Diamonds Uncut exhibition catalogue

Front Cover (clockwise left to right): David Sop, Out There, 2003, Oils on canvas, 50 x 60cm. Anthony Darkan, Crocodile Dreaming, 2012, Oil on canvas, 113 x 113cm. Barbara McMahon, Rainbow Fish, 2014, Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60cm. Steven Moss, Mr. Calamari, 2014, Pen and Ink on paper, 63.5 x 500cm. Back Cover (clockwise left to right): David Sop, Cherry Venture – Fraser Island, 2000, Oil on canvas, 99 x 43cm. Garry Howarth, Pub, Clay, 2014, 28.5cm x 39cmx 29cm. Bai Tapau, Nemo Sunset, 2014, Acrylic on paper, 104cm x 74.5m.

Umbrella Studio contemporary arts | 482 Flinders Street, Townsville | (07) 4772 7109 www.umbrella.org.au | office@umbrella.org.au | Open: Mon-Fri 9-5pm & Sun 9-1pm Umbrella Studio acknowledges the financial support of: the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, which is part of the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, and the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments.

Diamonds Uncut BAI TAPAU, BARBARA MCMAHON, ANTHONY DARKAN, STEVEN MOSS, GARRY HOWARTH, JASON MORT & DAVID SOP 16 January – 22 February 2015 Umbrella Studio contemporary arts

Diamonds Uncut is the first Main Space, exhibition for emerging artists with disabilities held at Umbrella Studio.

The artists aim to show their talents in art making, their unique world view and demonstrate through their exhibition they are artists with abilities.

The exhibition features the work of; Bai Tapau, Barbara McMahon, Garry Howarth, Steven Moss, Anthony Darkan, Jason Mort, and David Sop, each one excels in art making and they consider themselves professional artists. The exhibition provides an opportunity for these artists to expand their networks and take their practice to the next level of professionalism and achievement.

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The Kith & Kin ArtWorks program has brought many people together over the years to be involved in a variety of creative projects that are showcased in the Townsville community.

Many of these people live in isolation either in their homes or are supported by different services to maintain their mental and physical health. Some are self-taught artists who find solidarity in art forms to overcome the many obstacles they live with on a daily basis. Each of the artists has a unique difference; some have a disability, others live with a mental illness. However, all the artists have one common denominator: their love for creativity through different art forms and mediums regardless of their health issues.

Some of these artists are unable to attend workshops due to the severity of their illness. These people would otherwise be unknown in the community. The Kith & Kin Artworks program provides on-going contact by supporting these people to be encouraged, praised and included in showcasing their works to the public. Umbrella Studio identified that some of the artists have exceptional talent and invited Kith & Kin the opportunity to present seven

For five years from 2008 to 2012, Umbrella Studio hosted Creatibility, a Queensland State-wide competition and exhibition for disability artists held during disability week in the Studio Downstairs. Diamonds Uncut builds on Umbrella Studio’s long term partnership with Kith & Kin and their ArtWorks clients.

This remarkable group of artists have achieved success in their professional practice resulting in this exhibition aimed at promoting their creative output as relevant and viable within contemporary visual arts practice.

Following the inspirational examples of Outsider Art in Cairns, Arts Project Australia in Melbourne and Accessible Arts in Sydney, the aim of this exhibition is to strengthen North Queensland’s arts collaboration with the disability sector.

Vicki Salisbury Director

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emerging artists who have created work through their association with Kith & Kin ArtWorks to exhibit their works in the gallery and gain recognition in the Townsville community as mainstream artists.

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Image Credits: (1) Barbara McMahon, Coral Garden, Acrylic on canvas, 2014, Triptych 50 x 60cm. (2) Steven Moss, Three’s A Crowd, 2014, Pen and Ink on paper, 63.5 x 500cm. (3) Bai Tapau, Sun Star Fish, 2014, Acrylic on paper, 104 x 74.5cm. (4) Jason Mort, My Ocean Dreaming, 2013, Triptych, Oil on canvas, 53 x 62cm. (5) Garry Howarth, Ned Kelly Bust, Clay, 2014, 39 x 46 x20cm.