BLUE MOUNTAINS CULTURAL CENTRE
ISSUE 20
BLUE MOUNTAINS CULTURAL CENTRE
Exhibitions and Building Technician Mark Surtees Front of House Connie Moran Kellie Mar Nina Waters Kate Phillips Hannah Surtees Patron Services Officer Kellie Mar Café Coordinator Sharon Holstein
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KATOOMBA RAILWAY
OPENING HOURS 10AM – 5PM MONDAY – FRIDAY 10AM – 4PM SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10AM – 2PM PUBLIC HOLIDAYS (closed Good Friday & Christmas Day)
ROAD BATHURST
THE CARRINGTON HOTEL
ADMISSION Joint ticket admission for entry to both the World Heritage Exhibition and Blue Mountains City Art Gallery:
CULTURAL CENTRE
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Curator Rilka Oakley
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Public Programs Coordinator Katrina Noorbergen
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KATO OMB
Administration Officer Felicity Hallam
We thank the dedicated volunteers at Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, who provide valuable support to staff and visitors.
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Promotion & Retail Manager Giulia Del Vento
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Exhibitions Manager Sabrina Roesner
Café Staff Sheena, Jennifer, Wade, Claire, Martin, Vanessa, Ruby
PARKE
Director Paul Brinkman
Adults $5 Concession
$3
Children under 16
FREE
InSight Members
FREE
04 • Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
02 4780 5410 30 Parke St, Katoomba NSW 2780 info@bluemountainsculturalcentre.com.au bluemountainsculturalcentre.com.au
contents Editor: Kellie Mar
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FROM THE DIRECTOR
InSight is proudly designed and printed in the Blue Mountains.
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INSIGHT NEWS
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INSIGHT MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Design: Kellie Mar (original template design by Letra design & illustration)
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WORLD HERITAGE EXHIBITION
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BLUE MOUNTAINS CITY ART GALLERY EXHIBITION GUIDE
Printing: Springwood Printing
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REALITY IN FLAMES: MODERN AUSTRALIAN ART AND THE SECOND WORLD WAR
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COMMUNITY EVENTS
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BLUE MOUNTAINS CULTURAL CENTRE PUBLIC PROGRAMS
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THE GALLERY CAFÉ AND SHOP
Front cover: SIMON REECE medusozoa 2016, ceramic, underglaze and glaze, 5 x 30 x 31 cm. Photo: Graeme Wienand
InSight Membership Magazine issue 20 • 1
FROM THE DIRECTOR The annual Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Collection fundraiser The Collectors' Edition #6 was presented at the Gallery in March of this year. The generosity of over 100 participating artists made the event the most successful in its six year history, raising over $18,000 for the Collection fund. The Fund is used to commission or purchase artworks of significance for the Cultural Centre’s public collection, the Blue Mountains' most important visual art repository. I take this opportunity to thank all of the artists that contributed a work for the fundraiser and all of those who participated in the auction. Congratulations to those who were successful in their bidding and for those who were not so successful, there’s always next year.
As our Collection continues to grow we have introduced a new initiative, the Collection exhibition wall. Located in the foyer, the wall will show a revolving display of selected works from the Cultural Centre Collection and provide an opportunity to see new acquisitions as well as some old favourites. As our always popular ARTEXPRESS exhibition comes to a close on the 30th of June we look forward to our next two major exhibitions, with every breath curated by Rilka Oakley and Reality in flames, a travelling exhibition from the Australian War Memorial. Don’t miss these opportunities to see the works of some of Australia’s most renowned artists alongside those of emerging talent. Paul Brinkman Director, Blue Mountains Cultural Centre
BLUE MOUNTAINS CULTURAL CENTRE AND SCULPTURE AT SCENIC WORLD EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITY 2019 Each year one work from the Sculpture at Scenic World exhibition is chosen for the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Exhibition Opportunity, and is displayed for one month at the Cultural Centre after Sculpture at Scenic World concludes. This year, the Exhibition Opportunity was awarded to Louis Pratt with his work Regret, to be installed in the Cultural Centre central courtyard from 20 May – 21 June. We are entering an age of extinction, thanks to the burning of fossil fuels. Made from coal, Regret is an embodiment of our possible future. The figure looms large, downcast, reflecting on a world of destruction and decay of his own making. The sting of regret lies in the tragic realisation that our misfortune is the consequence of our own actions.
The age of the Anthropocene is the proposed current geological epoch in which humans are the primary cause of permanent planetary change. Some scientists believe the world has already begun this sixth mass extinction. A recent study found that human actions have destroyed 60% of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles since 1970. Through art, we can imagine our future, and I have seen Regret as a possible future. This work serves as a meditation, to spur us to action rather than wallow in apathy.
Image: LOUIS PRATT Regret 2019, coal, steel and resin, 182 x 36 x 26 cm. Photo by Keith Maxwell, A Shot Above Photography.
InSight Membership Magazine issue 20 • 3
InSight Membership MEMBER BENEFITS Free annual entry to the Blue Mountains City Art Gallery and World Heritage Exhibition Discounts on Blue Mountains Cultural Centre public programs 10% discount at Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Shop (excludes exhibition artwork sales) 10% discount at the Gallery Café Invitations to Blue Mountains City Art Gallery exhibition openings and InSight events Subscription to InSight Magazine Subscription to monthly e-newsletter Access to InSight Members Lounge at Blue Mountains Cultural Centre (Wednesday to Friday) 10% discount on Blue Mountains Theatre house shows Exclusive access to pre-sale tickets on selected events at Blue Mountains Theatre
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08 • Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
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Date processed: / / InSight Membership Magazine issue 15 • 08
World Heritage Exhibition
Blue Mountains City Art Gallery Exhibition Guide
In 2000 the Greater Blue Mountains Area was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in recognition of the exceptional diversity and integrity of its eucalypt forest communities. The permanent World Heritage Exhibition: Into the Blue features high-tech interactive exhibitions exploring the natural and social landscapes of this unique area. Audiences are invited to navigate their way through these stories through an immersive exhibition experience, introducing them to the richness and wonders of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
ARTEXPRESS 2019 11 MAY – 30 JUNE CATH BARCAN NATURE MORTE/CIVIL WORKS 11 MAY – 23 JUNE SIMON REECE FLOTSAM AND JETSAM 29 JUNE – 11 AUGUST WITH EVERY BREATH 6 JULY – 25 AUGUST RESILIENCE IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY: CONTEMPORARY RESPONSES TO WW2 IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS 1939-1950 17 AUGUST – 29 SEPTEMBER REALITY IN FLAMES: MODERN AUSTRALIAN ART AND THE SECOND WORLD WAR 31 AUGUST – 20 OCTOBER
PHOTO: Robert Walsh
InSight Membership Magazine issue 19 • 09
ARTEXPRESS 2019
11 MAY – 30 JUNE ARTEXPRESS brings together a selection of outstanding student artworks developed for the artmaking component of the HSC examination in Visual Arts in NSW. The exhibition showcases a broad range of approaches and expressive forms, including ceramics, collection of works, documented forms, drawing, graphic design, painting, photomedia, printmaking, sculpture, textiles and fibre, and time-based forms. Blue Mountains City Art Gallery presents a selection of artworks by students from the Blue Mountains, the Central West and wider NSW. These Bodies of Work provide insight into issues that are important to the young artists, such as cultural and gender identity, social media, globalisation and climate change.
ARTEXPRESS is a joint venture of the NSW Department of Education and the NSW Education Standards Authority, hosted by Blue Mountains City Art Gallery.
Cath Barcan
Nature morte/ Civil works 11 MAY – 23 JUNE Nature morte/Civil works explores the seductive and confounding use of plastic and its ubiquitous role in our daily life. Blue Mountains artist Cath Barcan uses still life and landscape photography to highlight the use of plastic packaging in food and its presence in the landscape. Barcan references still life painters of the Dutch Golden Age who created images that grappled with issues of mortality, permanence and death. Her still life photographs harness this familiar visual language to present paradoxical and conflicting relationships between life, death, stillness, urgency, beauty and time. Barcan’s landscape photographs depict wrapped and enclosed road construction sites and other civil works – staged as theatrical spaces, akin to still life sets and complete
with drapery – which both reveal and conceal the complexity of what lies beneath. A Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Exposé Program exhibition
Left: ALIA GRINVALDS (Korowal School) Vignettes 2018, photomedia. Image courtesy ARTEXPRESS. Right: CATH BARCAN Still life with shopping bags II from the series ‘Still Life’ 2016, archival inkjet pigment print, 88 x 61 cm.
InSight Membership Magazine issue 20 •7
Simon Reece
Flotsam and jetsam 29 JUNE – 11 AUGUST Simon Reece’s exhibition Flotsam and jetsam is about rubbish, debris, detritus and how it impacts us but also reflects us and who we are. In the universe, cosmik debris is scattered throughout. This space waste becomes the building blocks for the universe itself. Something bigger is formed from this rubbish. However, our climate malaise is brought about by waste which is also creating something bigger. In this case, large blooms of jellyfish are appearing and highlight the detrimental warming of the oceans and the collapse of ecosystems.
At the centre of Reece’s new body of work, which includes ceramic and mixed media sculptural objects, sits a large scale jellyfish bloom giving shape to the terrifying beauty that is consuming our oceans. Small pieces of natural sponge collected from the beaches are made into cosmik debris, highlighting the wonder of the universe and how we inhabit it, and how repurposing our waste can be transformative. A Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Exposé Program exhibition Image: SIMON REECE floatsam 2018, ceramic, underglaze, glaze and polymer clay, 10 x 9 x 7 cm. Photo: Silversalt
8 • Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
ARTISTS IN CONVERSATION: SERENDIPITY AND PROCESS SATURDAY 6 JULY 11AM Join artists Merran Esson and Simon Reece in the gallery, as they discuss Reece’s ceramic and mixed media sculptural objects in Flotsam and jetsam, and share an insight into the joys of working with clay. Free with Gallery admission. RSVP appreciated at reception or 4780 5410.
Image: SIMON REECE medusozoa 2016, ceramic, underglaze and glaze, 5 x 30 x 31 cm. Photo: Graeme Wienand
InSight Membership Magazine issue 20 • 9
with every breath 6 JULY – 25 AUGUST Being in the present moment is a fundamental challenge in contemporary society. The rituals we undertake on a daily basis can serve as a reminder to be present, to be here now.
Whether making food, washing or dressing we perform multiple ordinary actions on any given day. When we pay attention to these actions we become aware of that moment. The artists in this exhibition encourage us to slow down, be still, breathe, reflect
and listen. Most importantly they ask us to take our time. The exhibition includes a music video work by Katoomba High School students and features artists such as Sarah Breen Lovett, Karen Golland, Anne Graham, Rachael Wenona Guy & Leonie Van Eyk, WeiZen Ho, Rachel Peachey & Paul Mosig, Julie Rrap, Honi Ryan, Abi Tariq and Marty Walker. A Blue Mountains City Art Gallery exhibition curated by Rilka Oakley
This project is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW
Image: RACHAEL WENONA GUY AND LEONIE VAN EYK, This house, My body poetspeak (still) 2018, digital film, 35 min.
10 • Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
AN INVITATION TO DINNER IN SILENCE – A PERFORMATIVE DINING EXPERIENCE FRIDAY 23 AUGUST 6PM Exhibiting interdisciplinary artist Honi Ryan will host A Silent Dinner at the Cultural Centre, a participatory performance based around a threecourse meal. Guests are requested: Please do not use words or your voice Please don’t read or write Try to make as little noise as possible Don’t interact with digital devices Stay for 2 hours The Silent Dinners are an international performance art project; social sculptures which experiment with new forms of exchange while highlighting globalisation and the changing nature of communication. And they are a lot of fun. $85 / $75 insight members Booking essential at reception or on 4780 5410.
InSight Membership Magazine issue 20 • 11
MEMORIA: VOICE, BODY, MEMORY Weekend movement and mark-making workshop with WeiZen Ho SATURDAY 20 JULY, 10AM – 2PM SUNDAY 21 JULY, 10AM – 2PM Performance artist WeiZen Ho invites people of all ages and abilities to explore methods of working with memory, the voice and the body.
This weekend workshop will give you an introduction to the 5 Element Bodywork practice called Pancha Tanmantra: a core vocal body activation used to embody and remobilise memory through movement and mark making. No previous experience in performance is required to participate, and each participant will receive one on one guidance from the artist.
12 • Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
$140 / $130 Insight members. Booking essential at reception or on 4780 5410. Please wear comfortable clothes and bring a sketchbook and small towel.
Image: Workshop for the Festival of Death and Dying 2017, Critical Path, Sydney. Photo: Kristin Firth.
PERFORMANCE PROGRAM STORIES FROM THE BODY #1 BY WEIZEN HO The Stories from the Body performance series is an ongoing life work in which the artist retraces lineages that have been disrupted, as a result of migration, from the South Fujian Province of China to Java, Singapore and Malaysia. Coming from the premise that all of human living is performed, Ho activates a process of uncovering, reclaiming and reimagining through her body and its voice; an expression of how an ancestral template is embedded within her physiological being.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE: FRIDAY 5 JULY, 5.30PM WEDNESDAY 10 JULY, 11AM SATURDAY 13 JULY, 11AM WEDNESDAY 17 JULY, 11AM SATURDAY 20 JULY, 11AM SATURDAY 17 AUGUST, 11AM WEDNESDAY 21 AUGUST, 11AM SATURDAY 24 AUGUST, 11AM Free with Gallery admission. Image: Stories from the Body #1 performed by WeiZen Ho, Undisclosed Territory#8 Performance Art Festival in Solo, Indonesia. Photo: Watan Wuma.
InSight Membership Magazine issue 19 • 17
Resilience in Times of Adversity:
Contemporary Responses to WW2 in the Blue Mountains 1939-1950 17 AUGUST – 29 SEPTEMBER Coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the commencement of WWII, Vivienne Dadour has curated the exhibition Resilience in Times of Adversity: Contemporary Responses to WW2 in the Blue Mountains that explores aspects of the personal, historical and political landscape of the Blue Mountains during, and post, WW2. Through the use of archival and historical material the exhibiting artists reflect on the many-sided nature of the tragedy of war and the resilience of the human spirit. Installation artist Anne Graham pays homage to the many women and men who worked at the Lithgow Small Arms Factory; Chris Tobin (Darug) acknowledges the struggles of Aboriginal soldiers who were an
occupied People, yet asked to be part of an imperialistic war; Fiona Davies responds to the resilience of returning soldiers suffering from infectious diseases when they experienced medical isolation in various facilities in the Blue Mountains during WW2; Sean O’Keeffe explores the fortitude of the many soldiers and military personnel who lived at ‘Hoaxville’ in facilities that housed chemical weapons in tunnels and sidings at Marrangaroo Army base in Lithgow; and Vivienne Dadour presents snapshots of life in the Blue Mountains through a collection of photographic archives. A Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Exposé Program exhibition Image: CHRIS TOBIN Rivers of Blood #1 2019, archival print on Hahnemuehle photo rag, 118 x 84 cm.
Reality in flames: modern Australian art and the Second World War 31 AUGUST – 20 OCTOBER Reality in flames explores the different ways in which Australian modernist artists responded creatively to the war, producing work which sought to comprehend cataclysmic events. It also provides a visual history of the period, revealing the war as a transformative force that altered Australia and the world. The exhibition consists of 88 works of art drawn from the Australian War Memorial’s collection, which forms one of the most diverse and comprehensive accounts of Second World War Australian modernist art. Many were created through the official war art scheme, where artists were commissioned to record the experience of Australians fighting overseas or of home-front wartime activity – a tradition that began during the First World War and continues today.
This is the first exhibition dedicated exclusively to exploring the reactions of Australian modernist artists to the Second World War. Artists have always played a crucial role in recording and interpreting the Australian experience of war, and the works in this travelling exhibition explore both the dangers soldiers faced abroad and the challenges war brought to the home front and to Australian society itself. An Australian War Memorial Touring Exhibition
Image: RUSSEL DRYSDALE (1912–1981) Soldier 1942, oil on hardboard. ART92623. Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial.
InSight Membership Magazine issue 20 • 15
REALITY IN FLAMES – CURATOR TALK AND MUSIC PERFORMANCE SATURDAY 31 AUGUST 11AM Join us for a curator talk in the gallery for Reality in flames, touring from the Australian War Memorial, and explore how Australian modernist artists responded to the Second World War. The talk will be followed by a free live music performance in the foyer by the Royal Australian Navy Band. Free with Gallery admission RSVP appreciated at reception or 4780 5410.
ARTISTS TALK AND TEA SATURDAY 31 AUGUST 1.30PM Join curator and artist Vivienne Dadour alongside artists Anne Graham, Chris Tobin, Fiona Davies, and Sean O’Keeffe, for an intriguing insight into the exhibition Resilience in Times of Adversity: Contemporary Responses to WW2 in the Blue Mountains 1939-1950. After the talk, stay and meet the artists for an afternoon tea provided by the Cultural Centre Café. Free with Gallery admission RSVP appreciated at reception or 4780 5410.
16 • Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
SNAPSHOTS: WITH ARTIST AND CURATOR VIVIENNE DADOUR
TIME CAPSULE: MAKING A SELF PORTRAIT WITH ARTIST ANNE GRAHAM
SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 10AM – 12.30PM
SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 1PM – 3.30PM
For high school aged kids 12 - 16 yrs
For high school aged kids 12 - 16 yrs
Snapshots is a practical pictorial workshop with artist and curator Vivienne Dadour for young people aged 12 – 16 yrs. After a short discussion about the exhibition Resilience in Times of Adversity: Contemporary Responses to WW2 in the Blue Mountains 1939-1950, this workshop will explore the history and workings of the Box Brownie film camera used in WW2, as well as contemporary Instant and point-andshoot film cameras used by today’s street photographers.
Time Capsule explores and expands on the creative potential of found objects. Participants aged 12 – 16 years will be guided by artist Anne Graham in learning how to assemble personal objects, drawings and photos, collected from their home, to form a small visual installation that best expresses a self-portrait. These special items will be assembled using shelves, steps, boxes and various support systems to frame and exhibit the Time Capsule.
$60 / $55 for InSight members. Bookings essential at reception or 4780 5410.
$60 / $55 InSight members. Bookings essential at reception or 4780 5410.
BOOK BOTH WORKSHOPS FOR $100! Creative Kids vouchers accepted.
Opposite: DENNIS ADAMS (1914–2001) Rear Gunner, Halifax 1944, oil on canvas. ART22962. Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial.
InSight Membership Magazine issue 20 • 17
Reality in flames
Remembering the Second World War through Australian modern art Visitors to the Blue Mountains City Art Gallery will have the opportunity to view the compelling Australian War Memorial touring exhibition Reality in flames: modern Australian art and the Second World War. The exhibition consists of 89 works of art drawn from the Memorial’s collection, and forms one of the most diverse and comprehensive accounts of Second World War Australian modern art. It features works from renowned artists such as Stella Bowen, Russell Drysdale, Sidney Nolan, and Albert Tucker. Many of these pieces were created through the official war art scheme, in which artists were commissioned to record the experiences of Australians serving overseas, or of wartime activity on the home front. This tradition began during the First World War and continues today. 18 • Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
Director of the Australian War Memorial Dr Brendan Nelson said these artists enabled today’s Australians to gain a clearer and deeper perspective on the Second World War experience. “This was an incredibly important period in Australia’s history; it was a time of anxiety and great change. These works present a revealing and often original engagement with this war”. The Memorial has built on its collection of works from this period through an active program of acquisitions and donations, and now holds one of the most diverse and comprehensive accounts of Australian military, social, and art history. “Reality in flames reveals how Australia’s artistic and literary culture was transformed by the war. Artists were inspired to create modern and innovative visual forms to interpret the experience of combat, the powerfully destructive machinery of war, and the vast
social upheaval produced by global conflict,” said Dr Brendan Nelson. Reality in flames: modern Australian art and the Second World War will be on display at the Blue Mountains City Art Gallery from 31 August – 20 October.
Left: ALBERT TUCKER (1914–1999) Battlefield 1942, charcoal and oil pastel on paper. ART94636. Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial. Right: SYBIL CRAIG (1901–1989) Girls working in the Container Production Room (Commonwealth Explosives Factory, Maribyrnong) 1945, oil on artist’s board. ART23507. Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial.
An Australian War Memorial Touring Exhibition
InSight Membership Magazine issue 20 • 19
Community Events WINTER MAGIC: UNDER THE WINTER NIGHT SKY SATURDAY 22 JUNE Visit the Cultural Centre during Winter Magic for a vibrant program of performances, community and projection art projects and workshops. Stop by the cafĂŠ for some hot food and drink to warm up during the day and watch the Carrington fireworks from the viewing platform in the evening. The full program will be available at: bluemountainsculturalcentre.com.au
NAIDOC COMMUNITY DAY SATURDAY 6 JULY Join us for a day of free community programs, performances and workshops to help celebrate local Aboriginal culture for NAIDOC week 2019. The full program will be available at bluemountainsculturalcentre.com.au
Photo: Ben Pearse.
20 • Blue Mountains Cultural Centre
TRIVIA NIGHT FRIDAY 9 AUGUST 6PM Put your knowledge to the test in categories such as art, science, pop culture, sport, music, geography and local history at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre inaugural Trivia Night!
Form a team of 6 or register to be placed on a table for a chance to win some great prizes. A night of live music, food, drinks and brain teasers to bring out your competitive streak! $15 / $10 InSight Members. Bookings essential at reception or 4780 5410.
VARUNA WRITERS' FESTIVAL THURSDAY TO SUNDAY 22-25 AUGUST The inaugural Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival is a celebration of place, writers, writing and reading. It offers author talks, panel presentations, book clubs with celebrity authors, children's events, writing workshops, poetry and more. The Festival will be held across several venues, including Varuna house, the iconic Carrington Hotel, the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, Katoomba library, and other cafés and galleries around town. The Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival will invite the best writers and thinkers from around Australia to share ideas, spark conversations and inspire creativity. With a bold, playful and literary focus, the Festival will feature a jampacked program of events, set amidst spectacular physical surroundings. The program will be announced in June 2019 at: bluemountainswritersfestival.com.au
Photo: David Brazil.
THREATENED SPECIES DAY
about conservation efforts in the region.
SATURDAY 7 SEPTEMBER
The day will also showcase this year’s Waste to Art Sculpture, a Powerful-Owl’s Nest, created by the community from discarded fabrics and plastics.
The Blue Mountains Cultural Centre will host Threatened Species Day, a free community environment market and series of talks on Saturday, 7 September. This will be an opportunity to learn from local environment and bush care groups
Please visit the website for more information about the program: bluemountainsculturalcentre.com.au
InSight Membership Magazine issue 20 • 21
Public Programs KIDS SMARTPHONE FILMMAKING WORKSHOPS FRIDAY 19 JULY 10AM – 1PM, 7 – 11 YEARS 2PM – 5PM, 12 – 16 YEARS From pocket dreams to the big screen, anyone with a smartphone can learn to tell their stories through film! This school holidays, SF3, Australia’s international SmartFone Flick Fest, are running smartphone film making workshops for kids and teens at the Cultural Centre. Learn smartphone filmmaking and editing techniques and experiment with mics and lenses with hands-on-support and feedback from experienced SF3 instructors. Don’t forget to ask for some tips to enter your film in the SF3 Kids competition for filmmakers 16 and under. $110 / $100 InSight Members Creative Kids Vouchers accepted! Booking essential at reception or on 4780 5410. BYO smartphone or tablet. 22 • Blue Mountains Cultural Centre
ENAMELLED JEWELLERY WORKSHOP WITH JANE TADRIST SATURDAY 29 JUNE 10AM – 3.30PM This one-day workshop is an introduction to the world of vitreous enamelling. Find out how to prepare a copper base and apply layers of glass powder to create a unique piece of enamelled jewellery (earrings, brooch or pendant). There will be a demonstration of various contemporary decorative techniques for you to choose from for the creation of 2 pieces during the day. All materials including use of the kiln, tools and equipment, 2 copper shapes, opaque enamels, glass threads, glass lumps and millefiori are all included in the workshop fee.
STUDIES IN STILL LIFE WITH MARIE MANSFIELD SIX WEEK COURSE THURSDAYS 11 JULY – 15 AUGUST 10AM – 1PM Create several of your own still life studies in acrylic or oils in this 6 week course with Marie Mansfield. You will learn the fundamentals of tonal painting by observing light, tone and proportion, bringing a sense of reality and atmosphere to your work. A series of demonstrations and exercises will help you build skills week by week in still life monochrome and colour studies. A lesson plan and materials list is available on enquiry. $280 / $270 InSight members. Bookings essential at reception or 4780 5410.
$170 / $160 InSight members. Booking essential at reception or on 4780 5410. Bring closed toe shoes, an apron and breathing mask. Please note this workshop is not suitable for pregnant women or anyone with breathing difficulties.
Image: MARIE MANSFIELD Damaged Goods Blue Teapot, oil on board, 30 x 30 cm
INSPIRED BY ART WITH CLARE DELANEY TUESDAYS 13 AUGUST – 10 SEPTEMBER 10.30AM – 12.30PM Inspired by Art is an inclusive, accessible visual arts class open to people of all abilities. Each term students explore a new suite of exhibitions at the Blue Mountains City Art Gallery and engage in a series of mixed media art workshops inspired by their visit. Students will learn and build upon new skills to create their own expressive artworks. These workshops are designed to encourage
an open mind and collaborative spirit. Students should have an attention span of 2hrs. $80 / $70 InSight members. Bookings essential at reception or 4780 5410. All materials included.
THE POSSIBILITIES OF COLOUR - ACRYLIC PAINTING COURSE WEDNESDAYS 4 – 25 SEPTEMBER 10AM – 1PM Join Ashlee Bucholtz, Alumna of the National Art School, for a four-week
acrylic painting course focusing on the exploration of colour. Students will be shown a range of colour palettes and how to achieve tone, light, transparency and glazing across a series of subject matter. The aim of this course is not just to learn the rules of application, but also to how break them by using the individual’s emotional connection to colour and the joys experienced through creating and experimenting. $190 / $180 InSight members. Bookings essential at reception or 4780 5410. All materials included.
The Gallery Café
Cultural Centre Shop
The Gallery Café, situated within the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, is the perfect place to catch up with friends or take a break whilst visiting the Art Gallery. Visitors can enjoy Bean Ninja Coffee, a favourite with locals and visitors alike, pastries and cakes in the relaxing setting of the lounge area. Our philosophy is to showcase the highest quality of local produce in our offerings. The restaurant menu serves up delicious meals prepared to order with a range of locally sourced alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Catering to families, large groups and business meetings in a relaxed, contemporary setting, the Gallery Café is open for lunch seven days. OPENING HOURS 9.30AM* – 4PM MONDAY – FRIDAY 10AM – 3.30PM SATURDAY & SUNDAY (closed public holidays) *9.30am access to the Café is via the rear courtyard only. No access can be gained to other spaces in the Centre until 10am. PHOTO: Ona Janzen
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The Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Shop showcases an extensive range of local and Australian made products. Our range of unique and creative gifts, homewares, stationery, books and children’s toys are carefully selected to complement gallery exhibitions and the Blue Mountains region. For more information about locally produced items, please ask one of our friendly retail staff members. InSight Members receive a 10% discount on items in the Shop and invitations to exclusive member sales throughout the year. OPENING HOURS 10AM – 5PM MONDAY – FRIDAY 10AM – 4PM SATURDAY & SUNDAY PHOTO: Kellie Mar
Think Spring - Think Leura
5 - 7 & 11 - 13 October, 2019 • Magnificent gardens • Stunning mountain scenery • Music in the Gardens • Art Show • Plant Sales Money raised helps to purchase equipment for Blue Mountains District ANZAC Memorial Hospital and other local health related or�anisa�ons
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BRAEMAR GALLERY EXHIBITION PROGRAM CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS APPLICATIONS OPEN 28 JUNE CLOSES FRIDAY 2 AUGUST 2019 Artists are invited to submit proposals for the 2020 Braemar Gallery Exhibition Program. Braemar Gallery is located in the historic Braemar House, Springwood and functions as a community gallery. Now in its fourth year of annual exhibition applications, Braemar Gallery hosts a selection of changing exhibitions each month. The program is focused on supporting Blue Mountains artists, and is a must-see for art lovers! The Braemar Gallery Exhibition Program is a great opportunity for artists and community groups based in the Blue Mountains region to exhibit at this historic venue and showcase their works to a diverse audience. Successful applications will be exhibited in the 2020 calendar year.
CALLING ALL SCULPTORS! We are now accepting Expressions of Interest to exhibit upon the beautiful manicured lawns of Braemar House. The 2020 Exhibition Program Application and Sculpture Expression of Interest Forms and corresponding guidelines are available to download from the Cultural Centre website: bluemountainsculturalcentre.com. au/braemar-gallery If you require further information, please contact the Braemar Gallery Exhibition team at braemargallery@gmail.com
InSight Membership Magazine issue 20 • 10
Braemar Gallery Exhibition Guide 104 MACQUARIE RD SPRINGWOOD OPEN THURSDAY – SUNDAY 10AM – 4PM FREE ENTRY
13 JUNE - 7 JULY SASKIA EVERINGHAM FLORA SENSA DIANE CONOMOS CAPTURED BY SILK THREADS 11 JULY - 4 AUGUST VANESSA WHITTINGTON NORTH & SOUTH: AUSTRALIAN LANDSCAPE JOURNEYS STEVE TREDINNICK OUT OF THE BLUEYS ROD JULIAN AUSTRALIAN BIRDS: LUCKY CAPTURES
9 • Blue Mountains Theatre & Community Hub
8 AUGUST – 1 SEPTEMBER MODERN ART PROJECTS BLUE MOUNTAINS MAPPING 5 - 29 SEPTEMBER THE COLLECTIVE COLLECTIVE POSSIBILITIES CATHRYN MCEWAN SHORE LINES GAY HENDRIKSEN, JAN MELVILLE, LINDA SWINFIELD FAMILY TIES – WALKING WITH THE PAST
32 • Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
Critical Stages & The Uncertainty Principle in association with Blue Mountains Theatre presents
SUNSET STRIP SATURDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 8PM By Susie Miller Directed by Anthony Skuse Starring: Emma Jackson, Lex Marinos, Georgia Symes and Simon Lyndon Join us at the Blue Mountains Theatre for a night of extraordinary live performance, when legendary actor Lex Marinos (The Slap, Kingswood Country) stars in the critically acclaimed play Sunset Strip. Written by multi-award winning playwright, Suzie Miller, Sunset Strip is a beautiful dramatic comedy about sisters, finding love, humorous family dysfunction, and making the best of lousy situations (and prosthetic breasts!). 7 • Blue Mountains Theatre & Community Hub
With an all-star cast that includes Georgina Symes (Rake-ABC), Emma Jackson (House of Bond – Ch9), and Simon Lyndon (Chopper, Puberty Blues – Ch10), this lauded Australian play follows the reunion of two very different sisters (Caroline and Phoebe) at their father’s home in the once thriving summer hot-spot of Sunset Strip. Deftly directed by Anthony Skuse, Sunset Strip finds the humour in tragedy and creates an unlikely path for humanity and love to ultimately triumph.
Tickets $39 | Concession $36 InSight Member discount available Bookings via www.bluemountainstheatre.com or contact the Box Office on 4723 5050 A one-off booking fee of $3.30 (for service and handling) applies per transaction. This is regardless of the number or value of items purchased.
“Tenderly gripping, frequently funny” – Sydney Morning Herald “An emotionally riveting tale” – The AU Arts Review “A wonderful new Australian play” – Broadway World
JOE FIEDLER: OPEN SESAME (USA) SATURDAY 31 AUGUST 8PM Sesame Street’s renowned musical director Joe Fiedler plays your most beloved Sesame Street tunes as you’ve never heard them before, with his all-star jazz quintet. Veteran New York-based trombonist/composer Joe Fiedler has collaborated with artists in genres ranging from avantgarde to salsa to pop, and his out-of-the-box Joe Fiedler Trio and low-brass quartet Big Sackbut have brought him further acclaim. For the last decade he has also served as musical director, composer and arranger for iconic children’s TV show Sesame Street. Accompanied by Phillip Johnston (saxophone), Nic Cecire (drums), James Greening (pocket trumpet), and Lloyd Swanton (bass guitar), Joe Fiedler will deliver irreverent jazz interpretations of some of the show’s most iconic songs, including ‘People In Your Neighbourhood’ and ‘Rubber Duckie’, as featured on his recently released album Open Sesame. Presented by Live At The Village and Blue Mountains Theatre Tickets $36 | Concession $32 InSight Member discount available Bookings via www.bluemountainstheatre.com or contact the Box Office on 4723 5050
A one-off booking fee of $3.30 (for service and handling) applies per transaction. This is regardless of the number or value of items purchased.
InSight Membership Magazine issue 20 • 6
PETER ASHER & ALBERT LEE (UK) FRIDAY 23 AUGUST 8PM For the first time in Australia, music icons Peter Asher (Peter & Gordon, Grammy-winning producer of Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor and more) and Albert Lee (Everly Brothers, Crickets, Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, twotime Grammy Award winner and five time Guitar Player magazine ‘Country Guitar Player of the Year’) will come together to share the songs which inspired them, along with the songs they influenced.
5 • Blue Mountains Theatre & Community Hub
Peter Asher and Albert Lee’s history is one of song. As they tell us stories of the travels that brought them to so many of the intersections along the road of music history, the two legends will bring these timeless songs to life, including: 'A World Without Love', 'I Go To Pieces', 'Bye Bye Love', 'Crying In The Rain', 'Lady Godiva' and many more. All tickets $69.90 Bookings via www.bluemountainstheatre.com or contact the Box Office on 4723 5050 A one-off booking fee of $3.30 (for service and handling) applies per transaction. This is regardless of the number or value of items purchased.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND: MELBOURNE CITY BALLET FRIDAY 19 JULY 7:30PM Melbourne City Ballet’s Michael Pappalardo (Artistic Director) and Brendan Bradshaw (Artistic Associate) pay homage to Lewis Carroll’s beloved novel Alice In Wonderland, with this enchanting ballet complemented by one of Tchaikovsky’s most famous scores. In true Melbourne City Ballet fashion, the company will bring
a feast of movement and colour to the stage. Combining dynamic storytelling, brilliant costumes, exquisite choreography and a cast of 16 stunning dancers, this gorgeous production will delight audiences of all ages. Alice In Wonderland tells the story of a young girl who is whisked away to a magical world of wonder. Falling through a rabbit hole, she meets magical creatures both strange and mysterious on a curious adventure to find her way home.
$42 | Student $38 | Conc/Child (under 16) $35 | Family (2A+2C) $150 Bookings via www.bluemountainstheatre.com or contact the Box Office on 4723 5050 A one-off booking fee of $3.30 (for service and handling) applies per transaction. This is regardless of the number or value of items purchased.
InSight Membership Magazine issue 20 • 4
ELYSIAN FIELDS: THE SONGS REMAIN THE SAME SUNDAY 7 JULY 3PM Elysian Fields is a brilliant 6-piece band formed by highly regarded viola da gambist, Jenny Eriksson, and leading jazz musicians Matt Keegan and Matt McMahon. Elysian Fields has garnered both critical and popular acclaim and has performed at leading venues and festivals including Vivid Sydney, Foundry616 and the Sydney Women’s International Jazz Festival. A stunning program put together especially for Blue Mountains Theatre, The Songs Remain The Same explores the unique combination of voice, jazz ensemble and electric viola da gamba – the rarest of rare instruments. This intriguing repertoire features new pieces including ‘Elysium’, a four-part song cycle by Matt Keegan, as well as gorgeous arrangements of Swedish folk songs. $32 | Concession $28 InSight Member discount available Bookings via www.bluemountainstheatre.com or contact the Box Office on 4723 5050. A one-off booking fee of $3.30 (for service and handling) applies per transaction. This is regardless of the number or value of items purchased. 3 • Blue Mountains Theatre & Community Hub
“Musicians at the top of their game blurring musical boundaries, bringing the past into the present and taking it back again” - Australian Jazz Net 2019.
38 • Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
JOSEPH TAWADROS QUARTET FRIDAY 14 JUNE 8PM Joseph Tawadros AM is one of Australian music’s most impressive and charismatic figures: a composer, improviser, storyteller and a brilliant exponent of the oud, the Egyptian lute. A multi-award winning virtuoso, Joseph’s music has brought Middle Eastern, classical and contemporary jazz together seamlessly, creating music that transcends labels and shatters borders. He shares an almost telepathic rapport with his band members: brother James, a percussionist, bassist Karl Dunnicliff and jazz pianist Matt McMahon, leading to moments of joyous spontaneous invention. “One of the most impressive musicians to emerge in Australia… with a dazzling technique dispensing hair-raising tempos… His writing displays a real depth of emotion… revelling in a zest for life and celebration.” – The Australian $39 | Concession $36 InSight Member discount available Bookings via www.bluemountainstheatre.com or contact the Box Office on 4723 5050. A one-off booking fee of $3.30 (for service and handling) applies per transaction. This is regardless of the number or value of items purchased. InSight Membership Magazine issue 20 • 2
Blue Mountains Theatre & Community Hub Program
JOSEPH TAWADROS QUARTET FRIDAY 14 JUNE
PETER ASHER & ALBERT LEE (UK) FRIDAY 23 AUGUST
ELYSIAN FIELDS SUNDAY 7 JULY
JOE FIEDLER: OPEN SESAME (USA) SATURDAY 31 AUGUST
ALICE IN WONDERLAND: MELBOURNE CITY BALLET FRIDAY 19 JULY
SUNSET STRIP SATURDAY 21 SEPTEMBER
1• Blue Mountains Theatre & Community Hub
FROM THE HUB To heat things up this winter, we’re thrilled to offer an amazing range of events to give you plenty of reasons to get out and about! We’re delighted to present the critically acclaimed Australian drama-comedy Sunset Strip by multi-award winning playwright Suzie Miller, with a stellar cast including the legendary Lex Marinos. Together for the first time in Australia, Grammy Award winning British musical legends Peter Asher and Albert Lee will share iconic songs that shaped their remarkable careers. For something completely different and unmissable - Sesame Street’s renowned musical director, veteran New York trombonist Joe Fiedler and his all-star jazz quintet will present Open Sesame: irreverent interpretations of the iconic children’s show’s most beloved songs.
Brilliant and utterly unique, Elysian Fields combine the rarest of rare instruments, the electric viola da gamba, with voice and jazz ensemble. They will perform a fascinating new repertoire of original compositions alongside traditional Swedish folk songs. In other exciting news, we will present the inaugural HubCon, a three-day festival in July celebrating all things pop culture, with a focus on the many incredible local creators, artists, authors and filmmakers based in and around the Blue Mountains. For details of these and many more exciting programs go to www.bluemountainstheatre.com.au Tim Smith Facility Manager, Blue Mountains Theatre & Community Hub
InSight Membership Magazine issue 19 • 41
BLUE MOUNTAINS THEATRE & COMMUNITY HUB Facility Manager Tim Smith Programs Coordinator Yvonne Hellmers Venue & Theatre Services Officer Mim Lombardi Venue & Theatre Services Assistant Rita Montenegro Theatre & Building Technician Philip Regan Marketing Officer Lara Bohdanowicz
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COVER: Sunset Strip Image courtesy of Patrick Boland
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Opened in 1988, Braemar Gallery is located in the historic Braemar House. It functions as a community gallery, hosting changing exhibitions that showcase works of local and regional artists.
MACQUARIE ROAD
DAVID ROAD
Blue Mountains Theatre & Community Hub 02 4780 5050 104-108 Macquarie Rd, Springwood NSW 2777 thehub@bmcc.nsw.gov.au bluemountainstheatreandhub.com.au Braemar Gallery 104 Macquarie Rd, Springwood NSW 2777 braemargallery@gmail.com Enquiries can also be made to the Cultural Centre on 02 4780 5410
BLUE MOUNTAINS THEATRE & COMMUNITY HUB BRAEMAR GALLERY
ISSUE 20 42 • Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Blue Mountains City Art Gallery