April 9, 2014
Kingaroy’s Nimue Art Gallery will be opening an unusual exhibition on Friday night (April 11).
The gallery will be selling artworks from the private collection of a Sunshine Coast collector.
Most of the works are from the 1970s and early 1980s by now well-known and sought-after artists such as Kenneth Wenzel, Marjorie Feltham, Eric Whisson, Henk Guth, Eve Punchard and Helen Stout.
But some by Irene Smythe, H.C. Simpson and Ossie Stehn date back to the 1920s and 1930s.
Nimue curator Cherry Carroll said she was approached by the collector to put the artworks up for sale because he’s moving overseas and was unable to take the collection with him.
“He’d like to see these works go to other art collectors who appreciate how wonderful they are and who’ll look after them,” she said.
“So the prices are below what I think their true market value is.
“Many of the artworks are in their original frames, and works by some of these artists are now very hard to come by.”
The works are mostly oils and watercolours but there are also two silk-painted works – including one from Japan which Cherry believes dates back to the 1930s.
“I’ve been able to trace the people who produced this particular piece but I’m having difficulty getting more details about it at the moment because of the distance and language difficulties – I don’t speak Japanese and they don’t speak English.”
Regulars at the Gallery will also get the chance to see works by former South Burnett artist Mark Shellshear at Friday night’s opening.
In addition to the private collection pieces which forms the bulk of this month’s exhibition, the gallery will also have five of Mark’s most recent works from his “Black Dog” series on display.
Mark recently exhibited in the Philippines and will be returning to Kingaroy on Friday night to say goodbye to clients and friends.
- “Private Collector’s Sale” will open to the public at the Nimue Gallery at 6 King Street, Kingaroy, at 6:30pm on Friday, April 11. Admission is free, and the exhibition will remain on show until the end of the month.
