Vol. 11 Spring No. 2 2018 COWRA REGIONAL ART GALLERY NEWSLETTER produced by the Friends of the Cowra Regional Art Gallery
Remember Me: THE LOST DIGGERS OF VIGNACOURT
21 JULY TO 2 SEPTEMBER, 2018.
he Cowra Regional Art Gallery was proud to T present this special touring exhibition from the Australian War Memorial. For much of the first World War, the small French village of Vignacourt was a staging point, servicing the battlefields on the Somme. Remember me: the lost diggers of Vignacourt tells the story of how one enterprising photographer took the opportunity of the passing traffic to establish a business taking portraits. Captured on glass, printed into postcards and posted home, the photographs made by the Thuillier family enabled Australian soldiers to maintain a fragile link with loved ones in Australia. The amazing “find” of these images in a long- forgotten attic, led to their recovery and what followed was a story of careful treatment and printing, and an ongoing search for names for the faces portrayed many of whom sadly did not make it home. The exhibition showcases a selection of the photographs as handmade traditional darkroom prints and draws on the Australian War Memorial's own collections to tell the story of these men in their own voices. An Australian War Memorial Touring Exhibition.
Mayor of Cowra Shire Council Cr Bill West, Gallery Director Brian Special Exhibition Opening Langer and special guest speaker Guest Speaker Major General (Retired) Brian Dawson AM, CSC. special exhibition opening at the Cowra Regional Art Gallery was held on Friday A 20 July 2018 including an official welcome by Cr Bill West, Mayor Cowra Shire Council and the opening address by Guest Speaker Major General (Retired) Brian Dawson AM, CSC, representing the Australian War Memorial. Also present was the Exhibition Curator Joanne Smedley who is a Curator of Photographs in the Photographs, Film and Sound Section at the Australian War Memorial. Initially joining the Memorial as the first Digital Librarian in the Research Centre, her move to the Photographs team started 20 years of research and development of the Memorial’s almost one million photographs. Joanne’s areas of research interests are studio photography, in particular the Darge Photographic Company of Melbourne during the First World War, and how memory is staged through photography. The Vignacourt collection also provides a source of research and discovery, with two more identities being established during the tour. She presented an interesting Gallery Talk on the Saturday following the Opening. ( See Page 2.)
Peter and Carol Larsen with Carolyn and Paul Devery. Kelsey Suttor. Rob Davidson examines the photos.. Below: Major General Brian Dawson chats with An excellent and appreciative crowd attended the opening. Joanne Smedley over one of the exhibits. Kit Chambers, Janet Ware and Eli Coe viewing the touch screen inter- active display which allowed visitors to search for family.
One of the displays was a video presentation telling the story Bev Kellly and Shirley Gibson. filmed on site.
VOLUME 11 NO 2 GALLERY NEWSLETTER SPRING 2018 PAGE 2
Remember Me: THE LOST DIGGERS OF VIGNACOURT
GALLERY FLOORTALK
Saturday 21 September
n Saturday afternoon O 21 July 2018, the Gallery presented a special Floor Talk by Joanne Smedley, exhibition curator and Curator of Photographs in the “Photographs, Film and Sound” Section at the Australian War Memorial. The talk included some of the key stories in the Vignacourt collection, how it was uncovered, its journey to Australian War Memmorial and the extensive research work that has been undertaken by both Memorial staff and members of the public. Joanne discussed some of the personalities who have been identified and how this has occurred when no identification information was received with the collection. Following the exhibition floor talk, a number of visitors took advantage of the invitation to bring some key photographs from their personal collections to discuss them with Joanne Smedley. Joanne is a First World War specialist and her enthusiasm and knowledge were much appreciated.
Photos show Joanne Smedley, and the appreciative crowd during her interesting presentation
Above: Kim Core and Rob Davidson examine treasured photos with Joanne.
ARTEXPRESS
SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY VISITORS. ince the exhibition opened on S 8 September, there have been 12 visiting groups to date. These included all Cowra schools, and school groups from Young, Murrumburrah, West Wyalong, Canowindra, Koorawatha/ Greenthorpe and Wyangala. Cowra Special Needs, U3A and a “Fields of Gold” tour group have also visited the gallery. Students from Murrumburrah High School visited the ARTEXPRESS Exhibition.
Students from Hennessy Catholic College -Young
Left: A group of students from Cowra High School appreciated the exhibition.
Below Centre and right: Students from Koorawatha/Greenthorpe Public School.
A “Fields of Gold” tour group visited the gallery
VOLUME 11 NO 2 GALLERY NEWSLETTER SPRING PAGE 3
9 September to 7 October 2018
ARTEXPRESS
he Cowra Regional Art Gallery was fortunate to show for the T first time this exciting showcase of Higher School Certificate work representing best practice in visual arts education. Part of the large crowd listening The exhibition as curated by Gallery Director Brian Langer, is to the speakers. unique to the Cowra region, and includes works from both metropolitan and regional centres and from both Government and non-government schools. On display was everything from ceramics, drawing and graphic design, to painting, photomedia, printmaking, sculpture, textiles and fibre, as well as time-based forms.
he well attended opening was held on Saturday afternoon 8 September 2018, with a T welcome Mayor of Cowra Cr Bill West followed by special Guest Speaker Mr David Lloyd, Director of Educational Leadership, Cowra Network Public Schools NSW. Mayor of Cowra Cr. Bill West Among the special visitors were Brigitte Maltese - Art Express Project Officer of welcomed the visitors. Dept of Education and Leona Beeson - National Sales Manager of S&S Wholesale Pty. Limited who announced special awards, and four of the artists whose works were displayed in the exhibition. These were Stephanie Lennon who attended Kinross Wolaroi Orange; Hanna Nobes - All Saints College Bathurst; Daniell Guyot - Henry Kendal HS Gosford, and Miranda Finck - Albury HS. Guest speaker Mr David The Wilkins Prize was established in 1967 and is named in honour of William Lloyd who declared the Wilkins the under secretary of the department of education 1872 - 1892. Each year the Charles Gauci Head Master Exhibition open. department purchases work from ARTEXPRESS exhibitions for this CHS; Brigitte Maltese, and Rita collection. This year the Wilkins Prize for Karaminas Head Teacher Art Excellence was awarded to Daniell Guyot. and Aboriginal languages,
Brigitte Maltese from the the Dept. of Education Above: who announced the Daniell explains her technique to Cowra Regional recipient of the William Gallery Director Brian Langer. Wilkins Award for Above: Brigitte Maltese, Art Excellence as Daniell Express Project Officer of Guyot. Dept. of Education with Above: Stephanie Lennon Daniell Guyot ... Henry received the S&S Creativity Kendal HS Gosford, who Unlimited Award for Stephanie with two of her was the recipient of the innovative use of material works featuring her favourite Wilkins Prize for Excellence. presented by National Sales horse (top), and below - the Manager Leona Beeson. bush fire that destroyed 70 Below: Daniell’s sculpture of horses including her pet. the Australian Tree Fern - one of her amazing pieces made from fragmented foam cups. Long time Canowindra Above: Visitors examine HS Visual Art teacher “ Through the Eyes” by Grace Ellis with David Lloyd. from Randwick Girls HS.
Miranda Fink from Albury HS. with her works “Intimate Relations”.
Leoni Brown and Helen Ford-Nobes enjoyed the exhibition.
Above: Robyn Edgar, Kevin Cowra girl Hanna Nobes - All Saints College Bathurst - with her Ford and Helen Ford-Nobes. beautiful compilation entitled “Hidden Beneath the Epidermis” Jacque Perry and Tony Dagg with Above right: One of Hanna’s works. Ceramics by Benjamin Maurice Silver. Bowral HS. Titled “Transmigration.”
Ponie and Zelda De Wet admired Grace Dunn’s “Face Value”.
Cermics by Oscar Lenior The Scots College. Jenny Thompson with Robin “Ode to Onggi” Above: Bob and Margo Vidilich enjoyed the exhibition. and Lawrance Ryan.
VOLUME 11 NO 2 GALLERY NEWSLETTER SPRING 2018 PAGE 4
Up Coming Events and Exhibitions
Art + Music combine for a special concert Singer songwriter Hester Fraser (GOLDHEIST) will perform with visual artist James Needham in the concert event REALM a collaborative performance that combines storytelling, music and painting. The concert will take place at the Cowra Civic Centre - Theatrette, Darling Street on Saturday 6 October from 6pm – 8pm, co-hosted by the Cowra Regional Art Gallery.
Combining their respective artistic practices, Needham will paint landscape, as inspired by tour locations, whilst GOLDHEIST provides the soundtrack, fusing her narrative songs with electro- acoustic soundscapes. Simultaneously curated and improvisational, this spatially motivated one hour performance will explore the spirit of place and the different ways our surrounds can inspire and impact us.
GOLDHEIST has shared her songs and stories with audiences across metropolitan and regional Australia. Her most recent performances include a concert for VIVID Festival in 2018 at the Art Gallery of NSW. James Needham lives and works in Sydney. He studied at the Oxfordshire College of Art in the UK and Sydney’s National Art School.
Prior to performing in Cowra GOLDHEIST and James Needham have toured to many regional galleries in NSW performing intimate, thought-provoking and immersive concerts in support of cultural communities within these rural areas. This evening event of high calibre live music will be enjoyed by all lovers of art helping to promote touring artists, as well as support and sustain events and venues in regional creative hubs.
Tickets are $20 pp available at the door from 5.45pm Saturday 6 October 2018. Seats are limited. Refreshments will be available at the end of the concert including local wine from Rosnay Organic Wines and finger food. For more information visit www.goldheistmusic.com / www.jamesneedhamart.com or contact the Gallery on 63402190.
14 October to 18 November JamFactory Icon Gerry Wedd: Kitschen Man Opening Saturday 13 October 2pm - Floor Talk with Gerry Wedd 2.30pm - Official opening by guest speaker Grace
Cochrane AM Willow pattern ceramics submerged in political jibes, classic urns 25 November to 9 December decorated with lyrical portraits, garniture figurines poised in confrontational narratives, Gerry Wedd’s work is a day at the beach - with a smash of home Opening Saturday 24 November baked reality pie in your face for good measure. at 2.30pm
Traditional ceramic styles imbued with meaty metaphor burst the seams of this solo upstART 2018 is the16th annual youth art exhibition by Gerry Wedd showcasing the breadth of this iconic artist’s career. This exhibition and awards presented by the JamFactory Icon exhibition is one of an annual event celebrating masters of creative Cowra Regional Art Gallery. excellence. The exhibition consists of works by young JamFactory Icon Gerry Wedd: Kitschen Man is a JamFactory touring exhibition and is supported artists in years 10, 11 and 12 from high schools by Visions of Australia an Australian Government program supporting touring exhibitions in the Central West. Categories include and the Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian Governments arts funding and advisory painting, drawing, mixed media, photography body. and sculpture. Image: Gerry Wedd, ‘Gram’ Jar, 2016, coil built, terracotta, coloured slip decoration, 1120ºC, 64 x 43cm. Photo: Andrew Cowen.
Cowra Regional Art Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 4pm, Sunday 2pm – 4pm Gallery Director: Brian Langer Gallery Administration Officer: Jacqueline Perry Gallery Support Officer: Michelle Burns 77 Darling Street, Cowra NSW 2794 Ph. 02 6340 2190 Fax: 02 6340 2191 Web page www: cowraartgallery.com.au Email: [email protected] The Cowra Regional Art Gallery is a cultural facility of the Cowra Shire Council “The Friends” is a volunteer organisation formed to support the Cowra Regional Art Gallery, and operates as a 355 committee of Cowra Shire Council. Meetings are now held at 5.30 pm on the 3rd Thursday of the month in the Nguluway Room adjacent to the Gallery. All welcome.
Chair Person Secretary Newsletter Editor Jack Mallon Ph 63450363 Simone Sly Ph 0437 395 797 Gwen Clark Ph 63423995
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it into a fruit salad.