Haefligers Cottage. Image supplied.
As one of the most popular residencies in Australia, the Hill End Artists in Residence program run by Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) offers artists, curators and writers the opportunity to spend four weeks working in the remote community of Hill End.
It’s a rare opportunity for artists from a variety of disciplines to be immersed in artistic heritage.
The program was officially launched in 1999, under the auspices of Bathurst City Council and Bathurst Regional Art Gallery in conjunction with curator Gavin Wilson. The residency is split across two cottages: one that belonged to artist Donald Friend and his partner Donald Murray, and the other to artists Jean Bellette and Paul Haefliger.
‘Most residencies aren’t in buildings with so much artistic heritage,’ said Director of BRAG Richard Perram OAM.
‘There is this wonderful sense of passing through time with these residencies and their buildings that is really important and really magical about the place – it is unique in the world.’
The garden at Haefligers Cottage. Image supplied.
The strong connection to Australian art history attracts emerging and established artists. ‘It has so much history, and the landscape and the light is extraordinary. Most people come away greatly affected by it,’ said Perram.
Artists continue to be captivated by the region. After her residency in 2003, Australian artist Rosemary Valadon bought a house in the area and continues to reside in Hill End.
Renowned artists such as John Firth-Smith and Luke Sciberras also live in the artistic community of Hill End.
Rosemary Valadon Autumn Still Life 2014. Courtesy of the artist.
The emphasis of Hill End is not to pressure artists to complete a brief or produce a large body of work, but to become connected to the landscape and the cultural richness of the area and through these connections pursue opportunities for their art.
‘We say at the end of a residency for the artists to keep us informed – send us images of works you have created, invite us to your exhibitions,’ said Perram.
Shoufay Derz Covering 4 2015. Derz completed a residency at Hill End in 2015 and will be exhibiting at Bathurst Regional Gallery from April 1, 2016.
Artists from the residency program are regularly exhibited in the Jean Bellette Gallery at the Visitor Information Centre in Hill End, giving locals the opportunity to see what comes out of the residency program and for visitors to witness how the area is inextricably linked to art.
‘The exhibitions and the residency program show the enormous cultural richness that still comes out of Hill End,’ concluded Perram.
BRAG is currently calling out for visual artists, musicians, performers and writers to apply for 2017 season of residencies in Hill End. Applications close 31 October 2016.
For more information visit http://www.hillendart.com.au/
