, who influenced the character of Australian basketry so profoundly during his Australian residency in the early 1980s. During her visit to Ararat, Virginia had a chance to see some of the fibre artworks in Ararat Regional Art Gallery’s permanent collection, including objects from Jean Lange, Douglas Fuchs, and many Australian basketmakers.

The launch of Virginia’s exhibition last Friday 2nd July 2010 began with an artist’s talk in the afternoon where she spoke about the development of contemporary Australian basketry. Following her talk, Virginia’s exhibition was officially opened by special guest Lindy Allen, Senior Curator, Anthropology (Northern Australia), Museum Victoria. Lindy spoke about Virginia’s influence on Australian fibre art and about the unique position that basketry holds as a means for dialogue between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

The exhibition opening was attended by many people with an interest in contemporary fibre art, including practicing basketmakers who travelled to Ararat from Melbourne, Sydney, and Regional Victoria and South Australia for the opening. A contingent of visitors also attended a weekend workshop presented by Virginia at the Allanvale Homestead’s Shearers Quarters, between Ararat and Great Western. Participants were thrilled to have completed several baskets during the workshop, as part of their introduction to this ancient craft.

Flames of Creation: The Pottery of John Eagle

2010-05-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

Top: L-R John Eagle, Janette Todd, Rosemary Eagle

'Flames of Creation' was officially opened at the gallery on Saturday 22nd May at 2pm. It is an exhibition highlighting the 40 year career achievement of ceramicist John Eagle. Now based in Ararat, John Eagle is widely recognised for his contribution to ceramics in Victoria, including through his pursuit of excellence in functional pottery. The exhibition was opened by special guest Janette Todd, an exceptional artist in her own right, who has known John for a number of years. The opening was attended by over eighty people including Cr Andrea Marian, local pottery enthusiasts as well as a number of visitors to the area.

A graduate of RMIT, John enjoyed early success when selected for inclusion in the seminal Victorian craft exhibition, Craft Victoria '75 at the National Gallery of Victoria. In the 1970s, John dedicated himself to a life as a potter. In 1988 John was awarded the National Bicentennial Art-Craft award for Functional Pottery.

'Flames of Creation' presents a range of objects that track John's growth as a potter over a forty year period, revealing pivotal breakthroughs in his throwing and glazing techniques. Many of these featured objects are treasured possessions of the artist; other signature pieces have been sourced from a range of private collections. Also included is a new ceramic installation 'Garden of Creation' ,"based on the memory of annuals that used to flower every Spring at Linton', which was created especially for this exhibition. 'Flames of Creation' continues until June 27 2010.

Ochre, bark, fibre, wood

2010-04-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Above: Guests at the opening; Below (l to r) Elizabeth Crauford, Ian Mitchell and Ted Lovett at the opening.

Last Thursday we were was pleased to open our latest exhibition, 'Ochre, bark, fibre, wood: The art of Arnhem Land from the collection of the Art Gallery of Ballarat'. The opening was well attended and guests had the opportunity preview the exhibition as well as hear opening remarks from indigenous Elder, Mr Ted Lovett, and Director of the Art Gallery of Ballarat, Mr Gordon Morrison.

The exhibition is curated by Mr Morrison and is the first travelling survey of Ballarat's Arnhem Land collection since it was established in 2004. Mr Morrison gained a deeper appreciation of the art of Arnhem Land through a research trip funded by the Gordon Darling Foundation in May 2005, which enabled him to spend five days at Yirrkala and five days at Maningrida. Meeting artists and learning about the cultural context in which they created their work profoundly informed Mr Morrison's approach to establishing this new area of collection at Ballarat. Mr Morrison commented that, "although Arnhem Land is an integral part of Australia, travelling to this part of the Northern Territory can seem like travelling to another country. It is not just a matter of the physical remoteness of the region; this is a place where indigenous languages - and there are many of them - are still spoken and where age old customs, tribal law, ceremonies and art are still part of everyday life".

Bark paintings and fibre works rarely tour due to their fragility, so we are indeed fortunate that the Art Gallery of Ballarat has so generously shared its collection with us. The exhibition brings together exquisite bark paintings and majestic wood and fibre sculptures from 'the Top End'. It provides a rare opportunity for people to learn about the rich indigenous culture from this beautiful and remote part of Australia. The exhibition continues until Sunday 16 May.

Jukebox Paintbox Exhibition

2010-03-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

Bernadine Streeter (centre) with members of the Jailhouse Rock committee.

Marcella Crowley and Bernadine Streeter announcing the winners.

Ararat Regional Art Gallery's staff were pleased to welcome 40 community members to the launch of the Jailhouse Rock Festival last Wednesday. The launch was an opportunity to celebrate the festival's commencement and enabled the Jailhouse Rock Festivals committee to thank its many friends and supporters. This gathering also provided a great opportunity to introduce community members to the Gallery's current Jailhouse Rock exhibition 'Jukebox Paintbox'. This community access exhibition is our contribution to the 2010 Festival program and builds on last year's successful community exhibition, 'Discard to Disc Art'.

The concept behind 'Jukebox Paintbox' was that people respond artistically to a classic rock'n'roll song from a jukebox playlist. Each entrant was provided with a small canvas as part of their challenge and artists of all abilities were encouraged to enter their work. There was no selection process as the exhibition is essentially about promoting participation in the visual arts with everyone encouraged to have a go. A few prizes were on offer to keep things interesting. Sue Kennedy of Pomonal took out the $150 open prize for her painting, 'Tutti Frutti (after Arcimboldo)'. Sue's work was selected as the winning work by local artist, Carolyn Thomas, who is also the director of Off the Beaten Track Wine and Art Gallery in Buangor.

Carolyn was especially taken by Sue's homage to the Italian Mannerist painter, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who is known for his intriguing portraits of people whose images are made entirely out of fruit and vegetables. In this case, Sue's portrait captured the likeness of Little Richard, who is famous as the singer and composer of 'Tutti Frutti'. The Jailhouse Rock Festival director's award was judged by Bernadine Streeter and presented to Rosemary Wilson for her painting, 'Blueberry Hill at the Central Hotel'. Bernadine presented her award to the painting that she felt best captured the character of the Jailhouse Rock Festival.

Both judges were full of praise for those who contributed to this fun and colourful exhibition celebrating rock'n'roll culture. The People's Choice Award is being tallied today following the receipt of many votes over the festival weekend. The winner of the award will receive a voucher from Blue Whippet Art Supplies. The exhibition continues until March 28.

Tea Party: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of The Embroiderers Guild, Victoria

2010-03-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

Dr Morna Sturrock AM officially opening 'Tea Party'

Last Thursday evening a crowd of around 100 people attended the launch of Ararat Regional Art Gallery's latest exhibition, "Tea Party: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of The Embroiderers Guild, Victoria". The exhibition includes objects from the Gallery's own collection, historic tea cosies and aprons from the Embroiderers Guild's collection, contemporary tea cosies by guest artists and works borrowed from public and private collections.

A highlight of the exhibition is an afternoon tea table setting made by the Guild's Ararat branch members featuring knitted, crocheted, felted and embroidered cakes, sandwiches, slices and, of course, tea cosies. Many of the women who contributed to this project were in attendance at the opening to celebrate the completion and unveiling of their amazing collaborative artwork.

The opening attracted a strong contingent of Embroiderers Guild members from across Victoria, including representatives from the executive committee, its entire 50th anniversary sub-committee and members of branches in Geelong, Hamilton, Ballarat and as far as Mildura. Many people heading home from the Grampians Texture textile event at Halls Gap also stopped by to attend the opening.

We were especially honoured to welcome two distinguished guest speakers at the opening - Dr Morna Sturrock AM and Janet de Boer OAM, who are both well-known and highly respected textile art identities. Their respective opening remarks were warmly received by the large audience and provided a valuable context for appreciating 'Tea Party' and its contribution to the Guild's state-wide celebration. The exhibition continues until 4 April.

Y Now - VCE Exhibition Opening

2010-01-27T16:36:00.000-08:00

Participating Artists at the Exhibition Opening

Last Saturday we were pleased to host the opening of our new exhibition Y Now. The exhibition features 2009 VCE visual art graduates from the Ararat and Pyrenees region. It was a great opportunity for the young people of our community to see their work exhibited in a professional environment. Gallery Director Mr Anthony Camm offered words of encouragement for the young artists in his opening speech. The exhibition was attended by around 70 people including family and friends of the artists, members of the Gallery, VCE art teacher, Mr John Eagle, and principal of Marian college, Mr John Crowley.

The exhibition features works from the students of Ararat Community College, Stawell Secondary College and Marian College Ararat. The young artists have used a range of methods and materials including, oil paint, canvas, textiles, paper mache, photography, Raku pottery and drawing. The subject of the artworks include local issues such as the impact of bushfires, whimsical themes like fairies, as well as exploring the more serious issues of relationships and drug addiction.

The VCE exhibition forms a major part of our community arts programming for the year, launched for the first time in 2009, and the success of this show will ensure its place on the Gallery calendar in future years. An important initiative for our young people. The exhibition will be open until February 21, 2010.

58th Blake Prize Touring Exhibition

2009-12-09T15:03:00.000-08:00

Above: (l to r) Mrs Penny Hawker, Hon David Hawker MP, exhibiting artist Dianne Coulter and Gallery Director Anthony Camm; Mr Hawker addressing the audience at the opening.

We were very pleased to welcome Member for Wannon, the Hon David Hawker MP, to officially open the 58th Blake Prize Touring Exhibition last Saturday afternoon. The exhibition comes to Ararat direct from its unveiling in Sydney. We also welcomed Blake Prize Finalist and Winner of the inaugural Human Justice Award, Dianne Coulter, who provided closing remarks.

Presented by the Blake Society, named after the visionary artist and poet William Blake, the Blake Prize was established in 1951 to encourage artists to create significant works of art with religious content. Today the Blake Prize attracts fresh, contemporary expressions of spirituality, with artists extending the envelope to encompass a wide diversity of religious expression that make up the landscape of belief in Australia.

The touring exhibition features the work of 30 finalists including the winning work 'Rapture (silent anthem)' – a silent video created by Angelica Mesiti. Filmed from a concealed position under the stage at the Big Day Out music festival, Mesiti’s video captures the ecstatic faces of young music fans and intriguingly connects a contemporary cultural moment with art historical references and Christian iconography.

The Gallery is pleased to be the exclusive Victorian presenter of this exhibition and anticipates strong attendances due to the Blake Prize’s high profile as one of Australia’s leading art prizes. The exhibition continues until 16 January 2010.

Raku Pottery Workshop

2009-12-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

Above: Raku workshop photos by Lee Albert

On Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd November eight dedicated participants joined in an intensive two-day Raku pottery workshop hosted by Ararat Regional Art Gallery. The workshop was presented by accomplished local potter John Eagle and offered a hands-on introduction to the ancient Raku pottery process – an area of ceramics production actively pursued by John for almost 40 years.

Following a demonstration about how to construct a kiln, participants were quickly immersed in the fascinating process of waxing and glazing ceramics. Beginners had the opportunity to glaze a range of pots and tiles that John had prepared earlier. More experienced participants brought their own pots and sculptures with them ready for glazing and firing. The participants had an opportunity to experiment with a range of glazes made from John’s recipes containing different metal oxides.

The pieces created over the weekend were all incredibly varied and it was especially fascinating to observe how seemingly random occurrences in the firing process led to amazing effects and colour variations. The weekend concluded with workshop participants selecting their favourite pieces for inclusion in a group exhibition at the Gallery, which will continue until 20 December 2009.

John’s recent Raku exhibition and workshop, together with the current resulting workshop group exhibition, have been presented as part of the state-wide celebration of Ceramics Victoria’s 40th anniversary. Thank you to John for sharing his expertise and enthusiasm for pottery and also for generously donating proceeds from artwork sales from his recent Raku exhibition to support future Gallery acquisitions.

Focus on Pottery

2009-11-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

Visitors enjoying the 'Excellence of Ware' exhibition

Raku ceramics by John Eagle

The Gallery is presently filled with pots, old and new. Our key exhibition is 'Excellence of Ware: Bendigo Pottery Majolica 1879–1911' from Bundoora Homestead Art Centre, which brings together historic majolica ware from public and private collections, including some extremely rare pieces. The exhibition features a range of objects including elaborate water filters and garden urns, through to common household wares and decorative objects that were found on 19th century dressing tables.

'Excellence of Ware' is the third major exhibition curated by ceramics expert Gregory Hill, focusing on Victorian potteries. It is the culmination of 30 years of research by Gregory into the history of Bendigo Pottery - Australia’s oldest working pottery. We were pleased to welcome Dr Jacqueline Healy, Director of the Bundoora Homestead Art Centre to officially open the exhibition on Friday 24 November 2009 at 6pm. Dr Healy’s opening remarks gave the appreciative audience a greater understanding of the featured objects and the circumstances in which they were created. The following day Dr Healy presented a more extensive floor talk as a part of our 'Get Into Art' program.

Fifteen children who had chosen a Gallery visit as their Golden Gateway Festival Children's Week activity also had an opportunity to experience the exhibition. Local artist Amelia Kingston encouraged the children to draw their favourite pieces in the exhibition and this was followed by an opportunity to try their hand at making their own ceramic pots and sculptures.

The Gallery will soon host another workshop - this time for adults - to be conducted by renowned Ararat-based potter John Eagle. John will present a special Raku workshop on the weekend of 21 and 22 November 2009. Places are limited, so now is the time to let us know if you would like to be involved. The workshop complements John's current exhibition of Raku ceramics presented in our front gallery until 22 November 2009.

Barry Dickins in Ararat

2009-10-12T19:57:00.000-07:00

Above (l to r): Peter Waterman, Barry Dickins and Evelyn Curley

We were very honoured to welcome writer and visual artist Barry Dickins to the Gallery on Monday 12 October 2009. Barry is a regular visitor to the Grampians region where he teaches special sessions to primary students at a cluster of local rural schools. We are very grateful to Barry for agreeing to present a talk during his current visit to the region.

Barry spoke of his memories of growing up in Melbourne's northern suburbs and discussed the influences that set him on the path to becoming an artist and writer. He also discussed his recovery from depression, which he has written about in the recently published book, Unparalleled Sorrow. Even when speaking about depression, Barry's warmth and humour shone through. His talk inspired many questions and good humoured banter with the audience that is testament to his gift as a communicator.

Thank you to Maroona Primary School Principal Peter Waterman for arranging Barry's visit to the Gallery, and Ararat Library librarian Evelyn Curley for co-presenting Barry's talk and promoting it through her networks.

Albert Tucker exhibition

2009-09-29T00:30:00.000-07:00

Above: Geoffrey Smith delivering his opening remarks; Exhibition curator Ivan Durrant at the exhibition opening.

We are experiencing a surge in visitor numbers at present- all due to a very special exhibition of paintings by one of Australia's most important 20th century artists, Albert Tucker. The exhibition is titled 'The Intruder: The Perfect Allegory' and was originally curated by Ivan Durrant for Benalla Art Gallery. Most of the paintings are from the collection of Barbara Tucker, who has generously loaned these treasured paintings for the exhibition. Other important paintings have been loaned from the National Gallery of Victoria and Heide Museum of Modern Art.

The majority of the featured paintings are from the 1960s and were created by Albert Tucker following his return to Australia from Europe and are deeply informed by his immersion in the Australian bush after establishing a home in Hurstbridge in the early 1960s. The works feature haunting and conflicting images that explore the dangers of the Australian bush and the life and death struggles of explorers and other human intruders.

On Saturday 19 September at 2pm we were honoured to welcome Barbara Tucker and exhibition curator Ivan Durrant to Ararat for the exhibition opening. We were especially pleased that Geoffrey Smith, Director and National Head of Art, Bonhams and Goodman and former Curator of Australian Art at the National Gallery of Victoria was able to find the time to visit Ararat to formally open the exhibition. Geoffrey knows the work of Albert Tucker very well and his opening remarks provided a valuable context for those in attendance to better appreciate the exhibition.

Thank you to everyone who attended. It was a wonderful afternoon celebration amongst Gallery friends and supporters. Thanks especially to Off the Beaten Track Art and Wine Gallery / Mount Cole Wineworks for suporting the exhibition through providing their excellent wines at the opening.

Lao Textile Launch

2009-08-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

We had a great turn out for the launch of "Weaving Dreams and Aspirations: Lao Textiles" on Saturday 8 August 2009. The exhibition is curated by Valerie Kirk, a tapestry weaver and Head of Textiles at the Australian National University School of Art, and aims to highlight the rich textile traditions of Laos. It was great to see so many familiar faces from the regional textiles community in attendance.

Our guest speaker was Boby Vosinthavong, who operates the fair trade business, Lao Silk & Craft and is the Australian representative for the Lao Sericulture and Phontong / Camacrafts Handicrafts Cooperative (aka 'Mulberries'). Mulberries is a not for profit company established by Boby's mother, Kommaly Chanthavong, that seeks to create income generating opportunities for Lao people in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner. In her talk, Boby explained how Mulberries manages the process of creating high quality silk products from the growing of silk cocoons, the dying with natural materials and the painstaking task of weaving. Boby demonstrated the first stage of the production of silk - the reeling of raw silk from cocoons. It was great to welcome Boby and her family to Ararat to share the unique Mulberries story and to provide a context for appreciating the exquisite work in the exhibition.

Artists' Ink Opening

2009-06-28T23:14:00.001-07:00

Above: (l to r) Cathy Hoffman, Textile Teacher, South West TAFE; Angie Taylor, Acting Curator, Warrnambool Art Gallery; Philippa Hynam, Front of House Coordinator, Warrnambool Art Gallery.

Above: (l to r) Anthony Camm, Director, Ararat Regional Art Gallery; Adam Harding, Director, Horsham Regional Art Gallery; Brenda O'Connor, Acting Director, Warrnambool Art Gallery. Photos: Peter Pickering

Our current exhibition, 'Artists' Ink: printmaking from the Warrnambool Art Gallery Collection 1970-2001', was officially opened on Saturday 27 June at 2pm by Brenda O'Connor, Acting Director, Warrnambool Art Gallery. 'Artists' Ink' features 60 prints that track the rise of late 20th century printmaking in Australia. The exhibition features the work of independent specialist printmakers alongside notable artists who collaborated with master printmakers at the various print workshops that came of age during the 1970s and 1980s. The exhibition continues until 2 August 2009.

Viceregal Visit

2009-06-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

Above: The Governor and Mrs de Kretser meeting exhibiting artist, Julie Shiels (left).

We were incredibly honoured to welcome The Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser AC and Mrs Jan de Kretser to the Ararat Regional Art Gallery on 20 May 2009. Our exhibiting artists, Julie Shiels and Tamara Marwood, were introduced to the Governor and Mrs de Kretser and spoke to them about their respective exhibitions. There was a great moment when an unsuspecting young visitor and his dad were formally introduced to the Governor. It was a very exciting day for all associated with the Gallery.

Tamara and Julie's Exhibition Opening

2009-05-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

Installation view of exhibitions: 'Flock' (above) & 'Handcrafted Landscape' (below). Photos by Peter Pickering.

We are currently presenting two very different, though subtly related exhibitions by Bendigo region artist, Tamara Marwood and St Kilda-based artist, Julie Shiels.

We had the great honour of welcoming Professor Lyndal Jones from the School of Creative Media, RMIT University and Director of The Avoca Project to open Tamara and Julie’s exhibitions last Saturday afternoon.

Education Week

2009-05-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

Photographs from Ararat West Primary School's linocut workshop with Sarah Bartlett. Photographs courtesy of Leeanne Hahnel.

Education Week was celebrated by kindergartens and Victorian government schools last week from May 17 to 23. Ararat Regional Art Gallery marked the event with a series of art workshops to enhance and build on existing art activities which students are exposed to through the school curriculum. The workshops were funded through a grant from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

This year seven schools with a combined total of almost 150 students participated in six workshop sessions held over three days. Pomonal ceramicist Amelia Kingston introduced students from Beaufort and Ararat North primary schools to pottery. Ararat artist Sarah Bartlett introduced students from Stawell, Landsborough and Ararat West primary schools to the rewarding linocut printmaking process. Bendigo-region artist Tamara Marwood, who was in Ararat for the installation of her current exhibition ‘Handcrafted Landscape’, presented felt key ring making workshops for students from Great Western and Maroona primary schools.

Thanks to Amelia, Sarah and Tamara for their commitment and to all the teachers, parents and students who attended and helped make our Education Week workshop program a great success.

How You Make It - ABC Ballarat interview

2009-04-30T04:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks to ABC Ballarat for visiting Ararat for our recent presentation of 'How You Make It', a Craft Victoria - NETS Victoria touring exhibition of contemporary fashion, curated by Kate Rhodes. Lisa Moncrieff interviewed me as we walked through the exhibition. Click here to listen to the interview on-line. Next stop for 'How You Make It' is Mildura Arts Centre, where it will be presented from 11 June to 15 July.

ARAG 40th anniversary essay by Kevin Murray

2009-03-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

Ararat Regional Art Gallery celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2008 with an exhibition (held from 4 December 2008 to 26 January 2009) that featured 40 artists from its permanent collection. The process of developing and presenting the exhibition was incredibly valuable, leading to renewed critical engagement with the collection for staff and audiences and facilitating a reconnection with represented artists, many who returned to Ararat after many years.

A room brochure was published for the occasion and we were fortunate to have Dr Kevin Murray write an essay to mark ARAG's 40th anniversary. Kevin has posted the essay entitled, 'From Macrame to Digital Looms: Threads of Australian Identity' on his website. Hard copies of the brochure are available - if you'd like to receive a copy, just let us know.