Today I visited the Victorian Tapestry Workshop for a sneak preview of a fabulous tapestry designed by John Wolseley being woven for Hamilton Art Gallery.
Daniel McOwan, Director of Hamilton Art Gallery, weaver Millie Fornby and VTW Administrator, Lily Fraser discuss the work in progress.
Margaret Sinnott, Education Officer, with young participants in the Family Day.
Their Family Fun Day is run in partnership with Anglicare, and organised by Education Officer, Margaret Simnnott. Over 400 visitors came.
There were craft stalls, children's workshops, sausage sizzle, free afternoon tea, and music by Jonathan Cox. Children's artworks featured in postcards which you could post free anywhere in the world.
Current exhibitions include " "Picture Building", a special for students curated by ex-Education Officer Ron Quick. It addresses design elements in works drawn from Warrnambool's own collection.
Lovely to see people enjoying diverse activities in one of our great regional galleries.
Well done, Geelong Gallery! It’s now one of only a few Australian public galleries with its entire collection searchable on-line via the Gallery's website.
You can search the entire collection database (of well over 5,000 works of art) via artists' names, title, date, medium, credit line etc. And over 2,000 search results are accompanied by images.
Friendly rivalry between Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, and Latrobe Regional Art Gallery, at Morwell, keeps both of these PGAV regional galleries producing exceptionally high quality exhibitions and programmes.
A couple of weekends ago I visited Latrobe, which was in the last stages of preparation for the NETS Victoria-toured John Meade exhibition. I sat for a long while upstairs in "Tandeera" a lovely drawing and light installation - a collaboration between Aboriginal women of the region and Ian de Gruchy.
Travelling on to Sale, three stunning exhibitions were opened that night - Anne Zahalke's Hall of Mirrors - another NETS show, a multimedia artist/community collaboration by visiting Korean artist Aehee Park, and the rather eery sculpture of Natalie Ryan.
Next day I returned to Morwell for the opening of John Meade sculpture exhibition. And another chance to meet the artist. Again, this gallery had other major exhibition to be enjoyed, including Grafton's "2008 Jacaranda Drawing Prize".
We are so lucky to have exceptional galleries such as these in Victoria.
At the Opening at Morwell, John Meade talks about his work with Zara Stanhope, Curator.
Anne Zahalke and guests at the opening at Sale 5 Feb 2010
Jane Alexander has been appointed to the position of Director at Mornington Peninsula Gallery. Congratulations Jane!
Some of our PGAV galleries are contemplating or already engaged in rebuilding or extending their gallery spaces.
The new Tate Modern might provide inspiration, although I doubt our budgets are comparable!
Members of the PGAV have been shocked to read that the City Museum at the Old Treasury is to close, apparently so that more weddings can take place there!
The City Museum is probably the PGAV's most elegant gallery, with its beautiful 19th century architecture. Its "Built on Gold" exhibition, telling the history of gold in Victoria, makes it particularly important for school visitors (6,000 students just this year).
But we also love it for its high quality, often quirky, exhibitions which explore a range of subjects relating to the history and development of Melbourne and Victoria. Watch out for "The Toy Box", 19 December - 14 March 2010. (Perhaps only if weddings don't get in the way!)
To read the original State Government announcement, go to:
http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/newsroom/9061.html
Leave a comment and we'll pass them on. MH
Welcome to the PGAV's brand new website. I hope you approve!
If member galleries have news for this section, please email me. Images too are most welcome. Note that you can also comment on items here.
My thanks to the designer, Dianna Wells and Virginia and Ally of Inventive Labs.
Merle Hathaway, EO
The Gallery was nominated for the "Champions of the Bush" awards which aim to promote sucess, highlight the positives of living and working in regional Australia and salute those who are leading by example.
The nomination was for the exhibition "Books ...beyond words, the inaugural artists' book awards. First prize was $5,000 and the award will next be held in 2011.
At the dinner on Friday evening the East Gippsland Art Gallery found they were in the final 6 from more than 30 nominations.
And, although they didn't win, they were very happy with the recognition.
This year the venue was the Sculpture Garden of the Duldig Studio, for canapes and champagne, followed by an excellent dinner at the nearby "Our Kitchen Table".
Usually the last event on the calendar, this is unashamedly a social event, providing an opportunity to meet with colleagues, and view in a leisurely way one of our PGAV galleries.