2019 Year in Review Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre
2019 Year in Review Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre
3 Our Vision 4 From the Director 7 2019 in Numbers 8 Exhibition Highlights 20 Acquisitions 26 The Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio 28 Public Programs 30 Learning & Engagement 32 Gallery DownTown 36 The Gallery Shop 38 Partnerships 40 2019 Foundation Members 42 Staff & Acknowledgements
Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre with newly completed Line in the Landscape Gallery Walk
Contents
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
Our Vision To enrich, inspire and inform our regional and global communities through access to a diverse and engaging visual arts environment. Visitors enjoy the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre
Our Vision
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From the Director
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
2019 marked a year of successes for the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, rewarding our commitment to presenting quality programs with some outstanding achievements for the Gallery.
The Gallery’s Curator: Margaret Olley Art Centre & Collection Manager, Ingrid Hedgcock was awarded the 2018 Gordon Darling Global Travel Grant. In conjunction with the 2018 Regional Public Galleries NSW Alan Sisley Memorial Fellowship, Ingrid carried out international and national research which informed the highly successful exhibition A Shared Obsession: Margaret Olley & Fred Jessup.
the opening event and announcement of the acquisitive winner and other awards. It has been a pleasure for us to connect with wider audiences via social media, and to read and respond to the many positive comments posted by our on-line audience.
Also in 2019 the Gallery formed a partnership with the National Art School (NAS) to celebrate Margaret Olley’s legacy as a NAS Alumni and supporter of emerging artists. Each year this partnership will award a graduate of the NAS Masters of Fine Art a residency in the Gallery’s Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio and a solo exhibition in the Friends Gallery.
The Gallery is fortunate to benefit from Tweed Shire Council’s vision, which recognises the importance of enhancing the region through supporting the growth of the Gallery. The financial assurance offered by Council is significant and I am proud that the Gallery’s reputation has rewarded Council’s commitment. The financial support of the State Government through Create NSW is also highly valued, as our recurrent program funds are supported by a financial assurance of $100,000 per annum towards our program delivery.
During 2019, the Gallery offered an expanded range of inclusive programming to meet the diverse needs of our visitors, including Deaf and hearing impaired, English as Second Language, blind and vision impaired, people living with disabilities and people living with dementia. These programs contributed to the Gallery’s impressive 99% Visitor Satisfaction rating for 2019.
Council recognises the economic development impact that the Gallery has and seeks to foster this across the region. The Gallery DownTown is a unique initiative of Council, housed within the creative hub of Murwillumbah’s vibrant M|Arts Precinct. It acts as a driver of creative and economic development in the heart of Murwillumbah.
Completion of the Line in the Landscape Gallery Walk capital project saw a paved walkway around the western side of the Gallery, enhancing the outdoor space for our visitors. The project acknowledged Gallery patrons Doug Anthony AC CH and Margot Anthony AM for their foresight in establishing the Gallery on this site, and their generous donation of land which enabled that vision. The project was funded by the State Government through the Stronger Country Communities Fund.
The Tweed Regional Gallery remains indebted to our volunteers who donate their valuable time to help us deliver the best service possible to our growing audiences. I am so often encouraged and amazed by how much time our volunteers are willing to offer us, and their level of enthusiasm. From our Front of House volunteers to our Gallery Guides, Committee and Board members, it is encouraging and gratifying to know that so many in our community are willing to give their time.
It was exciting to see the collection expand with some wonderful acquisitions, so many of which were donated through the generosity of philanthropists and artists. We remain indebted to the Friends and the Foundation for their support of the collection. In late 2019 the Foundation launched an appeal for the acquisition of a significant work by Michael Zavros.
The success of the Gallery is very much a team effort, and I acknowledge the Gallery’s talented staff for their professionalism and dedication to their roles. Susi Muddiman OAM Gallery Director
The growing reputation of our collection is also evidenced in the number of loan requests from leading cultural institutions. For example, the major exhibition Margaret Olley: A Generous Life curated by Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art featured 12 works from our collection. The Gallery strives to create exciting prospects for the artists of our region and practitioners of national and international importance through our exhibitions and complementary programs. Our aim is to create visitor experiences that engage and inspire. Our programs are designed to attract new audiences from far and wide. The highly regarded Olive Cotton Award for Photographic Portraiture, the Gallery’s flagship prize, attracted a record number of entries from across the nation, and offered us the opportunity to live-stream
< Quentin Bryce AD CVO (left) with Susi Muddiman OAM, Gallery Director (right)
From the Director
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I have been a volunteer at the gallery since the MOAC opened in 2014 and feel privileged to be a part of this wonderful regional gallery. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been a visitor to other galleries, enjoying art forms around the world, but feel that what we have to offer the general public in Murwillumbah is unique (and so do our visitors â&#x20AC;&#x201D; great enthusiastic feedback!). I think that we all feel honoured to be able to share in the feeling of pride with our wonderful building, terrific collection, changing exhibitions and inclusive support and ongoing education. I really love the opportunities to meet the artists and curators, and get inside glimpses of their practices and our introduction to each new offering. Carole Volunteer Gallery Guide
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
2019 in Numbers 80,016
Visitors to Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre
18,635
Visitors to Gallery DownTown
96
Education & Public Program Events
4,272
Education & Public Program Participants
1,524
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Education Student Attendees
100
Volunteers & Volunteer Guides
12
Committee Meetings
159
Committee Meeting Attendees
1,948
Daily Guided Tour Attendees
1,254
Bus Group Tour Attendees
< Volunteer Gallery Guides, Carole (left) and Carleen (right)
2019 in Numbers
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Exhibition Highlights
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
During 2019, the Gallery hosted five touring exhibitions and 18 self-initiated exhibitions, which included a major national art prize and two exhibitions featuring international loans.
A Shared Obsession: Margaret Olley & Fred Jessup Margaret Olley Art Centre
28 June – 17 November 2019 A Shared Obsession explored the connection in art and life between Margaret Olley and Fred Jessup, two Australian artists who enjoyed a lifelong friendship and a shared obsession for still life painting. They each dedicated their lives to painting, in particular to exploring the artistic possibilities of everyday objects composed and rearranged within the immediate surrounds of their own extraordinary home studios. For the first time, examples of their paintings from across their enduring careers were exhibited together and alongside photographic suites by Greg Weight, which revealed their remarkable creative living spaces — Olley’s in Sydney, Australia and Jessup’s in Espondeilhan, southern France.
Exhibition sponsor
Christopher J. B. Williams Platinum Member of the Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation Ltd. Publication sponsor
Flower sponsor
International research funded by
National research funded by
FLOWERISTA | byronflowerista@gmail.com
Margaret Olley (1923–2011) Evening still life with Turkish pot (detail) 1982 oil on board, 75 x 120 cm Collection of Max and Nola Tegel © Margaret Olley Art Trust
Exhibition Highlights
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Use: contemporary jewellery and small objects
Self-made: zines and artist books
A touring exhibition from Museums and Galleries Queensland
A State Library Victoria Exhibition
15 March – 19 May 2019
22 February – 19 May 2019
Use was an exhibition of high-quality contemporary Australian jewellery and small objects, curated by Lisa Bryan-Brown. The exhibition was thematically focused on ‘tools’ and processes to explore the conceptual breadth and layers of meaning that operate within this premise for jewellery practitioners and metalsmiths. While contemporary practices are highly diverse in their forms and motivations, ‘tools’ are the common denominator which define the field of creative practice that this exhibition celebrates.
Self-made: zines and artist books delved into the do-it-yourself culture — from limited-run artist books to cut-and-paste photocopy fanzines. The exhibition explored the evolution and diversity of these radical publishing alternatives.
Use was an initiative of the Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of Australia, Queensland Chapter Inc. (JMGQ) and showcased the work of 17 contemporary jewellers/metalsmiths drawn from the JMGQ membership, including emerging, mid-career and established Australian jewellery artists. Use installation image, featuring Catherine Hunter, Colour Restore series, 2016 Photo: David Toyer
The exhibition celebrated the power of self-publishing to communicate directly with readers, create community and support counter-culture movements. It showed how self-publishing empowers makers of all abilities and backgrounds to become creative producers, challenge dominant models, and make work that anyone can appreciate and collect. Self-made featured works by leading international artists including: Swiss German artist, Dieter Roth; Pop Art-influenced American artist, Ed Ruscha; pioneering conceptual artist Sol LeWitt; and renowned Australian painter, sculptor and printmaker, Robert Jacks. The exhibition also included a local content section, featuring works from artists of the region and from the Tweed Regional Gallery collection, as well as a dedicated reading lounge, which revealed the breadth and beauty of artist books and zines. Self-made installation image. Photo: David Toyer
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
Oh life is mad and frenetic… but do look after yourself Maria Kontis
On a walk in the poet’s garden Dean Home 22 March – 17 August 2019
8 March – 14 July 2019 Melbourne-based artist Maria Kontis spent one month working in the Gallery’s Artist in Residence Studio undertaking research and concept development for her solo exhibition in the Friends Gallery. “During my residency at the Nancy Fairfax Studio, I immersed myself in the history, society and culture of Murwillumbah and its surrounding communities. It was my hope to develop a material, effective and drawn response to life in the area. Initially, I focused on the photographs of the community. I spent many hours looking at thousands of photographs in the Tweed Regional Museum Collection Store. But I wanted to do more than look at photographs. I wanted to draw the ‘photo-graph’ of the community across multiple planes and from multiple viewpoints. I gathered information and ideas from local newspapers and various books and newsletters published by the Tweed Regional Museum, the Tweed Shire Council and the Historical Societies of Murwillumbah, Uki and Tweed Heads. I also attended council meetings, met with local groups, visited exhibitions, observed ongoing life in the community, talked with people and listened to their stories. These encounters are vital to the development of my project. In a sense, they are my project.” Maria Kontis
With a career that spans almost 30 years, Dean Home has created a distinct style that communicates his journey as an artist. His bold and opulent still lifes are carefully constructed and artfully balanced, with an added sense of drama and theatricality. On a walk in the poet’s garden wove the still life and landscape genres together. Selected objects make an interior scene, but they can also be simultaneously read as landscapes, often literally on his featured trademark chinoiserie. Home said that one day he suddenly realised that an object could tell a story inside a story by providing a pictorial boundary. Chinese ceramics act as his vehicle for conveying these stories. He is interested in how this object tells a story and plays a role in spatial composition. Traditional Chinese vessels are poetically fused with the Western sensibilities of still life representation with a contemporary aesthetic in mind. In this exhibition of current works, Home invited people to see “where some of these ‘genre-overlaps’, playing against my own pictorial iconography, have led me. I feel my journey to the Orient, both real and on the poet’s page, has been very rewarding and has some distance to travel yet.” Dean Home, In the gold pavilion — contemplating the silver moon (detail) 2018 oil on board, 140 x 175 cm. Image courtesy of the artist
Maria Kontis, On Tumbulgum Road (detail) 2018 pastel on velvet paper, 56 x 76 cm © The artist
Exhibition Highlights
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Art Deco from the National collection: The World Turns Modern A National Gallery of Australia Exhibition
31 May â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 25 August 2019 From around the 1920s, Australian artists responded to the international movement towards Modernism and Art Deco. Shaking off the austerity of World War I, they captured the vitalism of a nation reborn by creating images of an abundant nation filled with strong, youthful figures. Technological advancements and urbanisation influenced the emergence of Art Deco â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a new aesthetic in art, architecture, design and fashion. Comprised entirely of works selected from the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) collection, this exhibition displayed superb examples of the diverse expressions of Art Deco. With its bold, simplified shapes and emphasis on geometry and line, Art Deco was the right aesthetic for the times. Buildings lost their decorative embellishments, fashion became less structured and corseted, and women were enjoying greater freedoms, such as the right to vote and to travel unchaperoned. The image of the stylish independent woman became popular in portraiture and graphic design for posters and advertisements. The art also encapsulated the excitement for many people around the potential to travel across continents and internationally. Art Deco from the National Collection: The World Turns Modern installation view. Photo: David Toyer
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
Dwell Robyn Sweaney
Olive Cotton Award 2019 12 July – 22 September 2019
24 May – 21 July 2019
Robyn Sweaney’s art practice excavates the complexities of Australian identity and place by responding to the suburban mundane of rural and urban environments. Drawn to the quirkiness of the Australian landscape, Sweaney is interested in how homes and streetscapes function as aesthetic incarnations of the belief structures influencing human behaviours on emotional, intellectual and spiritual levels. Over the years her practice has also included still life, landscape and portraiture. Sweaney’s current work focuses on the coast and revisiting still life. In some of her most recent work she has painted still lifes using collected, unwanted ceramics and dried, coastal foliage. She is interested in creating not merely picturesque still lifes but synecdochal representations of place. These objects physicalise fragments of place by being displaced – pried from their original residence and recontextualised as revenant presences from another time and place. Robyn Sweaney, Lie of the land (detail) 2018 70 × 100 cm, acrylic on polycotton © The artist
The Olive Cotton Award for Photographic Portraiture is generously funded by the family of Olive Cotton, one of Australia’s leading twentieth century photographers, and aims to show new portraits by professional and emerging artists. The Award is held biennially, with a major prize of $20,000. It is also acquisitive, making the Olive Cotton Award an important source for the Tweed Regional Gallery’s collection of Australian portraits. The 2019 Award judge was Marian Drew, Adjunct Associate Professor, Queensland College of Art. In 2019, 79 finalists were selected from a total of 432 entries. Belinda Mason’s Taken was selected as the winning portrait. Marian also Highly Commended works by Brett Moffatt, Dave Carswell, Michael Corridore and Sam Scoufos. Petrina Hick’s Cleopatra was acquired for the Gallery’s collection with Director Susi Muddiman OAM awarding her the 2019 Director’s Choice. Belinda Mason, Taken (detail) 2019 66.5 x 97 cm, lenticular Acquired as the winner of the Olive Cotton Award for Photographic Portraiture, 2019 Tweed Regional Gallery collection © The artist
Exhibition Highlights
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Eternally Ephemeral Kate Rohde
Borrowed Landscapes Marian Drew
19 July – 1 December 2019
23 August 2019 – 26 January 2020
Melbourne-based artist Kate Rohde was the Gallery’s Artist-inResidence in September 2018.
With a practice that spans more than 20 years, Marian Drew is one of Australia’s most influential and significant photo-media artists. Her artistic career is characterised by innovative photomedia explorations and her distinct use of painterly light and long exposure.
“During my residency I was particularly interested in two aspects of the region and of the Gallery itself: the dramatic landscape of the Northern Rivers region; and the maximal re-creation of Margaret Olley’s home studio in the Gallery. The vista from the studio looks directly to the dramatic peak of Wollumbin/Mt Warning, and imagining the dramatic geological history of the area is fascinating to me. I loved to watch the sunset over the mountain and the changing weather. As a keen stargazer it was a great pleasure to spot the visible planets and observe their nightly transit across the sky. The other fascination was looking through the re-creation of Olley’s home studio, exploring the detail of the vast accretions of ephemera built up over decades. The layering of items brought to mind some kind of archaeological site.
This new exhibition titled Borrowed Landscapes traced Drew’s practice through a selection of artworks from 1983 to 2018, using the landscape as its central theme. Throughout her work, Drew acknowledges the pictorial relationships of landscape and history to cultural identity. As Drew says, “‘Landscape’ is often represented as something apart from ourselves and yet it is an idea we carry with us, culturally forming our relationship to the natural world.” Marian Drew, Devonian Seas (detail) 2018 inkjet print, edition 10, 60 × 75 cm. Image courtesy of the artist
My exhibition seeks to capture these two elements — to reconcile the seemingly timeless story and slow evolution of the landscape with the layering of a personal history. Combining my interest in decorative arts, in particular vessels, textiles and wallpaper prints, I will create an immersive installation that distils my residency experience.” Kate Rohde Kate Rohde in her studio. Photo: Tobias Titz
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
Love 6 September – 17 November 2019
Curated by Gallery Director Susi Muddiman OAM, Love explored the concept of love in its multiple forms: romantic, true, enduring, affectionate, altruistic, selfless, platonic, erotic, obsessive and manic. There’s the agony of unrequited love and love lost, the memory of your first love, and the grief associated with those we’ve loved who are no longer with us. There’s love for the land and our sense of place in it, and there’s the special bonds of parental love. The exhibition featured new and existing work by more than 30 contemporary Australian artists responding to the theme of love, including Ben Quilty, Danie Mellor, Euan Macleod, Fiona Lowry, Guy Maestri, Joanna Braithwaite, Joshua Yeldham, Lucas Grogan, Maria Kontis, Michael Cook, Michael Zavros, Patricia Piccinini and Victoria Reichelt. The exhibition was complemented by a Spotify playlist compiled which Gallery visitors could download via a link or QR code in the exhibition space and listen to as they wandered around the space, or at home. Love installation image. Photo: David Toyer
Exhibition Highlights
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Olley Land Christine Druitt-Preston
Myself — At My Favourite Place Les Peterkin Portrait Prize for Children
27 September – 17 November 2019
27 September – 17 November 2019
The works shown in this exhibition were informed by drawings of the Margaret Olley home studio re-creation made during Christine Druitt-Preston’s self-funded residency in the Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio in March 2018.
During 2019 local primary school students were invited to create a self-portrait featuring themselves at their favourite place. Asked to choose a setting or situation that captures their interests and conveys something about their life and personality, these young artists have used a variety of media to create imaginative and meaningful portraits.
Unlike the ordered compositions of Margaret Olley’s paintings, these artworks responded to the unedited, multi-layered, cluttered and visually fascinating rooms that were Margaret Olley’s home and studio in Duxford Street, Paddington. The dynamic contrasts made possible in the lino block prints that formed the core of this exhibition, coupled with the ambiguity created by combining mediums to make collages, provided a new lens through which to experience the known. Vertical tulle panels were appliqued with hand-stitched lino print motifs that were found within the re-creation, and these, along with the source sketchbooks were displayed in the exhibition.
Ranging from the delightful paintings of kindergarten students to detailed illustrations by children in upper primary classes, Myself — At My Favourite Place displayed 40 framed prize-winning works on the wall and another 200 outstanding works in display folders. This increasingly popular prize is named for artist and art teacher Mr Les Peterkin, and is a celebration of the artistic talent of local primary school students, providing a glimpse into how young people see the world around them. Dharylle Price, The forest 2019, Condong PS, age seven, 1st Prize: 5–7 years
Christine Druitt-Preston, Olley Land – A lover’s tale (detail) 2019 lino block and embroidery on vintage domestic textile, 40 x 60 cm Image courtesy the artist
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
Fresh: Your Collection Tweed Regional Gallery collection
Salient: Contemporary Artists on the Western Front
27 September – 21 June 2020
A New England Regional Art Museum touring exhibition
22 November 2019 – 16 February 2020 Fresh: your collection showcased recent additions to the Tweed Regional Gallery collection from the past four years, featuring a diverse selection of artists’ prints, photography, painting and sculpture, many of which were displayed in the Gallery for the first time. The exhibition reflected the Gallery’s active acquisition program and paid tribute to the generosity of donors, including artists, collectors and philanthropists, the Friends of the Gallery and the Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation, whose assistance has been critical to the growth of the collection to more than 1,000 artworks. The exhibition also illustrated the Gallery’s current collecting practices and demonstrated how the Gallery breathes life into the existing collection through fostering the work of living artists.
In 2017, twelve leading Australian artists visited the World War I battlefields of the Western Front a century after the conflict that claimed so many lives. They created a series of artworks in response to the history and present-day reality of these sites. This exhibition brought together those works including paintings, drawings, photography and sculpture by Amanda Penrose Hart, Ian Marr, Harrie Fasher, Paul Ferman, Deirdre Bean, Wendy Sharpe, Steve Lopes, Ross Laurie, Michelle Hiscock, Luke Sciberras, Idris Murphy and Euan Macleod. Euan Macleod, Heaven and hell (detail) 2017 oil on polyester, 100 × 124 cm. Image courtesy of the artist and King Street Gallery
The exhibition featured works by Australian artists including Ben Quilty, Cressida Campbell, Guy Maestri, Judy Watson, John Honeywill, Karla Dickens, Michael Cook and William Robinson. To launch the Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation Ltd.’s acquisition appeal for 2019 the exhibition included Michael Zavros’ The new Garden Drawing Room, courtesy of Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane. Ryan Presley, For what it’s worth (finders takers) 2018 oil and 23k gold leaf on Australian red cedar, 99 x 24.6 cm Pending – Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by the artist, 2019. Tweed Regional Gallery collection © The artist
Exhibition Highlights
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For Country, for Nation
Margaret Olley: Inspired
An Australian War Memorial Touring Exhibition
Margaret Olley Art Centre
29 November 2019 – 9 February 2020
29 November 2019 – 19 July 2020
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a longstanding tradition of fighting for Country, and continue to serve with honour amongst our military forces. They have also worked in ancillary, industry, and other home-front activities, and their communities have been thrust into the front line of theatres of war. The touring exhibition For Country, for Nation highlighted these stories and explored themes of remembrance and tradition through family histories, objects, art and photographs from across Australia, drawing inspiration from cultural traditions and symbols of warriors’ discipline, knowledge, leadership and skill.
Margaret Olley was inspired by her extraordinary home studio for nearly 50 years. It was an ecosystem of art and life. She painted its interiors in changing light, as well as still life subjects selected from the collections of ‘things’ that filled each and every room.
For Country, for Nation was thematic in structure and within each theme were stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience during wartime and peace. For Country, for Nation installation view. Photo: David Toyer
During her lifetime, Olley and her home studio also inspired other artists who painted and photographed her portrait, as well as her home studio. This remarkable space, in the form of the re-creation at the Margaret Olley Art Centre, continues to inspire artists who undertake residencies in the Gallery’s Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio. Drawn entirely from the Tweed Regional Gallery collection, this exhibition included interior and still life paintings by Olley, portraits of the artist and responses to her home studio by contemporary artists. Margaret Olley (1923–2011) Wildflowers and pears (detail) c.1973 oil on board, 65 x 76 cm Purchased through the bequest of Phoebe McNamara and the Tweed Regional Gallery Donations Fund, 2019, Tweed Regional Gallery collection © Margaret Olley Art Trust
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
Healing Circle – Home Hiromi Tango
Community Access Exhibitions Program January – December 2019
6 December 2019 – Sunday 15 March 2020
Hiromi Tango is a Japanese-Australian artist dedicated to generating healing conversations through arts engagement. This exhibition of recent work includes Hiromi’s meditative circle drawings, neon light sculptures and photographic works that document her performative practice. The recurring motif of the circle is employed as a universal symbol of healing, representing the cycle of life, regeneration, relationships and a total state of completion. The Gallery was thrilled to bring these works home to the Tweed community, as Hiromi Tango is one of our most successful regional artists, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Hiromi Tango Bleached genes (Mikan) open my vulnerability 2018 pigment print on paper and mirrored Perspex, 174.5 x 124.5 cm. ed of 3 + 2 AP Image courtesy the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf, Sydney
The Gallery is proud of its commitment to and support of artists from the region, who each contribute so much to the cultural vibrancy of our community. The Community Access Exhibitions Program (CAEP) caters specifically to artists from North East New South Wales and South East Queensland, offering exhibition opportunities to emerging and established artists from the region. Since the Gallery’s relocation to Mistral Road, Murwillumbah in 2004, we have hosted over 100 exhibitions under the CAEP, ranging from exhibitions by artists at the very beginning of their creative career to those by established artists. In 2019, the Gallery presented five solo exhibitions through the CAEP, including the work of artists Digby Moran, Leora Sibony, Sienna van Rossum, Tamsin Ainslie and Vicki Stavrou. Digby Moran (1948–2020) Richmond River mud crab (detail) 2018 acrylic on canvas © The Digby Moran Estate
Exhibition Highlights
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Acquisitions
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
The Gallery aims to assemble and preserve a collection of national and regional significance across four collecting profile areas: / / / /
Australian portraits Artworks of regional relevance Australian artists’ prints The life and work of Margaret Olley
During 2019, 66 artworks were acquired for the Collection, via gifts or Cultural Gifts from philanthropists, collectors, artists and the Gallery’s key support organisations, the Friends of Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc. and the Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation Ltd., as well as via purchases from funds raised through the Gallery’s on-site donation boxes.
Lionel Lindsay (1874–1961) White fan no.3 c.1930 woodcut on paper 16.3 x 22.3 cm Gift of Barbara and John Hoult ‘for our Joanie’, 2019 Lionel Lindsay (1874–1961) Peacock No. 100 (Autumn) c.1930 woodcut on paper 15.5 x 14.5 cm Gift of Barbara and John Hoult ‘for our Joanie’, 2019 Lionel Lindsay (1874–1961) Globe artichoke No. 100 1930 woodcut on paper 12.6 x 16.6 cm Gift of Barbara and John Hoult ‘for our Joanie’, 2019 Sydney Long (1871–1955) Moonrise pastoral c.1928 aquatint on paper 15.5 x 14.5 cm Gift of Barbara and John Hoult ‘for our Joanie’, 2019 Graeme Drendel (b.1953) Self portrait 2018 oil on paper 30.5 x 26 cm Gift of Wendy Horsburgh, 2019
< Petrina Hicks Cleopatra (detail) 2019
Margaret Olley (1923–2011) Untitled (Still life with mermaid jug) c.1940–41 oil on board 57.4 x 44cm Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Andrew Matthews, 2019 Margaret Olley (1923–2011) Untitled (Autumnal fruits) c.1940–41 oil on board 28.8 x 21.7 cm Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Andrew Matthews, 2019 Guy Maestri (b.1974) Striped jug 2018 oil on canvas 35.8 x 45.8 cm Pending – Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by the artist, 2019 John Honeywill (b.1952) Bowl and cake box 2018 oil on linen 36 x 36 cm Pending – Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by the artist, 2019
Acquisitions
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
Lewis Miller (b.1959) Still life with Sepik vessels 2017 oil on linen 30.5 x 102.8 cm Pending – Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by the artist, 2019 Ryan Presley (b.1987) For what it’s worth (finders takers) 2018 oil and 23k gold leaf on Australian red cedar 99 x 24.6 cm Pending – Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by the artist, 2019 Maria Kontis (b.1969) Home 2019 pastel on velvet paper 56 x 76 cm Gift of the Friends of Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc., 2019 Maria Kontis (b.1969) Oh life is mad and frenetic…but do look after yourself 2018 pastel on velvet paper 56 x 76 cm Purchased through the Tweed Regional Gallery Donations Fund, 2019 Margaret Olley (1923–2011) Wildflowers and pears c.1973 oil on board 65 x 76 cm Purchased through the bequest of Phoebe McNamara and the Tweed Regional Gallery Donations Fund, 2019 Lucy Culliton (b.1966) Self leading Reno date unknown oil on board 200 x 100 cm Pending – Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Timothy North, 2019 Robyn Sweaney (b.1957) Full circle 2016 acrylic on polycotton 50 x 70 cm Purchased through the Tweed Regional Gallery Donations Fund, 2019 Kevin Oxley (1941–2016) Self portrait 1987 oil on canvas 50 x 39.4 cm Donation of the Kevin Oxley Art Trust, 2019
Patricia Prentice (1923–2006) Cane barge, Tweed River 1947 watercolour on paper 34.5 x 51.5 cm Gift of the Estate of Shirley Elisabeth Barwick (nee Prentice), 2019 Henry Aloysius Hanke (1901–1989) Untitled (Mt Warning) date unknown oil on canvas 39 x 29 cm Gift of the Hanke Family, 2019 Henry Aloysius Hanke (1901–1989) Untitled (portrait of Unk White) date unknown oil on canvas 90 x 70 cm Gift of the Hanke Family, 2019 Christine Druitt-Preston (b.1949) Olley land – Not an ordinary kitchen 2018 lino block print on Wenzouh paper 40 x 124 cm Gift of the Friends of Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc., 2019 Christine Druitt-Preston (b.1949) Olley land – Duxford Street interior 2019 lino block print on Wenzouh paper 48 x 97 cm Gift of the Friends of Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc., 2019 Christine Druitt-Preston (b.1949) Olley land – Yellow room 2019 lino block print 50.5 x 71 cm Gift of the artist, 2019 Russell Shakespeare (b.1963) Tim Fairfax 2018 digital chromogenic print 100 x 80 cm Gift of the Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation Ltd., 2019 Petrina Hicks (b.1972) Cleopatra 2019 pigment print 120 x 100 cm Purchased as the Director’s Choice Award through the Olive Cotton Award for Photographic Portraiture funded by the Friends of Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc., 2019
< Greg Weight Fred Jessup’s studio (detail) from the series Bringing home Fred Jessup 2018
Acquisitions
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
Riste Andrievski (b.1973) Elisabeth Cummings – The Artist Studio 2019 inkjet print 80 x 100 cm Gift of the artist, 2019
Hiromi Tango (b.1976) Hiromi Hotel (Home) 2019 neon and mirrored perspex 28 x 130 x 21 cm Purchased through the Tweed Regional Gallery Donations Fund, 2019
Belinda Mason (b.1971) Taken 2019 lenticular 66.5 x 97 cm Acquired as the winner of the Olive Cotton Award for Photographic Portraiture, 2019
Greg Weight (b.1946) Bringing home Fred Jessup 2018 Assorted oddments Bird cage* Blue beaded curtain* Bookshelf Coffee pots Collection of clocks Easel with hat Espondeilhan café and bar (early morning) Façade Fred Jessup’s studio Front door* Hallway with relief mural* Installations Kitchen bench Kitchen detail Lounge room corner Number forty nine Palette knives with brushes Photograph of Margaret Olley Shell artworks with dining table Shell sculptures with mirror and plates Still life with jug and vase Studio props Studio window, Rue des Consuls Synthetic flowers Synthetic flowers with aviary* Tableau with swan vase The drawing board Village by night Wall casting Workshop wall photograph, permanent pigment on cotton rag paper 27 x 40 cm (*40 x 27 cm) Pending – Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Greg Weight, 2019
John Peter Russell (b.1858–1930) Les deux mattiocco 1902 oil on canvas 49.3 x 59.5 cm Pending – Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Denis Savill, 2019 Victoria Reichelt (b.1979) Australian landscape (trees) 2019 oil on linen 91 x 130.5 cm Gift of the Friends of Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc., 2019 Susan Wald (b.1952) Lake Mungo, Red Top 2019 lithograph 49.7 x 60 cm Print Council of Australia, Print Commission, 2019 Jim Pavlidis (b.1964) The lady with the dog 2019 lithograph 46.8 x 68 cm Print Council of Australia, Print Commission, 2019 Pam Tippett (b.1950) Margaret’s blue glass decanter 2019 oil on linen on panel 25 x 25 cm Gift of Bruce and Julie Murray, 2019 Pam Tippett (b.1950) Margaret’s blue and white jug 2019 oil on linen on panel 25 x 25 cm Gift of Bruce and Julie Murray, 2019 Pam Tippett (b.1950) Margaret’s white flour tin, jug and fruit bowl with lemons 2019 oil on linen on panel 60 x 60 cm Gift of the Friends of Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc, 2019
< Pam Tippett Margaret’s blue and white jug (detail) 2019
Acquisitions
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The Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
The Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence (AIR) Studio is an on-site, live-in studio at the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre.
The AIR Studio is generously supported by benefactor Mr Tim Fairfax AC and named in honour of his mother, Nancy Fairfax, who was a great friend of Margaret Olley. Overlooking the picturesque surrounds of the Gallery, with views to Mount Warning/ Wollumbin, the AIR Studio is a dynamic legacy of Margaret Olleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support for artists through personal and professional mentorship. The objective of the AIR Studio is to enable and encourage a variety of artists to stimulate their practice in a creative environment. The AIR Studio program includes two funded residencies annually. The artwork resulting from these residencies is then included in the Tweed Regional Galleryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exhibition program. Artists also have the opportunity to use the AIR Studio on a fee-paying basis. In 2019, the Gallery hosted three funded residency programs for Nicholas Harding; Pam Tippett and Adam Pyett; and twelve self-funded artists-in-residence.
Top to bottom: Adam Pyett, Nicholas Harding & Pam Tippett in residence
< The AIR Studio with views to Mount Warning/Wollumbin
The Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio
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Public Programs
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
The Gallery presented a series of creative, educational and stimulating events and activities to complement the exhibition program, aiming to engage and inspire new and current audiences. Public programs provided valuable professional development opportunities for artists, facilitators and Gallery visitors.
More than 3,000 people engaged with the Gallery’s public programs in 2019. From Pop-Up Artist Studios to ‘Artist at Work’ demonstrations, Gallery visitors were provided with unique opportunities to engage more deeply with the creative practice of exhibiting artists. Curator Talks and ‘Meet the Artist’ events, as well as practical drop-in art making sessions and specialised workshops for adults and children further supported exhibition engagement. The Gallery’s creative workshops held in The Frances Mills Education Centre offered a range of specialised workshops, including printmaking, painting, gum bichromate and bush jewellery. These diverse programs continue to provide employment and professional development opportunities for artists and educators of the region and beyond. As part of the NGA touring exhibition Art Deco from the National Collection: The World Turns Modern, the Gallery hosted walking tours in Murwillumbah to focus attention on the town’s Art Deco architectural gems. Tours were led by the Gallery Director Susi Muddiman OAM, and local artists Justin Ealand and Tamsin Ainslie, focussing on history, photography and drawing respectively. Free exhibition-focussed ART PLAY sessions for children and families included ‘Selfmade: zines and artist books’, ‘Exploring Architecture’ and ‘All About Olley’, and a children’s ART MAKER holiday workshop with exhibiting artist Kate Rohde produced some imaginative sculptural outcomes. Art prizes were well-represented this year with the Les Peterkin Portrait Prize for Children attracting over 4,000 entries from schools across the region and more than 500 people attending the award ceremony. The Olive Cotton Award for photographic portraiture received 431
< ‘Meet the Artist’ event with Dean Home
entries, with guest Judge Marian Drew awarding the prize to Belinda Mason for her work Taken. Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc., Petrina Hicks’ Cleopatra was acquired for the Tweed Regional Gallery collection with Director Susi Muddiman OAM awarding it the 2019 Director’s Choice. With unanimous support from the Board of the Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation Ltd., the portrait Tim Fairfax by Russell Shakespeare was also acquired. Collaborative programs continued to engage new audiences. A partnership satellite event with Byron Writers Festival drew an enthusiastic crowd to the Gallery to hear writer Dominic Smith speak about his latest novel The Electric Hotel. Another popular event was the Artist Studios Bus Tour, held in collaboration with the Friends of the Gallery to complement the exhibition A Shared Obsession. The opportunities for community engagement and artist development from this program have inspired plans to program this as an annual event. Specially devised public programs included an Illustrated Talk by MOAC Curator & Collection Manager Ingrid Hedgcock and renowned Australian photographer Greg Weight on the ‘Two Studios’ international research project that took them from Margaret Olley’s home studio re-creation to artist Fred Jessup’s studio in France. Gallery Foundation members were treated to an exclusive preview tour of Art Deco from the National Collection: The World Turns Modern by Lara Nicholls, Assistant Curator, Australian Painting and Sculpture, NGA. Guests at the official opening and ‘Heart on Your Sleeve Party’ for the exhibition Love enjoyed a talk by artist Michael Zavros, as well as a tango dance performance.
Other program highlights in 2019 included:
• artist Robyn Sweaney speaking with architectural and design historian, and mid-century aficionado Annalisa ‘Ms Modernism’ Capurro about their love of modernism and its influence on Robyn’s exhibition Dwell;
• a panel discussion with Salient artists Euan Macleod, Wendy Sharpe, Amanda Penrose-Hart, Paul Ferman, Harrie Fasher and gallerist Robert Linnegar sharing their experiences of visiting the Western Front;
• and Australian War Memorial Indigenous Liaison Officer Michael Bell, a Ngunnawal/Gomeroi man who captivated the audience as he shared his insights into the AWM exhibition For Country, for Nation.
Above: Visitors enjoying a range of public programs at the Gallery
Public Programs
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Learning & Engagement
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
In 2019 the Gallery continued to position itself as a valuable education resource for local and visiting audiences. More than 300 free, guided tours were delivered to visitors by the Gallery’s knowledgeable and passionate Volunteer Guides.
Tourism and community groups continue to travel to the region to experience the Gallery’s diverse program of exhibitions and to gain unique insights into the development of the Margaret Olley Art Centre, as well as this enigmatic artist’s life and career. The Gallery’s education program trialled strategies to be more inclusive in 2019. These included working with a Deaf ‘ambassador’ to expand the Auslan program for deaf and hearing-impaired visitors, sharing more tactile experiences for blind and vision-impaired audiences, adapting public programs to cater for the needs of people with disabilities, and continuing to promote the Gallery as a destination for people living with dementia in the local community. The Gallery plays a role in engaging schools with art and culture by connecting them with contemporary art and providing creative hands-on experiences. In 2019, the Gallery developed programs for students and teachers to engage them with the exhibition program, as well as contemporary artists and their practice. Regional artists Leith Walton and Holly English mentored students in a workshop program in conjunction with the State Library Victoria’s travelling exhibition Self-made: zines and artist books. The ‘KickstArt’ HSC Study was presented in partnership with the local T5 teacher network, with printmaker Christine DruittPreston as Guest Artist-Mentor. As part of this program students studied real works of art and participated in discussions and practical activities specifically designed to inspire the commencement of their HSC Visual Arts course. The Art AfterSchool program took inspiration from the major exhibition A Shared Obsession: Margaret Olley & Fred Jessup, and offered local teachers the opportunity to work with Guest Artist-Mentor Christine Willcocks and
gain unique insights into the international research project undertaken by the Gallery’s Curator Ingrid Hedgcock. In 2019, the Gallery also worked closely with Queensland Visual Arts educators to respond to the new national curriculum and facilitate authentic experiences for school visits.
artists to paint and draw the landscape en plein air highlights the diversity of talent in the area, and has the potential to grow to be one of the region’s signature cultural events.
The Gallery has positioned itself as an important destination for local families, as well as those visiting the region. Children are catered for through early childhood programs, specially designed exhibitions, art activities and ‘interactives’ and school holiday programs. In 2019, the Gallery presented another successful series of ‘playdates’ for children up to the age of five, in recognition of the important role a gallery environment can play in early childhood development. The Gallery also delivered an important artist-led audience development initiative in conjunction with internationally-renowned artist Hiromi Tango. The exhibition Healing Circle – Home and complementary public program ‘Hiromi Hotel – Healing Wednesdays’ engaged families and diverse audience groups through an inspired series of creative and meditative programs focused on mental health and physical wellbeing. The Gallery continued its outreach education partnership with Byron School of Art and Contemporary Art Space Education (c.a.s.e) to co-present the ‘Art in the Pub’ program. The Gallery supported this initiative by bringing contemporary practitioners Maria Kontis and Kate Rohde to the region, in conjunction with their respective Artist in Residence outcome exhibitions. The Gallery presented the annual Community Picnic and Artist Paint Out event, featuring live music performances and creative activities for the local community. This opportunity for regional
Facing page and above: Visitors enjoying Learning & Engagement programs at the Gallery
Education
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Gallery DownTown
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
The Gallery DownTown was established as an annexe to the Gallery and as an initiative of Tweed Shire Council to act as a driver of economic and creative development in the Murwillumbah CBD.
The Gallery DownTown aims to build on the success of the Margaret Olley Art Centre and further support the MIArts Precinct in the heart of Murwillumbah by linking Gallery visitors to the town centre to explore the array of cultural facilities, private art studios and local businesses. The Gallery continued the extension of the CAEP program to Gallery DownTown, which allowed the Gallery to expand its footprint dedicated to artists of the region. Artists who exhibited at Gallery DownTown in 2019 included Dave Sparkes, Greg Mulheran, Karyn Fendley, Kath Egan, Konstantina and Rosi Griffin, as well as an additional thirty artists included in the group exhibition Façade: Art Deco of Murwillumbah, which was organised to complement the National Gallery of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s touring exhibition Art Deco from the National Collection: The World Turns Modern.
Facing page and above: Exhibition opening and installation photographs at Gallery DownTown
Gallery DownTown
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Supersymmetry Kath Egan
Incandescence Dave Sparkes
29 March – 12 May 2019
29 March – 12 May 2019
Supersymmetry explored ideas of interconnectivity through a network of red threads and a constellation of nails.
Intrigued by sunlight, shadows and reflections, Incandescence focused on the contre-jour (into the light) viewpoint to create atmospheric landscapes and seascapes from the east coast of Australia.
Kath Egan, Supersymmetry 2018 timber, felt, cotton thread, tacks 900 x 220 cm © The artist. Photo: Justin Ealand
Dave Sparkes, Barrington Tops National Park (detail) 2018 watercolour, 60 x 90 cm © The artist
Façade: Art Deco of Murwillumbah
Interplay: profiling the four collection areas
16 May – 27 July 2019
from 19 July 2019
Murwillumbah is known for its Art Deco accents and for this exhibition 30 artists from the region drew inspiration from this movement in the group exhibition Façade: Art Deco of Murwillumbah. Artists from the region revealed there’s much to glean from Murwillumbah!
The Tweed Regional Gallery collection features works across four areas: Australian portraits; artworks of regional relevance; Australian artists’ prints; and the life and work of Margaret Olley.
Chelle Wallace, The toilet door (detail) 2019 photograph 50 x 75 cm © The artist
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Interplay includes works from the collection exploring these four themes. Angus McDonald, Pieta 2016, oil on canvas, 200 x 225.5 cm Gift of the Friends of Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc., 2016 Tweed Regional Gallery collection © The artist
Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
Best Before Rosi Griffin
Colour Correction Konstantina
2 August – 12 October 2019
2 August – 12 October 2019
Griffin’s watercolours are mostly a realistic representation of actual buildings but include subtle marks of decay and a sense of emptiness. These holiday homes have a special place in the Australian collective consciousness.
Konstantina’s work is personal and meaningful, while boasting a playfulness that takes the sting out of the messages she delivers. The explosive use of colour in this series annotates today’s political and socio-political environment from her perspective as an Aboriginal woman, mother and activist.
Rosi Griffin, Sea breeze 2019 watercolour, 52 x 42 cm © The artist
Konstantina, Skin on skin (detail) 2019 acrylic on linen, 60 x 60 cm © The artist
Against the Light Karyn Fendley
Fragile Greg Mulheran
18 October – 28 December 2019
18 October – 28 December 2019
Karyn Fendley’s recent landscape paintings capture the essence of the coastal landscapes of northern New South Wales.
Fragile was a collection of drawings that explored elements of nature that are fragile, transient and ephemeral. Artist Greg Mulheran observed how objects in nature change over time. Leaves drop and change colour, or they are eaten and reduced to a lacy filigree. Deterioration and decay are part of the cycle of life, and the process of decay can have its own beauty.
With their bright skies, deep shadows and silhouettes, these artworks depict the extremes of lightness and darkness and the transient spaces created by shadows which can be observed in our sharply sunlit coastal landscapes. Karyn Fendley, Where the river meets the sea (detail) 2019 acrylic on canvas, 90 x 110 cm © The artist
Greg Mulheran, Quandang (detail) 2019 graphite pencil and Inktense on paper, 29.5 x 21 cm © The artist
Gallery DownTown
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The Gallery Shop
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
The Gallery Shop proudly continues to support local artisans, makers and designers of our region.
Several new jewellers, ceramicists, wood workers, textile designers and printmakers were added to the Shop’s profile, and opportunities to strengthen existing relationships were offered via exhibitioninspired projects. Consigners were invited to design and create unique merchandise for exhibitions such as the National Gallery of Australia’s travelling exhibition Art Deco from the National Collection: The World Turns Modern and Love, curated by Gallery Director, Susi Muddiman OAM. These collaborations between local creatives and the Gallery resulted in a collection of limited-edition, locally hand-printed tea towels, tote bags, scarves, ceramics, jewellery, cards and postcards.
in indigo and shibori; and weaving and macramé projects. These sit comfortably alongside an existing array of titles on various artists, art movements, ceramics, sculpture, photography and painting. Complementary to our art and craft books, the Shop broadened its art supplies to include soapstone for sculpting, chisels and carving tools, various ceramic materials, air-drying clays, utensils and shaping tools. The response to these implementations was positive and welcomed, reaffirming our role in inspiring and supporting Gallery visitors in their artistic appreciation and creativity beyond the Gallery’s exhibition walls.
The Gallery Shop expanded its range of books to include a handcrafting and DIY project section. This has introduced titles that include: techniques in woodworking, spoon carving and upcycling timber projects; investigations in natural and botanical dying; traditional applications
Left and above: Products in the Gallery Shop
The Gallery Shop
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Partnerships
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
The Tweed Regional Gallery has a proud association with a large number of dedicated Volunteers who support the promotion and operations of the Gallery on a daily basis. The Gallery is supported by three volunteer organisations whose Committees meet regularly during the year.
The Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation Ltd. supports the Gallery by providing funds for publications, acquisitions of artworks for the Collection, education initiatives and hosting fundraising events. The Foundation also funds special projects to enhance the Gallery. For example, in 2019, the Foundation dedicated funds for the construction of the Margaret Olley Memorial Garden to be commenced in 2020. The Foundation’s membership currently numbers 195 financial members, and offers a range of social events and newsletters to its membership. In 2019 the Foundation also launched their Business & Strategic Plan. The Plan outlines the Foundation’s objectives for the period 2019 – 2022. The Friends of Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc. attract a healthy subscription membership of over 900 financial members. The Friends raise funds through their memberships, a retail program and special events. As the Gallery does not have an acquisitions budget, the Friends also assist the Gallery by purchasing works for the Gallery’s collection. The Friends also sponsor Gallery publications and the purchase of artworks from the Gallery’s $20,000 flagship award exhibition in the Olive Cotton Award for photographic portraiture. They also support awards through the biennial Border Art Prize and provide catering and service for the numerous exhibition openings and public events offered to our visitors and members each year. In 2019, the Friends of the Gallery continued their Welcome Morning Tea and Behind-the-Scenes Tour for new subscribers, an initiative aimed to further engage members and offer an insight into the operations of the Gallery.
The Tweed Regional Art Gallery Advisory Committee is appointed by resolution of Council to assist and advise Council in matters relating to the review and updating of the Gallery’s policies and plans. The Committee also advises Council on the care and future development of the Collection and, as a Committee of community representatives, encourages the enjoyment, appreciation and education in the arts in the Tweed region through advice to the Tweed Shire Council. Volunteer Gallery Guides present two free daily tours to visitors, schools and groups. The Guides also prepare and present tours for community and special interest groups who visit the Gallery. Gallery Guides provide educational tours for primary, intermediate and secondary school groups, and assist the Education and Audience Development Officer in presenting events such as Art AfterSchool, HSC Development Days and Gallery PlayDates. Over 80 Front of House Volunteers support staff in the Gallery’s daily operations by welcoming visitors, providing assistance in the thriving Gallery Shop, assisting with administrative tasks, maintaining the Library, and attending visitors in each of the exhibition spaces.
Margaret Olley Art Centre. These allow visitors to digitally paint and draw as Olley did while listening to her favourite chamber orchestra. The Margaret Olley Art Centre enjoys the support of flower sponsor Georgie Taylor of FLOWERISTA, MIArts Precinct, Murwillumbah. FLOWERISTA provides fresh flowers to the Centre each week to celebrate Olley’s love of flowers as subject matter for her paintings. The Gallery also enjoys presenting programs in partnership with the Byron Writers Festival, engaging visitors and festival attendees with events which explore and combine literature, non-fiction and the visual arts through writers and artists. In 2019 the Gallery also launched an exciting partnership with the National Art School (NAS), Sydney. The partnership was established to celebrate Olley’s legacy as a NAS Alumni and supporter of emerging artists. Each year, this partnership will award a graduate of the NAS, Masters of Fine Art the opportunity to undertake a residency in the Gallery’s Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio. One of the outcomes of the residency will be a solo exhibition at the Gallery.
The Gallery relies on over 100 Volunteers acting as ambassadors across all aspects of our operations. The Gallery is indebted to our Volunteers and their enormous contribution in ensuring the Gallery remains a leading cultural institution and popular cultural tourism destination. In collaboration with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Gallery presents interactive ‘paint’ programs on iPads in the
< Volunteer Guide taking visitors on a tour of the Margaret Olley Art Centre
Partnerships
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2019 Foundation Members
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
The Foundation aims to attract and encourage donations, gifts, bequests and other forms of financial assistance for the Gallery, ensuring that the facility continues to provide professional and engaging programs for the enjoyment of patrons. Major Donors
Principal Donors
Platinum Donors
Gold Donors
Doug Anthony AC CH Margot Anthony AM Tim Fairfax AC Margaret Olley Art Trust
The Withey Family Ashby Utting
Christopher JB Williams
Allan & Lyn Macnaughton Dr Betty Marks Peter & Judy Budd Dinah Watson Derek & Sandi Budd Bruce & Julie Murray
Stanton Sharman Kuhne Family Trust Sylvia & Derek Loader Queensland Airports Ltd Philip Bacon AM Richard & Mary Anne Roberts
Ann Wolstenholme Ray & Wendy Watson Ron & Judith Sutton Ian Harbison Betty Hutchison Norma Newland Helen Withey
Alan Pigott & Alan Conder Rosalind & Bruce Steel Mark & Susan O’Sullivan The Holston Family: Bettina, John, Ann, Ian Kirsteen & Lyn Hornick
The Taylor Family Elizabeth Wheeler Graeme & Judy Perkins Stephen Webb John Colvin Jane Colvin Sarah Johnson
Andrew Johnson Sydney Williams QC Lynne Rau Dr Geoffrey Hirst & Dr Sally Wilde
The Dagworthy Family Mark Boyd Malcolm & Fran Cummings Anthea Polson Art Cathie Ann Joubert Robert Bleakley Graham Reynolds Ken Horler QC Kay Ball Len Ball Melissa Ball Heather Ball Shannon Ball Warren & Karlene Polglase John Cooper & Phillippa Mowle Mary Peden Lesley Bryant Robert Budd Josephine Nugent Sally Campbell Sally-Ann Wilkinson Trish Budd Brian Fitzpatrick Graeme & Pamela Conley Jennifer Stratford Mark & Susan Hoy Alan Hann
Neil Cowd Sheila Stephenson Stuart & Annie Macnaughton Hamish Macnaughton Louise Devine Dr Deryck & Shona Charters Jeff McLennan & Joanne Smith Megan Elliott Marian & Trevor Ostrenga Shirley Cassar Jennifer Derrick Valerie Ryan Dr Noele Turner Daryl Clifford & Margaret Ridley Penny Bond Alison Allcock Caitlin Withey Robyn Flegler Dr Graeme Russell Gary Tong Debra Tong Leanne Tong-Lyon Lyn Tong Laurence Lock Lee Rita Tong The Tong Family
Barbara Lock Lee Dr Carolyn Sue May Sue Michael Sue Anne Schardin Dr Brian & Janette Gibson Dr Jay Hetzl Michael Rayner Dr Charlie Walker Prescott June Evelyn Prescott Gina Fairfax AM Prue Cutting Dr Jeffrey Hood Scott Germann Lisa White David Wolff Sarah & Baillieu Myer AC The Hon Larry & Jenny Anthony James Shilton Dr Noel Allen Julie O’Neill Dr Diane Blanckensee Helen McCarrison Bernadette Loughnane Dr Gerard Handley Kylie Mitchell-Smith Maryann Kirk
Dr Daniel Bills Don O’Rorke Sarah Schuiringa Peter Minck Katie Wilson Mary Jeanne & Scott Hutchinson Serene Retirement Living Claire Kelly Judith Forbes & Angus Harvey Ross Nerida Dean Susan Stone Gaida Macs Dr Candice Silverman Jan Murphy Glen & Kaye Gole Dr Sally Sojan Dr Sophia Elmes Dr Cappy Englebrecht Dr Jennifer Egan Sally Frazer Bruce Heiser William Rothery Fiona Hopkins Robyn Smith & Ross Stainlay Cynthia Martin Leanne Pearce Jasmine Smith
Silver Donors Veema Williams Alleyne Withey Frank Withey Peter Sochacki Wayne Kratzmann Colin Withey Julie Withey Members Ron Lock Dr Ann Warrell Max & Marguarite Boyd Ian & Gordian Batten Margot Loder Nan Boyd Sydney Myer Foundation Lewis Border AO & Fae Border Mike & Sheila Styles Penny Hall Angele van den Heuvel Murwillumbah Philharmonic Choir Patrick Corrigan AM Richard & Carol Kemp Roger Marks Jim & Rosemary Berting Ian & Elizabeth Brookes Tess Washington Mick & Ursula Mills John & Robyn Wilkins Brian & Judith Budd Ted & Deidre Wybrew Michael & Doriel Worley Joan van Lieshout Josephine Anderson Bruce Gibson Christopher Dean
< Russell Shakespeare Tim Fairfax (detail) 2018 digital chromogenic print 100 x 80 cm Gift of the Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation Ltd., 2019. Tweed Regional Gallery collection © The artist
Foundation Members
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Staff & Acknowledgements
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre | 2019 Year in Review
Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre Staff Director Susi Muddiman OAM Curator Margaret Olley Art Centre & Collections Manager Ingrid Hedgcock Exhibitions Curator Sarah McGhee Education & Audience Development Officer Jodi Ferrari Public Programs Curator Anouk Beck (until July 2019); Meredith Cusack Operations & Business Officer Gregory Puch (until September 2019); Kree Harrison Administrative Officer Kree Harrison (until September 2019); Jennifer Payne Sales & Reception Assistant Kristy Morgan Gallery Technicians (casual) Lenny Bastiaans, Byron Coathup, Melissa Creed, Chas Glover, Barry Mossop, Sam Steinhauer, Matt Taylor, Ruth Williams The Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre is supported by over 100 volunteers. Many thanks for your ongoing support.
Front & back cover image: Margaret Olley (1923â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2011) Wildflowers and pears (detail) c.1973 oil on board 65 x 76 cm Tweed Regional Gallery collection Purchased through the bequest of Phoebe McNamara and the Tweed Regional Gallery Donations Fund, 2019 Š Margaret Olley Art Trust
Design by rangestudio.com Thank you to our generous publication sponsors:
The Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre is a Tweed Shire Council Community Facility, supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW
< Launch event for the Love exhibition. Photo: David Toyer
Staff & Acknowledgements
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Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre PO Box 816 (2 Mistral Road), Murwillumbah NSW 2484 | T (02) 6670 2790 | F (02) 6670 2797 | E tweedart@tweed.nsw.gov.au | W artgallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au Open 10am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5pm (DST) Wednesday to Sunday, Free Admission The Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre is a Tweed Shire Council Community Facility
@tweedregionalgallery