Work by Gippsland artist Sue Acheson; image supplied.
Creative Gippsland has fine-tuned its month long arts program and is set to celebrate throughout the month of May.
‘This is the seventh year that we’ve done this and we’ve changed it from a festival into a celebration of the arts,’ said Arts and Culture Coordinator Andrea Court.
A series of demonstrations, workshops, masterclasses, artist talks, and residencies will encourage collaboration and champion creativity. ‘It’s about bringing new ideas into the area, getting the artists working with local groups and potentially developing new skills,’ said Court.
Workshops by local and international artists will range from basket weaving and life sculpting in clay, to learning how to write an artist statement and making the most of Instagram.
Expanding on last year’s theme of ‘swapping’ skills, ideas, art and tools between regions, this year’s program has a strong focus on artist residencies and open studios.
Pavement street art Blue Tongue Lizard by Ulla Taylor; image supplied.
A major part of this year’s program is the artist in residence. Six artists from diverse disciplines spanning photography, literary arts, sculptural weaving, and performance will spend seven days in a small town in each of the six Gippsland councils:
- Christine McFetridge, a photographer and writer from Melbourne will work in the town Trafalgar in the Baw Baw Shire
- Rene Bahloo, a sculptural weaver from Queensland will work in the town of Heyfield in the Wellington Shire
- Ulla Taylor, a screever, pavement artist and fresco painter will be resident in the town of Newhaven in the Bass Coast Shire
- Talulah Rae, a performance artist from Melbourne will be in Fish Creek in South Gippsland Shire
- Richard Tipping, a visual artist and poet from New South Wales will be resident at the Latrobe Regional Gallery in Morwell.
- Wanda Bennett, textile and fibre artist from Queensland will be resident in Omeo/Benambra in East Gippsland Shire
‘In a way the residencies are like planting a seed in the town – who knows what it will lead to!’ concluded Court.
For more information on the workshops and residencies visit www.creativegippsland.com.au
