May 5, 2014
Guests travelled from as far afield as Gympie and Widgee to attend the opening of the Wondai Regional Art Gallery’s May exhibition on Friday night.
The new show features the work of Gympie artist Cecile Steenbergen in the Main Gallery, Gold Coast artist Kylie Madill in the Front Gallery, the Wondai Art Group Sundays (WAGS) in the Rear Gallery; and students from Wondai Kindergarten in Kidz Korner.
Cold weather and occasional showers kept some regulars away, but Cecile Steenbergen said she was very pleased with the number of people who’d come along.
She noted that in her home town of Gympie, out-of-town artists often received a frosty reception from locals. She was grateful for the warm reception she’d received in the South Burnett.
The theme of Cecile’s exhibition is the old Mary Valley railway line from Gympie to Imbil.
Her paintings of various stations and scenes along the tracks have been put together over many years, chronicling the decline and eventual demise of the historic line which once played a central role in the Mary Valley area.
Gallery curator Elaine Madill said Front Gallery artist Kylie Madill, who is her daughter, had never had her works shown at the Wondai Gallery before, but she hoped guests would like them.
The opening night crowd did, awarding Kylie’s “Anzac Poppy” this month’s People’s Choice award.
Members of the WAGS art group also drew praise for their exhibition in the Rear Gallery, which covered a variety of styles and media, including pottery.
And so did the Wondai Kindergarten, where students put in many hours work to create this month’s Kidz Korner, which Mrs Madill described as “amazing”.
Opening night entertainment was provided by musician Guy Davis, assisted by singer Yasmin Morris from Gympie who’d been invited along to perform for Cecile’s opening.
Friend Millie Hine from Widgee, who knows Cecile’s work well, also spoke at the opening to provide additional insights on the artist’s work.
- “Along The Tracks And Me” will remain on display at the Gallery from 10:00am to 4:00pm daily until the end of May. Admission to view the exhibition is free.
