August 8, 2017
August’s exhibition at the Wondai Regional Art Gallery was officially opened on Friday night, and most people agreed it was a sign of the times … quite a few of them, in fact.
This month, the main gallery is featuring a quirky and often amusing exhibition by Zane Stuart, a signwriter in a former life who is celebrating his long-standing love of words with a collection of signs.
Zane’s “Words Worthy” drew admiring comments, many genuine belly-laughs and a lot of red dots during the course of the night.
The front gallery, meanwhile, features a photographic exhibition by well-known South Burnett photographer Denise Keelan.
Denise’s wide-ranging exhibition “From Here And There” features canvas-mounted photos she has shot over the past few years, including a number taken on trips around Australia and at Norfolk Island.
Denise said one photo – which drew many comments – had required her to clamber down one of Norfolk Island’s steepest cliffs, then clamber back when she’d shot her fill.
While the final shot was brilliant, the work required to take it was much more strenuous than most viewers would ever guess.
The rear gallery, meanwhile, is hosting “Art From Our Heart”, an exhibition of mixed works prepared by the Monday Artists group, based in Kingaroy.
The exhibition includes works by well-known artists Dot Rowland, Trish Erkens, Annie McBridge, Joy Carter, Ruth Wright, and Darryl Jones, but also features a small collection of watercolour-like oils by newcomer Samantha Nolan which drew many eyes.
The three exhibitions were opened by Leanne Kelly, the coordinator of galleries and museums at Moreton Bay Regional Council.
Leanne holds a degree in design and spent a decade working at the Queensland Museum in Brisbane before taking up her current post.
She said she was very impressed by all the exhibitions, and complimented the artists on their work.
Leeanne said she was also impressed by the Wondai Regional Art Gallery, which she’d never visited before.
Gallery curator Elaine Madill thanked Leanne for her kind comments, and reminded artists that entries are now open for the 2017 October Art Competition.
This year the competition will offer a new record of $8000 in prize monies, up from $4800 in 2015 and $6700 in 2016.
The main prize will be the $3000 Mayor’s Acquisitive, but there will also be non-acquisitive prizes of $500 (1st) and $200 (2nd) for entries in the Open Art competition (with separate sections for oils and acrylics, watercolours, pastels and any other medium), as well as other sections for Photography, Sculpture and Ceramics and Indigenous Art that will offer identical prizes.
Children will not be forgotten either, with three age groups (Prep-Year 3, Year 4-7 and Year 8-12) able to submit works to compete for $30 and $15 prizes.
Entry forms and conditions of entry for the art competition are now available at the Gallery.
The October Art Competition will be opened on Friday night, September 29 to kick off this year’s South Burnett And Cherbourg On Show long weekend festival of events, and the winners will be announced the same evening.
- “Words Worthy”, “From Here and There” and “Art From Our Heart” will remain on display at the Wondai Regional Art Gallery on the roundabout at Wondai from 10:00am to 4:00pm daily until the end of August. Admission to view the exhibitions is free.
