Visual arts and crafts - News and events

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Events

Benjamin Armstrong, Hold Everything Dear - Perth

benjamin armstrong hold everything dear

Benjamin Armstrong, Hold everything dear II, 2009. Image courtesy of PICA and Tolarno Galleries.

18 June – 2 August 2009

This is the first solo exhibition in a public gallery by one of the most interesting Australian artists to emerge in recent years. Strangely beautiful and fascinatingly repulsive, Benjamin Armstrong's mysterious glass and wax sculptures are immediately suggestive of mythical waterborne creatures or future pre-historical life-forms. PICA.

Cancer Council Arts Awards, Celebrating Life and Hope Through Art - Melbourne

20 July - 7 August

This insightful and moving exhibition from Cancer Council Arts Awards brings together the most outstanding works from entrants of all ages who have shared their cancer experiences through visual art, short story, film, poetry and indigenous art, as well as children's writing and art. Judged by high profile experts, each artwork chosen for the exhibition is unique and demonstrates how no two cancer journeys are the same. 120 Collins Street.

John Brack retrospective - Melbourne

'Latin American Grand Final' dancers

John Brack, Latin American Grand Final 1969, oil on canvas. Image courtesy of the National Gallery of Victoria.

24 April – 9 August 2009

The John Brack retrospective will survey the artist's complete career, incorporating over 150 works from all of his major series. John Brack will bring together a significant body of the artist's paintings and works on paper, including pictures that have developed an iconic status and others that have rarely, if ever, been seen publicly since they were first exhibited. The Ian Potter Centre, Federation Square.

Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG)- New South Wales

opening 15 August 2009, exhibitions until November 2009

After extensive renovations, the MRAG will open with new spaces and exhibitions. New exhibitions include: Collecting Lines: Selected Works from the Geoff and Vicki Ainsworth Collection; Different Tracks: The Agapitos / Wilson Collection of Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Fiona Davies: Intangible Collection Annual; Jon Pryer: Off the Leash art + play. As part of the renovations, a new children's art space, the Art Factory will open as a dual exhibition and play space aimed at children.

Four Tasmanian Painters: Tim Burns - David Keeling - Richard Wastell - Philip Wolfhagen - Perth

3 July – 16 August 2009

In very different ways these four Tasmanian painters variously articulate their love of place, their fear of the loss of place and their observations on the reality of how we live in the environment

Rod Moss showing and Uber Gallery re-opening in Prahran - Victoria

July - August

After six months, the Uber Gallery is opening with three exhibtion spaces, a project space, stockroom, bookshop and cafe, offering a framework for artist to communicate and collaborate, supporting established Australian and international artists. The inaugural exhibition features Melboune artist Rod Moss, exploring the expanses of central Australia and the cultural dissonance which has occurred there. 2 Carlton Street.

South Australian Living Artist's Festival (SALA) - Adelaide

7 – 23 August 2009

The South Australian Living Artist's Festival (SALA) showcases visual artists, their talent, diversity and creativity. It's an occasion to venture out and discover local artists and to view works that are beautiful, thought provoking and inspiring. Last year over 400 artists displayed a diverse range of art.

Brett Whiteley, 9 Shades of Whiteley - Regional tour

Graham McCarter, 'Brett Whiteley'

Graham McCarter, Brett Whiteley. Courtesy of Graham McCarter.

12 July 2008 – 23 August 2009

Entitled 9 Shades of Whiteley, the exhibition will travel to six regional centres across three states over 18 months. The 'nine shades' include Whiteley's early works, abstracts, Christie & London zoo series, Lavender Bay, portraits, birds & landscapes, sculptures, late works and the Studio. The final section includes photographs of the Brett Whiteley Studio, Whiteley's last home and studio from 1985 to 1992 before it became a public gallery. Various locations.

The Stitches & Craft Show - Sydney

19–23 August 2009

Handmade has never been cooler and 'mass-production' is yesterday's news, so come and see the latest talent in Australia's craft and design community and learn the stories behind their quirky products. The Stitches & Craft Show brings more than 200 retailers together under one roof, and presents fashion parades and demonstrations to show how traditional craft techniques are influencing the most cutting-edge fashion and lifestyle trends. The show is brought to you by Living Creatively, the online magazine, meeting point and market place for creative crafters and designers from around Australia and beyond. Rosehill Racecourse.

Jan Senbergs, Capriccios - Melbourne

28 July – 29 August 2009

Born in Latvia in 1939, Jan Senbergs arrived in Australia in 1950. In 1993 he was awarded the William Dobell Drawing Prize by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. In 2006, a major exhibition surveying his drawing practice toured regional Australia in 2007. In 2008, The Art Gallery of New South Wales hosted the survey exhibition Jan Senbergs: From Screenprinter to Painter to document Jan's development as an artist over the past 25 years. A new exhibition, Capriccios looks at a view of 'extended' Melbourne. Niagara Galleries, Richmond.

Nalda Searles - Drifting in My Own Land, Perth and touring

nalda searles kangaroo couple

Nalda Searles, Kangaroo Couple, 1995-2008. Image courtesy of the John Curtin Gallery

19 June - 30 August 2009

Nalda Searles has been practising her craft for nearly 30 years. Featured in this exhibition are works that utilise recycled clothing and textiles, hair, plant materials, meadow hay, found and salvaged objects combined with seemingly endless stitching. This acclaimed Western Australian artist explores notions of identity in relation to the physical and social landscape through this comprehensive range of more than 21 works.The John Curtin Gallery, Curtin University of Technology.

The Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize 2009 - Adelaide, Canberra

Adelaide 18 July - 6 September 2009, Canberra 24 September to 15 November 2009

The Waterhouse is Australia's richest prize for Natural History Art, boasting a total prize pool of $114,500. Each year entries are invited in three categories: Paintings, Works on Paper and Sculpture & Objects. This year, 101 finalists have been chosen from a pool of 837 entries. The winners will be announced on 17 July 2009. South Australian Museum, National Archives of Australia.

National Youth Self Portrait Prize - Canberra

23 July – 13 September 2009

The annual National Youth Self Portrait Prize seeks to encourage young people to embrace self portraiture and its expressive possibilities. Sponsored by ADFAS and the Tallis Foundation, a $10,000 prize is offered for the most outstanding self portrait. Selected finalists will be on display at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra.

Caught in Thread - Hobart

9–13 September 2009

Caught in Thread, the 32nd Exhibition of the Hobart Embroiderers' Guild Inc. will exhibit the past two years' embroidery projects by guild. Around 350 to 400 items will be exhibited by approximately 63 members. A vast array of different stitches and techniques will be on display. Some projects are the design and handwork of the exhibitors, whilst others are from a design found in a kit, book or some other source. Long Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre.

American Impressionism and Realism: A Landmark Exhibition from the Met with iconic Australian paintings - Brisbane

30 May – 20 September 2009

The Queensland Art Gallery will be the only venue in the world to show American Impressionism and Realism: A Landmark Exhibition from the Met, featuring more than 70 impressionist and realist paintings from The Metropolitan's collection of American paintings and sculpture. The exhibition will present works by some of America's foremost artists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including James McNeill Whistler, John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, Childe Hassam, William Merritt Chase, Maurice Prendergast and Mary Cassatt. Highlighting how Australian artists responded to key artistic developments of the time, more than 30 iconic Australian paintings will also be included in the exhibition. Australian artists will include Tom Roberts, Charles Conder, Frederick McCubbin and Rupert Bunny. Queensland Art Gallery.

Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize exhibition - Bendigo, Victoria

9 August – 27 September 2009

Designed to attract some of Australia’s finest contemporary artists and high calibre works, the Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize (AGMPP) is Australia’s richest open painting prize. Thirty-nine artists have been shortlisted for 2009. Winners will be announced at opening. Bendigo Art Gallery.

Hans Heysen - Ballarat, Victoria and national tour

17 July - 2 October 2009

hand heysen oratunga

Hans Heysen, The Land of the Oratunga, 1932, Hahndorf, South-Australia. Courtesy of Art Gallery of South Australia.

[27 November 2009 - 14 February 2010, Hobert; 30 April - 4 July 2010 Canberra; 31 July - 24 October 2010 Brisbane; 19 November 2010 - 30 January 2011 Newcastle]

One of Australia's greatest artists, Hans Heysen (1877-1968), is celebrated with the first major retrospective of his work in three decades by the Art Gallery of South Australia's touring exhibition. The exhibition features more than a hundred works created over the artist's seventy year career, and marks the 40th anniversary of Heysen's death. Ballarat Fine Art Gallery.

Mosaic Association of Australia and New Zealand (MAANZ) Symposium 09 - Brisbane

9–11 October 2009

The MAANZ 2009 Symposium will host a conference with a series of workshops and an exhibition. The key note speaker is Karen Ami, President of the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA) and Director of the Chicago Mosaic School. Other speakers and topics will be from around Australia, NZ, USA, Turkey and Egypt. The 30:30 Vision Exhibition is a themed exhibition for works measuring 30cm x 30cm. This year's theme is Crusty Oceania—all sea life, as long as it's classified a crustacean. Conference at North Quay, exhibition at Brisbane Square Library.

Gloucester Art Trail - Gloucester, New South Wales

3–18 October 2009

With support from Regional Arts NSW, the town of Gloucester will become one giant gallery during the Gloucester Art Trail. Over 30 local artists will display a wide range of art including photography, pottery, painting, sculpture, digital media and floral art. On the long weekend artists will also open their studios.

Simryn Gill: Gathering - Adelaide

simryn gill

Simryn Gill, Untitled, 1999, gouache on magazine page. Image courtesy of the Samstag Museum.

7 August - 30 October 2009

Simryn Gill's intriguing art operates experimentally across a range of ideas, methods and media, including photography, objects, collections and text works. This major exhibition - produced by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney - focuses on Gill's new and recent works from the past five years, and includes a selection of works from her time living in Adelaide, early in her career. Samstag Museum

McCubbin: Last Impressions 1907–17 - Canberra

14 August - 1 November 2009

For the first time, an exhibition of the late works of foremost Australian Impressionist, Frederick McCubbin. Discover McCubbin's free and expressive style, and the varying effects of light conveyed through striking colour in landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, portraits and interiors.

Long Distance Vision. Three Australian Photographers - Melbourne

matthew sleeth opfikin

Matthew Sleeth, Opfikin, 1997 pr 2004, Courtesy of The Ian Potter Centre:NGV Australia.

28 August – 21 February 2010

This exhibition examines the idea of the ‘tourist gaze’ and its relationship with three contemporary Australian photographers. This exhibition will consider the work of three contemporary Australian photographers Christine Godden, Max Pam and Matthew Sleeth, who have photographed not only aspects of the everyday at home but venture forth in the world with the delighted, but not uncritical, eyes of the traveller. The Ian Potter Centre:NGV Australia. Federation Square.

Fibre Textile Biennial Momentum - national tour 

March 2009 - July 2010

'Textile artists work inventively because of the rapidly changing context of their world, pushing the boundaries and communicating through their original expressive forms. They challenge our preconceptions and move forward into unknown territories. The strength of this work comes from the artists' ability to respect their tradition and history while engaging with the momentum of progress.' The 18th Tamworth  Fibre Textile  Biennial is curated by Valerie Kirk. National tour includes Canberra, Wagga Wagga, Mornington Peninsular, Geraldton, Dubbo, Windsor, Mount Gambier.

Featured projects

Murray Fredericks, Salt-Lake Eyre Photographs

murray fredericks lake eyre

Murray Fredericks, Salt 300, pigment on cotton rag. Image courtesy of Murray Fredericks.

May 2009

For six years photographer-artist Murray Fredericks has cycled out onto Lake Eyre in the northern extremes of South Australia. On the vast emptiness of the salt lake, he has created a body of time-lapse photography.  Michael Angus has augmented Fredericks' footage with aerial photography, time-lapse video and the haunting sounds of Aajinta's Harmonic Spheres to produce an experience of what it means to look at landscape with fresh eyes.

Creative Australians recognised for inspiring the community

1 March 2009

Creativity comes in a surprising range of shapes and sizes in Australia and is often the inspiration behind people becoming involved in their local community. This year, Sensis is celebrating the contribution creative Australians have made to their communities through the arts by featuring them on the cover of the 2009/10 Yellow Pages ® and White Pages ® directories.

Wonderlust Touch Tours - Perth

Ongoing

The Art Gallery of Western Australia provides vision-impaired visitors with the chance to experience artworks more directly than ever before through its Wonderlust Touch Tours. Many artworks in the Gallery's new exhibition WONDERLUST New journeys Your collection appeal to a range of the senses—with textural and aural elements as well as visual ones. Wonderlust Touch Tours allow vision-impaired people and their friends and family a chance to run their hands over selected pieces. Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Australian collection - Victoria

Permanent exhibition

Comprising more than 20,000 works, the NGV's collection of Australian art is one of the oldest in the country. Browse highlights from the Australian painting collection by artist name. It now includes the Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists (VFLAA). VFLAA purchases significant contemporary visual artworks by Australian artists for the NGV collection and for touring and lending to the network of regional and metropolitan galleries of Victoria. National Gallery of Victoria.

Announcements

Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize shortlist

23 June 2009, exhibition 9 August – 27 September 2009

Thirty-nine artists have been shortlisted for Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize (AGMPP), Australia’s richest open painting prize. The most outstanding work as judged by the selection panel will be awarded a cash prize of $50,000 and be acquired for the Gallery’s collection. Winners will be announced at opening. Bendigo Art Gallery.

Finalists announced for the $1 million situate sculpture competition - Forrest Place, Perth

19 June 2009

The jury of the situate competition have announced five shortlisted entrants from202 entries received from 33 countries: Jean-Bernard Métais, Artist - Courdemanche, France; Dimmity Walker, Architect, Michael Patroni, Architect, David Walker, Artist - Perth, Australia; Fran Dibble, Artist, Paul Dibble, Artist, John Hardwick-Smith, Architect - Palmerston North, New Zealand; James Angus, Artist, Doug Knox, Consulting Engineer, Peter Mclean, Lighting Design - Sydney, Australia; Richard Giblett, Artist, Matthew Herbert, Architect, Jan Vastesaeger, Architect - Melbourne, Australia.

Callum Morton appointed to NGA Council

25 May 2009

Arts Minister Peter Garrett announced the appointment of Mr Callum Morton to the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) Council. Mr Morton is a practising artist and arts educator, who brings a wide range of skills and industry experience to the Council. An internationally renowned artist, Mr Morton's work has been exhibited extensively across Australia and overseas, winning several prestigious art awards including the Helen Macpherson Smith Commission in 2005.

Vincent Fantauzzo's Brandon wins 2009 Archibald Prize People's Choice award

May 2009

Melbourne artist, Vincent Fantauzzo has won the 2009 Archibald People's Choice Prize for his portrait of child actor Brandon Walters. Vincent Fantauzzo was highly commended at last year's Archibald Prize for his triple-image portrait of his friend Heath Ledger, painted just weeks before the actor's death. The painting also won the People's Choice Award. This year his subject is Brandon Walters, who played the young boy Nullah opposite Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman in Baz Luhrmann's film Australia.

Mural Fest winner announced - Tasmania

18 April 2009

Marc Spijkerbosch from New Zealand was presented with $6,000 as the winner of the Wilderness Gallery 2009 International Mural Fest Judges Award with his mural titled Fire & Life. The Jelly Media 2009 Visitors Choice Award winner of was John Eathorne from Tasmania, winning $1,000 for his mural titled Perdition. The awards were presented at the Sheffield Town Hall at the closing of the Mural Fest.

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