2 October 2019

Arts trail from Bodalla to Braidwood, Bungendore and Queanbeyan

| Alex Rea
Join the conversation
2
Stuart Whitelaw.

Stuart Whitelaw near his dam with Winter Geometry. Photos: Supplied.

From the coast to the Capital, there’s plenty of art to see in the coming days and weeks …

Stuart Whitelaw & Gillian Wilde at Gallery Bodalla

An exhibition of recent bodies of work by Stuart Whitelaw Breath of the Lotus and Gillian Wilde Twinkle and Trust runs to Sunday, 27 October at Gallery Bodalla.

In this show, Gillian continues to explore the use of collage and watercolours in her quest to sensitively capture the personalities of birds. As she explores her passion for the natural world, Gillian seeks to catch fleeting yet instantly recognisable moments of delight. The tensions are underlined by the use of space, unusual angles and viewpoints, allowing the subject to flow beyond boundaries.

Gillian Wilde in her studio with A Galaxy in her Feathers (watercolour and collage on paper).

Stuart’s body of work chronicles a year in the life of the lotus in the dam next to his studio with outstanding pastels on canvas.

“I hope the works convey my sense of wonder of the many aspects of this life form that sometimes seems otherworldly. My title for the exhibition refers to the event that started this series, when I saw the lotus exhaling through a small pool of water collected on its leaf,” Stuart says.

Gallery Bodalla: 66a Princes Hwy, Bodalla. www.gallerybodalla.com.au

Open: Thursday to Sunday, 10.30 am – 4:00 pm or by appointment.

Foreshore by Suzanne Bellamy.

‘Sashiko: a little stitch in time’ at Altenburg & Co, Braidwood

Until 6 October, an exhibition from Mary Taguchi’s Mingei Studio presents a marvellous selection of old and new garments and cloths celebrating the power and beauty of the sashiko stitch.

Following this, an exhibition by Suzanne Bellamy will be open on 11 October.

‘TIME & PLACE’ will include paintings, prints, ceramics and sculpture. It will be opened at 6:00 pm by award-winning Canberra author Biff Ward and runs until 11 November.

Altenburg & Co: 104 Wallace Street, Braidwood

Open: 10 am – 4:00 pm.

Works by Kate and Keith Bender at X Gallery Bungendore. Photo: Facebook.

‘Beyond the Edge’ at X Gallery, Bungendore

Beyond the edge is Kate and Keith Bender’s second joint exhibition at X Gallery and runs until 18 November.

A painter and sculptor respectively, their work is the culmination of working in neighbouring studios in Bungendore. The works created for Beyond the Edge are in response to, and perhaps also in opposition to, the influence of one artist upon the other. Working in such close proximity aspects of conscious and subconscious influence are inevitable; both bodies of work germinating from their respective fascination with curvilinear forms and the space they occupy.

Kate Bender’s oil paintings occupy the liminal space between abstraction and realism, a representation of abstract sculptural forms and the space in which they reside. The forms are vaguely reminiscent of something familiar but yet unknown, a painterly memory of a sensation or experience. The colour palette of each painting, in combination with the shape of the forms and the space within which they sit, sets the emotional tone for the work, gently caressing the soul and enfolding the viewer in a virtual and visual embrace.

Keith Bender’s Sympatico series combines curved forms with raw elements to convey a metaphor for the tenuous balance between humankind and nature. The patinated steel works balancing on rock are an investigation into the space between and within. Bender is inspired by sculptor Andy Goldsworthy’s philosophy that “energy and space around a material are as important as the energy and space within”. Last year Bender’s public sculpture Confluence was installed in the Gift of Life Garden at the National Arboretum.

X Gallery: 32 Gibraltar St, Bungendore

Open: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm Friday – Monday.

Kirstie Rea with her winning piece in the Klaus Moje Glass Award – ‘What Remains.’ Photo: Alex Rea.

Klaus Moje Glass Award

Until 12 October at Thor’s Hammer, Griffith, the biennial Klaus Moje Glass Award honours one of the most significant contemporary artists working in glass and is in keeping with Moje’s ethos of supporting all artists.

Thor’s Hammer: 10 Mildura Street, Griffith, ACT

Open: Monday to Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.

QPRC Regional Art Awards

Artists from the Queanbeyan-Palerang, Snowy Monaro and Yass Valley are included in the QPRC Regional Art Award exhibition. The opening night and announcement of awards is Tuesday, 15 October at 6:00 pm.

The entries this year will be jointly judged by a respected panel from the region including Queanbeyan-based artists Alex Asch, Margaret Hickey (president of Braidwood Regional Art Gallery) and Susan Foxlee (director of Suki & Hugh Gallery, Bungendore). Helen and Simon Ferguson from The Queanbeyan Hive will choose for ‘The Hive Exhibition Award’.

The QPRC Art Award winner will receive $2,000, with The Queanbeyan Hive exhibition award valued up to $1,500, Emerging Artist Award $500 and People’s Choice Award $500.

Exhibition runs: 15 October – 2 November
The Q Queanbeyan: rear of 253 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan
Open: Mon – Fri 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, and Sat 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

2019 Arts Trail – Queanbeyan and Bungendore

On the weekend of 19-20 October the galleries and studios located in Queanbeyan, Captains Flat and Bungendore open their doors.

The Arts Trail weekend is an annual arts event which allows visitors to take a self-guided tour around Queanbeyan-Palerang’ s many art studios and galleries. The Art Trail, now in its 13th year, has been expanded over two weekends and includes studios in Queanbeyan, Captains Flat, Bungendore, Braidwood and more. Meet the artists, tour the studios, browse the galleries and watch demonstrations by the region’s talented artists.

Hardcopy brochures for both weekends are available to pick from QPRC customer services offices and library branches in Queanbeyan, Bungendore and Braidwood, from The Q and the Queanbeyan Visitors Centre.

Original Article published by Alex Rea on About Regional.

Join the conversation

2
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

The poor cousin Queanbeyan is happy to have ACT residents contribute their time, money and effort and to volunteer their time to support the arts in Queanbeyan but is not happy for those same people to be eligible to participate in the QPRC Regional Art Awards. Maybe ACT awards should start excluding NSW residents? Shoe on the other foot, hey?

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.