NOV 2020 – FEB 2021
Blue Mountains City Art Gallery, Into the Blue, InSight Membership, What’s On, Gallery Café and Shop.
Welcome The City of the Blue Mountains is located within the Country of the Darug and Gundungurra peoples. Blue Mountains Cultural Centre pays respect to Elders past and present while recognising the strength, capacity and resilience of past and present Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Blue Mountains region.
CONTENTS
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Just Below the Clouds
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A Place for Artists and Art Lovers
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InSight Membership
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Into the Blue
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Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
16 Exhibition Feature: The poetry of re(imagining) the past 18 Exhibition Feature: Plateau, escarpment, valley 20 What’s On 23 Volunteer Profile 24 Gallery CafÊ 26 Gallery Shop 28 Braemar House & Gallery
Cover image: CLAIRE NAKAZAWA The Bridge (detail) 2020, Froma Lane, Katoomba. Commissioned by Blue Mountains Cultural Centre
Just Below the Clouds
Paul Brinkman – Manager, Arts & Cultural Services The Cultural Centre team has shown a great deal of creativity and innovation over the last year through the rolling restrictions associated with COVID-19. It has been wonderful to experiment with new ideas and initiatives as we have grappled with the challenges of supporting our arts community and bringing the best arts and cultural experiences to our audiences. From live-stream music recordings in the gallery to virtual artist studio tours, the Cultural Centre has continued to lead the way in showcasing our creative community. Both our online content and gallery exhibitions have been hugely popular and it is heartening to see visitor numbers steadily return after the Cultural Centre’s closure earlier in the year. I would like to thank the five artists recently commissioned to paint Froma Lane. Their murals have turned a dull laneway into a vibrant space that greatly improves the experience of visitors coming to the Cultural Centre from Katoomba Street. Keep watching the urban landscape of Katoomba throughout 2021 as we add to the public art on display. I would also like to thank the inaugural Green Team volunteers, who are quickly turning the rooftop garden space into a fantastic educational resource, with the side benefit of producing fresh ingredients for the Gallery Café. I hope that before too long Café patrons will be able to sample some edible native foods from our menu. To our InSight Members, thank you for your support over the last year. I wish you all the best for the festive season and look forward to 2021, when we will continue to bring you the best art experiences from the Blue Mountains and across Australia.
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A Place for Artists and Art Lovers
Froma Lane Street Art Project
NASTIA GLADUSHCHENKO Where the flowers go (detail) 2020, Froma Lane, Katoomba. Commissioned by Blue Mountains Cultural Centre
The Blue Mountains Cultural Centre has commissioned five street artists to paint new murals in Froma Lane, transforming the space into a corridor of colour and art, and Edible Garden – watch this space! connecting Katoomba Street with the Cultural Centre steps. Earlier this year the Cultural Centre put a call out for a The artists were commissioned new volunteer Green Team as part of Wollemi Weekend, to help plan, implement and a series of events bringing care for an edible rooftop the community together safely garden. It is hoped the garden to support local creatives. will provide fresh, seasonal The five artists involved are produce to the Gallery Café Nastia Gladushchenko, Jodee and learning opportunities Knowles, Man.De (Mandy Schöne for the local community. A -Salter) Claire Nakazawa and combination of edible natives, up-and-coming artist Sama garden vegetables and herbs Cooper. Their works reference will be planted over the next themes of flight, movement month to make the most of and nature. The artists join the warmer weather. A launch Maria Harding who adorned date is penned for Saturday 28 the Cultural Centre steps with November, at the Courtyard an image of a female Bower Picnic and Talk Program Bird in flight earlier this year. which highlights local growers, community gardens and artist A series of artist interviews -led environmental initiatives will be posted to the Cultural through talks, activities and Centre’s online initiative, food! The event will include a VIRTUAL INSIGHT, offering crop swap where members of behind the scenes footage and the community can come and discussing the role of street art swap food grown in their own in revitalising urban spaces. backyard with produce from other growers.
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InSight Membership O New O Renewal O Gift Membership O I would like to receive notifications by email only O I would like to receive InSight Magazine in the post O I prefer to access InSight Magazine online via the website MEMBER DETAILS:
Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss/Dr First name: Surname: (family memberships only) Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss/Dr First name: Surname: Postal address: Suburb: Postcode: State: Phone: Mobile: Email: MEMBERSHIP PLAN:
O Individual Adult: $45 O Family (2 adults + children under 16): $60 O Concession: $35 O Individual Patron: $200 O Business (up to 7 membership cards): $250
Get to know your Cultural Centre with annual InSight Membership BENEFITS:
• UNLIMITED FREE entry to Blue Mountains City Art Gallery and Into the Blue • DISCOUNTS on Cultural Centre public programs • 10% DISCOUNT at the Gallery Shop and Gallery Café • INVITATIONS to Blue Mountains City Art Gallery exhibition openings and InSight events
• SUBSCRIPTION to InSight Magazine, delivered three O Cash times a year O Cheque (payable to Blue Mountains City Council) O Credit card • SUBSCRIPTION to the We accept Visa and Mastercard. A merchant fee of 0.78% Cultural Centre’s monthly applies to credit card transactions. e-newsletter Card number: • ACCESS to InSight Name: Members Lounge Expiry: / CCV: (Wednesday – Friday, subject to availability) PAYMENT:
Signature: Completed applications can be brought to the Cultural Centre reception or posted to: Blue Mountains Cultural Centre InSight Membership Application Locked Bag 1005, Katoomba NSW 2780 4
• DISCOUNTS on selected Blue Mountains Theatre shows • NO BOOKING FEE for tickets purchased at Blue Mountains Theatre
Into the Blue 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 Blue Mountains Cultural Centre features Into the Blue (the Blue Mountains World Heritage Interpretive Centre), a hightech, interactive exhibition which explores the natural and social landscapes of this unique area. Audiences are invited to navigate their way through these stories in an immersive exhibition experience, introducing them to the richness and wonders of the Blue Mountains World Heritage area.
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Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
Jacqueline Spedding: Biome/Home 26 Sep – 29 Nov
Clay, found objects and locally collected organic material form the basis of Blue Mountains artist Jacqueline Spedding’s sculpture and installations. Her new body of work is based on the concept of a biome – a finely tuned, self-sustaining environment of flora, fauna, soil and climate. Spedding will create a series of installations in the gallery that interweave images of domestic nature, human habitation and wild environments into a dreamlike setting. A Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Exposé Program exhibition
JACQUELINE SPEDDING Burning bush chair (detail) 2020, found armchair, dyed cheesecloth, coal and bracken fern, 70 x 85 x 70 cm, courtesy the artist
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critical mass: the art of planetary health 3 Oct – 6 Dec
The health of humanity is intrinsically linked to the health of the environment, but by our own actions we now threaten to destabilise the Earth’s key lifesupport systems. The threats that our species face are not just abstract physical risks, but lie within ourselves and the societies we have created. Based on the principles of Planetary Health, critical mass: the art of planetary health examines the relationships between ecological, economic and social change, and explores new modes of living needed to restore and stabilize our planet and to ensure the health and wellbeing of future generations. The exhibition encompasses works by Australia’s most significant 20th century and contemporary artists alongside collaborations by artist-activists and social change leaders, who are driving the conversation around new and more sustainable practices relating to our environment, food, energy, and resource sharing. Heidi Axelsen & Hugo Moline, Alexander Boynes & Mandy Martin, Russell Drysdale, Simryn Gill, Gundungurra Aboriginal Heritage Association Inc., Fiona Hall, Hans Heysen, Ona Janzen, Locust Jones, Janet Laurence, Glen Mackie (Kei Kalak), Andrew Merry, Sidney Nolan, Daniel O’Shane, Rachel Peachey & Paul Mosig, Louis Pratt, Joan Ross and Dean Sewell. The artists provide reflections on anxiety yet also hope for the state of the world and its future. They examine concerns about destruction of natural environments and eco-systems, resource depletion, climate change, waste production and over-population, and consider the roles that technology, science and human ingenuity can, and must play in stabilising our environment. A Blue Mountains City Art Gallery exhibition curated by Sabrina Roesner This exhibition is part of a series of initiatives about Planetary Health, led by a partnership between Blue Mountains City Council, Western Sydney University and the Monash Sustainable Development Institute.
DANIEL O’SHANE Aib ene Zogo Ni Pat (Aib and the Sacred Waterhole) 2015, vinylcut, hand-wiped and hand-coloured, 100.4 x 187.7 cm, courtesy the artist and Canopy Art, Cairns
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Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
Capertee Hydrology Project. Photo courtesy Alex Wisser
Enabling Planetary Health: Sustainable Transitions in the Blue Mountains
Facilitator Dr Leo Robba (WSU) Visual Culture: Picturing a Shared Future
Join forward leading academics from Western Sydney and Monash Universities for a series of conversations on the development of a sustainability model for the Blue Mountains region based on the principles of Planetary Health.
11am Prof Tony Capon (MSDI) Planetary Health in the Anthropocene
Saturday 21 Nov 11am – 3pm
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Free with Gallery admission ticket. Bookings essential at reception or call 02 4780 5410.
12:30pm Assoc Prof Louise Crabtree (WSU) New Ways: Thinking About Resilience
This Blue Mountains Cultural Centre program is part of a series of initiatives about Planetary Health, led by a partnership between Blue Mountains City Council, Western Sydney University and the Monash Sustainable Development Institute.
2pm Prof Juan Salazar (WSU) Planetary Health: Imagining Better Futures
Courtyard Picnic & Talk Program Saturday 28 Nov 11am – 3pm
How can we creatively re-design the ecological and social systems in which we live to ensure the well-being of the planet? Hear from the creative minds working on inspiring grass roots environmental and artistic projects in their communities. 11am Lis Bastian Mount Wilson World Heritage Regeneration Site 11:30pm Leanne Thompson Capertee Hydrology Project 12pm – 2pm Courtyard Picnic Bring your own picnic rug, gaze out over the Jamison Valley and sample tasty lunch hampers with a focus on fresh Blue Mountains produce. Buy your own veggies to take home from the Blue Mountains Food Co-Op tent or bring produce from your own backyard to swap at the Crop Swap tent. The Courtyard Picnic will also feature lunch time live music and kids activities like art making and planting sessions, a Toolo repair café, edible and artistic delights from Lyttleton Stores and native bush tucker plants from Muru Mittigar, to help launch the Cultural Centre’s own edible rooftop garden. 2pm – 3pm Afternoon Talk: Cultural Burning Listen to Traditional Owners share their perspectives on the purpose and future of cultural burning as a tool for caring for Country. Learn how cultural burning is being practiced in the Blue Mountains and across Australia today. Free events. Bookings essential at reception or call 02 4780 5410. Limited capacities, social distancing and hygiene measures will be implemented.
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Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
Judith Martinez Estrada: Revenant 5 Dec – 17 Jan
In this exhibition Judith Martinez Estrada presents a series of works, created using antique vernacular photography. Working from these originals Martinez Estrada alters the subjects of the photographs by the partial erasing or concealing of the figures. These reimagined identities and scenes articulate new narratives which explore notions of fragmented identity caused by displacement. The newly formed narratives are a combination of photography and printmaking (both digital and analogue), focusing on the materiality of the different substrates used for printing and how these form part of the work itself. The image, process and printing all form part of the series of works. The antique photographs are from the artist’s personal archive of over 1,000 photographs of anonymous individuals. The innominate characters in the photographs have been a constant source of inspiration for Martinez Estrada’s work. The figure of the revenant (a person who returns) is an omnipresent demonstration made possible by the belief in the irreplaceability of who we are, who we once were, and/or where we came from – a drive to keep the bonfire of identity alight. A Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Exposé Program exhibition JUDITH MARTINEZ ESTRADA Revenant I 2020, archival pigment inks on Hahnemühle Photo Rag, 100% cotton 308gsm, 40 x 59 cm, courtesy the artist
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In Conversation: Judith Martinez Estrada & Mark O’Flynn
Saturday 12 Dec 11am Join exhibiting artist Judith Martinez Estrada and local author Mark O’Flynn as they discuss Revenant, a body of work exploring antique vernacular photography and the fragmented identities caused by displacement and migration. Free entry with Gallery admission ticket. Bookings essential at reception or call 02 4780 5410. JUDITH MARTINEZ ESTRADA Erased Biography I 2019, laser-cut, sandblasted, polished and hand-applied patina solid copper, altered antique photograph and UV inks, 40 x 40 x 0.3 cm, courtesy the artist
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Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
Peter Adams: A Few of the Legends 12 Dec – 17 Jan
For over 30 years, Blue Mountains based photographer Peter Adams has traversed the globe photographing some of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. The exhibition A Few of the Legends brings together a selection of over 60 of the 280 portraits by this photographer’s photographer. The title of the exhibition is taken from Adams’ publication which will eventually bring together this incredible body of work in its entirety, with each of the photographs accompanied by a text of the conversations that took place between photographer and subject. These conversations and reminiscences articulate an intimacy clearly evident in Adams’ photographs. Each of the portraits in the exhibition is accompanied by a photograph from the sitters own portfolio. A number of these being instantly recognizable in the canon of 20th century photography. The production of the photographs for the exhibition has been generously supported by Canson Australia (paper) and Kayell, Australia (printing). A Blue Mountains City Art Gallery Program exhibition
Artist Talk
Saturday 12 Dec 1pm Join Peter Adams in the Gallery and hear about his exhibition A Few of the Legends, a survey of the artist’s major series of photographic portraits of wellknown photographers from around the globe. Bookings essential at reception or call 02 4780 5410 PETER ADAMS Eddie Adams, USA 1992, archival print on Canson Infinity Rag Photographique 100% cotton, 310 gsm, 57.5 x 57.5 cm, courtesy the artist
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Gary Shinfield: Landscapes of unique state prints with some of the work including staining Anxiety 23 Jan – 7 Mar
GARY SHINFIELD Fire, smoke & ash 3 2020, relief print, 100 x 60 cm, courtesy the artist
In the exhibition Landscapes of Anxiety artist Gary Shinfield explores ideas based around the three geographical forms that dominate the landscape of the Blue Mountains – the plateau, the escarpment and the valley. These landforms are reinterpreted as formal, subjective and metaphoric images carrying the memory of recent and future events; drought, fires, flooding and human presence. The plateau, a place of stability and human habitation; escarpment, referring to a fall and dramatic change in direction; and valley, a place of nurturing and healing. The artist uses relief printing (etched lino and woodcut) on handmade paper, shown unframed and as installation. The exhibition also includes
and drawing resulting in an individual (unique) work of art created using mainly print techniques with paper used for its creative potential and sculptural qualities.
A Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Exposé Program exhibition
Artist Talk
Saturday 20 Feb 11am Join exhibiting artist Gary Shinfield in the Gallery for a talk about his exhibition Landscapes of Anxiety. The talk will be accompanied by an explanation of relief printmaking processes, with examples of plates, papers and working proofs used to create the images on exhibition. Bookings essential at reception or call 02 4780 5410
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Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
Blue Mountains Portraits 2021 23 Jan – 7 Mar
Blue Mountains Portraits is the Cultural Centre’s annual celebration of the local community and its diverse members. The exhibiting artists portray the unique people that make up the cultural fabric of the Blue Mountains and tell the stories behind the person. Over forty artworks in a broad range of styles and media such as painting, photography, drawing, collage and mixed media will be exhibited together with a selection of local students’ work. A Blue Mountains City Art Gallery exhibition Blue Mountains Portraits People’s Choice Winner 2020, NICK STATHOPOULOS, Pantone black 7 portrait of Judith Martinez Estrada 2020, acrylic and oil on cotton. 100 x 80 cm, courtesy the artist Image silversalt photogrpahy
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Artist In Session
Saturday 23 Jan 11am – 12pm & 1pm – 2pm Share a conversation with a featured artist from the Blue Mountains Portraits exhibition while a responsive portrait is created for you to take home. Each session is approximately 20 minutes. Drawing materials will be provided if you would like to draw a portrait of the artist in return. Free with Gallery admission ticket. Bookings essential at reception or call 02 4780 5410.
Sunset Portraits Friday 5 Feb 6pm – 8pm
Exhibiting artist from Blue Mountains Portraits 2020 Wendy Tsai hosts an Artist In Session.
Receive an exclusive after hours tour of Blue Mountains Portraits and attend a portrait drawing tutorial with a local exhibiting artist in our glass-walled foyer while the sun sets in front of you! Your portrait drawing station includes a glass of wine or beer, an individual antipasto platter, and a portrait model. The beautiful sounds of local live musicians and drawing materials are also included. $55 / Members $50 Bookings essential at reception or call 02 4780 5410.
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Exhibition Feature The poetry of re(imagining) the past
Artist Judith Martinez Estrada reveals the creative processes and personal obsession that inform her new exhibition Revenant.
JUDITH MARTINEZ ESTRADA Amanuensis II 2020, manipulated antique photograph, beeswax, gold powder and thread, 10.7 x 7 cm, courtesy the artist
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The use of antique vernacular photography has become central to your practice. Can you explain what first drew you to these images and why they have become such a touchstone in your imagery? I have always been interested in history, and consequently gravitated towards the past. I believe that perhaps it isn’t so much what first drew me to the images as much as that using them in my work represents a life-long curiosity linked to the images and artefacts which represent different moments in time. Over the years, I have accumulated over 1,000 antique photographs. This collection is a compilation of vernacular and found images and it is one I take very seriously. The process of sourcing the images, as well as what sort of images find their way into the archive and how I categorise, has become part of the creative practice in itself. My photographic collection is diverse; it contains varied subjects, photographic techniques and evolutions – from French glass plates and negatives, to American tintypes, cabinet cards and cartes de visite of the petit bourgeoisie, and early 20th century Box Brownie snapshots. The collection is predominately made up of formal studio portraits from the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, intrepid Edwardians by the seaside, and candid spontaneous images of 1920s flappers. My work usually takes as its protagonists the unknown figures from this collection. I allow myself the liberty, due to their anonymous provenance, to create alternative stories for these women, children and men. I believe that it is this anonymity that drives the work. A sense of reverence is felt towards these unknown figures – who were they and why has the memory of them been discarded? This question drives the work, resulting in an allegory to the memory of those without a name. For most, if not all of us, the events of 2020 have forced us to live and work differently and artists are no exception. Border closures and the resulting travel restrictions have meant you were no longer able to make the work you initially proposed for your exhibition at the Cultural Centre. Can you tell us a little about how the plans for you exhibition have changed in recent months? The exhibition was initially going to be made up of the work generated at Baldessin Press in Victoria, which would have been informed by archival investigation from The State Library of Victoria (SLV). I was awarded the Rick Amor Residency Fellowship at SLV to generate this work, but COVID restrictions, border closures and the lockdown in Victoria led to the proposed work being put on hold. The concept won’t be abandoned, and it will reach its intended audience, but the imposed restrictions meant I had to rethink my exhibition at the Cultural Centre. The methodology remains the same, creating a body of work resulting in the reinterpretation and reimagining of archival investigation, with the difference being that instead of drawing inspiration from an institutional archive, I have focused on my own personal archive of antique vernacular photographs. Personally, these photographs are equally as valuable (to me) as those stamped with a bureaucratic/institutional seal of approval: for within each photograph, lays an amenability that appears willing and ready to be integrated into new work. These photographs and their subjects are the inspiration behind Revenant. The aesthetic and medium of my work remains unaltered. The exhibition is made up of layered photo-media works – both digital and analogue – which offer alternative and reimagined narratives. I am fortunate that the work exhibited will be aligned with my recent post-graduate studies and corresponding practice. In a way, as horrible as the current situation is, I feel fortunate that I can make work using a collection I have and love, while at the same time knowing that there is a creative project waiting to take shape in 2021. 17
Exhibition Feature Plateau, escarpment, valley Artist Gary Shinfield shares the complex ways in which the wonderous landscape of the Blue Mountains provides inspiration for his artistic practice.
GARY SHINFIELD Valley 1 2019, unique stateprint (woodcut) on hand-made Thai paper, 6 sheets, 112 x 228 cm, courtesy the artist
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You moved to the Blue Mountains approximately six years ago. Can you tell us how this change of environment has affected the way you think about creating? To live in the Blue Mountains is to inhabit a high place, on top of a mountain at 1050 metres. It is close to nature, subject to constant change and sometimes extreme conditions. A thread of habitation stretches through vast areas of wilderness: the nest is precarious, fragile and temporary. This place has a way of seeping under the skin, into the imagination and shaping interior landscapes. Mind and being are permeated by its presence: restless, inspiring and offering a place of refuge. Certain elements of the physical landscape – plateau, escarpment and valley – become and remain beacons for traversing the ground of the imagination. The plateau is a safe, flat place where human endeavours are played out. The escarpment forges an edge, an abrupt change in direction and a fall into an unknown wilderness. The valley offers verdancy where water flows, and a place of healing and nurturing. This is the landscape of anxiety where physical aspects of place are mirrored in the shifting images of interior spaces. When I visited you in your studio I was struck by your use of different media and the experimental approach you were taking with your paper works in progress. Can you talk a little about this aspect of your printmaking practice? In the past I focused mainly on relief printmaking and in particular making woodcuts and etched lino prints. Both techniques attracted me for their potential to create abstract and painterly forms. Since living in the Mountains I have been exploring painting with brush and ink directly onto paper, usually inspired by various land forms. I see myself as an artist who creates predominantly works on paper, using print and autographic processes. I am also interested in creating works in series, and the exhibition at the Cultural Centre will provide an opportunity and a space to show groups of images usually made in the same session. I have come to regard the group of related images as the finished work. Each time a group is assembled it can take on a new configuration, as placement is often made by chance. This way of working keeps the final image spontaneous and fluid. The papers I use are mainly handmade and sourced in Thailand, Japan and China, along with various European papers. The underlying presence and aesthetic of paper as the foundation of an image is an ongoing part of my practice.
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What’s On
NAIDOC Community Day Saturday 7 Nov 10:30am – 4pm
Celebrate local Aboriginal culture with storytelling and art making workshops led by Uncle Lex Dadd and Chris Tobin, performance and workshop from Wagana Aboriginal Dancers, and a Yarning Circle on Country and Connection led by David King. Free event. RSVP for individual programs essential at reception or call 02 4780 5410
Christmas Wollemi Twilight Market Friday 4 Dec 5:30pm – 8:30pm
Join us for a special Christmas Wollemi Market featuring live music and a range of products from talented Blue Mountains artists, designers and food producers. Showcasing art, jewellery, homewares, accessories and more, the market is the perfect opportunity to shop local and find unique, artisanal gifts this Christmas.
Shana O’Brien, Jo Clancy, Becky Chatfield. Photo by Ben Pearse
Cinema Under the Stars Kick back under the stars this summer during the courtyard cinema program. Including pop up bar, snacks and prizes for best dressed, come and revisit a selection of classic films on our big outdoor screen. Don’t forget to bring a chair, pillow or rug! Doors open 7:30pm. Screenings begin at sundown. Arthur Christmas with Christmas Craft & Story Time Friday 11 Dec The Princess Bride Friday 8 Jan Howl’s Moving Castle Friday 22 Jan $8 / Members $5. Tickets available on the door or pre-book at reception on 02 4780 5410.
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Regenerate: Blue Mountains On display Summer School Holidays
Regenerate: Blue Mountains invites local schools and families to creatively reflect on stories of resilience and growth in the face of bushfire. A collaborative artwork representing the burning and regeneration of local resilient plant species will be displayed in the Cultural Centre foyer. The Regenerate project was developed by Orange Regional Museum and Orange Regional Gallery and has been adapted by Blue Mountains Cultural Centre using the Regenerate Tool Kit.
Artist-led School Holiday Workshops
$30 / Members $25. Bookings essential at reception or call 02 4780 5410. Creative Kids Vouchers accepted.
Abstract Painting with Street Artist Claire Nakazawa Saturday 9 Jan 10:30am – 12:30pm
A morning of abstract drawing and painting activities with local Street Artist Claire Nakazawa. Students will be inspired by Claire’s new mural in the Froma Lane Street Art Gallery. Learn drawing games and exercises and complete your own colourful abstract acrylic painting on canvas. Ages 9-12
Once Upon a Collage with Exhibiting Artist Judith Martinez Estrada Saturday 16 Jan 10:30am – 12:30pm
Sometimes unwanted books and magazines sit on a bookshelf gathering dust. These tired old books are a treasure trove of images awaiting an up-cycled life as collages. In this class you will use composition and layering to learn how to create new visual narratives using found images. Look at how to use colour and texture alongside composition techniques to create a postcard collage or two! Ages 7-12
T-shirt Portraits with printmaker Freedom Wilson Saturday 23 Jan 10:30am – 1pm
CLAIRE NAKAZAWA The Bridge (detail) 2020, Froma Lane, Katoomba. Commissioned by Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Social distancing and hygiene measures will be implemented for all events and workshops.
Design and make your own t-shirt with local printmaker Freedom Wilson! Students will use light and shadow to make a stencil of a part of themselves they find important to do the activities they really enjoy. This might be a face profile, hands, feet or full body shadow. Students will enjoy the hands-on process of silk screen printing their design onto their own t-shirt.
Art After School Term 1– KIDS CRE8 with Hannah Surtees 5 Week Term Wednesdays: 17 Feb – 17 Mar 3:30pm – 5pm
Exercise your kids’ inquisitive minds and unlock creative problem solving skills in our KIDS CRE8 art workshops, designed to nourish creativity in a fun and relaxed space. Each workshop will encourage kids to follow a creative process to develop their own, unique style across a range of art materials. Kids will learn about designers and artists as well as visit the gallery to take inspiration from current exhibitions. Ages 8-12
$125 / Members $120. Bookings essential at reception or call 02 4780 5410. Creative Kids Vouchers accepted.
Ages 8+
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What’s On Discover a new skill with the Cultural Centre’s enticing range of creative workshops. Learn from artists in the beautiful setting of the Blue Mountains, with the Gallery and Café only moments away. Visit the website to view the full program of classes on offer.
Portraits in the Landscape with Ben Pearse Saturday 30 Jan 10am – 3:30pm
Local Blue Mountains photographer Ben Pearse will lead a portraiture photography workshop. Participants will explore and learn the fundamentals of natural light portraits, studio portraits, outdoor location portraits and more. Working with a model, participants will learn how to pose a subject, evaluate good portraiture lighting and use their camera’s more effectively in order to capture that great portrait! $110 / Members $100. Bookings essential at reception or call 02 4780 5410
Make a Silver Ring in a Day with Jane Tadrist Saturday 6 Feb 10am – 3:30pm Image courtesy Jane Tadrist
This one day workshop led by Jane Tadrist is a great introduction to traditional silver jewellery making. You will learn various skills and techniques such as sawing, drilling, texturing, ring sizing, filing, forming, soldering and finishing. Plus, you can experiment with copper prior to making your own unique silver band ring. All materials including copper, silver and access to specialist tools are included in the fee. No previous experience is required. $180 / Members $160. Bookings essential at reception or call 02 4780 5410
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Volunteer Profile
David Coleby
How did you get involved with Blue Mountains Cultural Centre? With my partner, Rae Druitt, we both enrolled as volunteers on day one; Rae at Front of House and me in the Gallery. Over the last seven years we have witnessed a range of wonderful exhibitions in the Gallery, too many to pick by name! The abiding feature has been a focus on local Blue Mountains artists. Who are some of your favourite artists? Among local artists is my favourite, James Blackwell of Wentworth Falls. His minimalist art is deeply thoughtful and superbly executed. So it was natural for me in 2017 to commission an artwork of Blackwell’s for the Cultural Centre. It was a great surprise to discover that we got not one but a series of four artworks. They now reside in the permanent collection. I have lots of favourite artists, including Paul Klee, Jeffrey Smart, Ken Unsworth, Brett Whiteley...the list goes on! Do you have your own arts practice? My own art? Almost non-existent, as true art requires a lot of skill, practised over a lifetime, and clearly, I have been doing other things. My real interest is in the environment, botany and ecology, and I have been published half a dozen times, including on the discovery of one new species of Australian Native Plant in the Blue Mountains, Epacris browniae. I have also been working on a book about 25 years of Bushcare on the Sublime Point Reserve in South Leura.
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Gallery CafĂŠ Since the CafĂŠ has reopened, we have had the opportunity to make some exciting changes to our menu, featuring more of our fabulous house-made treats. As we are transitioning through seasons, we look forward to bringing you more vibrant and flavourful delights, just in time for Summer!
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TOMATO AND HERB BRUSCHETTA Serves 1-2
I N G R E DIENTS
2 tomatoes, diced Ÿ bunch of fresh basil, finely sliced ½ garlic clove, minced 2 medium slices sourdough bread, lightly toasted 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Lightly toast sourdough bread. Combine diced tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and salt and pepper in a bowl, mix well. Place sourdough toast on plate, divide mixture between the two slices of toast and serve. Tip: swap out the tomatoes and basil for smashed peas and feta for a different take on this classic.
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Gallery Shop Offering a unique retail experience, the Gallery Shop stocks a wide variety of quality Australian made gifts, books and homewares, with a focus on artisan products designed and made in the Blue Mountains. InSight Members receive a 10% discount on items in the Shop and invitations to exclusive member sales throughout the year.
Image courtesy Elizabeth Rose Ceramics
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Elizabeth Rose Ceramics Winmalee-based ceramic artist Elizabeth Rose creates pieces inspired by nature in the Blue Mountains. Her work explores differing techniques of incision, stamping and applying texture to surface. Exposing the clay and the choice of glaze is important to the artist. She works across multiple areas creating jewellery, sculptural and functional ware. Ceramics from $24 / Members from $21.60
Blackinkk Blackinkk was born out of love for welldesigned and well-made products – to create the perfect front pocket wallet that is minimal, aesthetically beautiful and long-lasting. Designed and made in their light and airy studio in Brisbane with Australian kangaroo leather, Blackinkk products represent quality with extraordinary craftsmanship. Bi-fold Car Wallet $129 / Members $116.10 Money Clip $139 / Members $125.10 Travel Wallet $199 / Members $180 Image courtesy Blackinkk
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Braemar House & Gallery Braemar House is home to the treasured Braemar Gallery, a Council operated community exhibition space for visual artists.
Adrienne Richards and Kate Robinson Symbiocene 29 Oct – 22 Nov
The Symbiocene will be in evidence when there is no discernable impact of human activity on the planet other than the temporary remains of their teeth and bones. Glen A Albrecht Adrienne Richards and Kate Robinson invite you into a re-imagined drawing room in Braemar House, sometime in the future. Adrienne explores what might be left behind from the Anthropocene, the remains of the future, while Kate invokes the majestic and sentinel power of trees: the possible amulets and talismans of the Symbiocene, when all life is interconnected.
Louise Kerr and Vicki Hersey: Solastalgia 29 Oct – 22 Nov
Blue Mountains artists Louise Kerr and Vicki Hersey explore the feelings produced by the vast changes which have impacted the area over the course of their own lives, including climate change, habitat degradation, changes in air and water quality and residential development. We can never revisit the world in which these artists spent their childhood, and in which they grew into adulthood. This realisation is at the heart of a deep longing – beyond nostalgia, beyond homesickness – Solastalgia. Each artist presents a unique perspective on this increasingly common condition. ADRIENNE RICHARDS AND KATE ROBINSON Treasures 2020, glazed stoneware, 24 x 35 cm, courtesy the artists
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Peta Hinton: Under The Weather 29 Oct – 22 Nov
This series of paintings on scrolls by Peta Hinton depicts the effects of climate change on the natural world and some of the organisms and environments that are vulnerable to it. Focusing on the artist’s local area, processes of damage, destruction, recovery, and survival are explored. Scrolls have been used throughout history to convey seasonal themes; these works are a contemporary interpretation of such traditions.
Behind the Scene 2020 26 Nov – 17 Jan
This annual exhibition showcases the works of Braemar Gallery volunteers. Come and see the artistic talents of those who support the day-to-day operations of Braemar Gallery in this summer community event. 104 Macquarie Rd, Springwood Thu – Sun, 10am – 4pm. Free admission See the Cultural Centre website for the latest information on Braemar Gallery exhibitions
ADMISSION:
OPENING HOURS:
Adults: $5 Australian concession card holders: $3 InSight Members: Free Children under 16: Free
Monday – Friday: 10am – 5pm Saturday + Sunday: 10am – 4pm Public Holidays: 10am – 2pm
Your admission ticket allows entry to our permanent exhibition Into the Blue and the Blue Mountains City Art Gallery
Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day The Gallery Café opens 9.30am weekdays. Please access via café entrance. Café closed public holidays
OUR PEOPLE:
Manager, Arts & Cultural Services: Paul Brinkman Artistic Program Manager: Diana Robson Promotion and Retail Manager: Rose Stibbard Administration Officer: Felicity Hallam Public Programs Coordinators: Brittany D’Chong Katrina Noorbergen Gallery Technician: Mark Surtees Curator: Rilka Oakley Patron Services Officer: Nicole Roberts Gallery Café: Jennifer (Coordinator), Claire G, Claire K, Kelly, Martin, Michelle, Ruby, Sheena, Vanessa, Wade Front of House: Connie, Giulia, Kate, Kellie, Nina We thank our dedicated volunteers who provide valuable support to staff and visitors InSight Magazine is proudly designed and printed in the Blue Mountains. Original template design by Hannah Surtees, Studio ham.
BLUE MOUNTAINS CULTURAL CENTRE:
Level 1, 30 Parke St Katoomba 02 4780 5410 info@bluemountainsculturalcentre.com.au bluemountainsculturalcentre.com.au
