November 13, 2017
Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff said she was delighted to be asked to open this month’s exhibition at the Wondai Regional Art Gallery, even if she was the second choice to do it.
Cr Duff told the opening night audience that Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington had been the Gallery’s first choice, but the MP had to regretfully decline because of the suddenly announced State election.
“All the same, I rarely get to open an exhibition so it’s an honour to do it,” Cr Duff said.
This month’s exhibition features three separate exhibitions by different South Burnett artists.
In the front gallery, long-time friends Trish Erkens and Joy Carter are mounting a joint exhibition of their works under the banner “Soul Sisters”.
Their bright, happy works capture their love of flowers and animals in watercolours, oils, acrylics and pastels, and showcase the many skills they’ve acquired over the past decade through attending art workshops together to learn new techniques.
Joy told southburnett.com.au that many of her works take days or weeks to complete, but some can take years before she’s happy to say they’re finished.
The main gallery, meanwhile, hosts “Colourful Reflections”, a large collection of resin artworks by emerging artist Glenn Kelly.
The exhibition is the second Glenn has had at the gallery in the past two years, and his love of bright colours is obvious in his daring abstracts.
Glenn said in his latest series he is trying to capture the various moods he paints in, and this is reflected in the end products which are sometimes relaxed and serene, sometimes agitated, and sometimes whimsically light-hearted.
In the third gallery, members of the Darling Downs Textile Art Group – which includes several South Burnett members – have mounted their 11-panel exhibition “Mulga Bill’s Bicycle”, which retells Banjo Patterson’s much-loved poem in textile art.
Gallery curator Elaine Madill thanked the opening night audience for their interest, and praised the Council for helping the gallery acquire its “Studio” extension five years ago.
“It really has been a lifesaver for us,” Elaine said.
“Without it we wouldn’t have anywhere to run the workshops that have become a part of everything we do here in the past few years.”
Elaine said the Gallery’s next major project was to extend the kitchen area and the storerooms, but this would have to wait until a grant was secured.
While the Gallery had its own money to put towards the project, the estimated $60,000 cost would require co-funding from the State or Federal Government to become a reality.
- “Colourful Reflections”, “Soul Sisters” and “Mulga Bill’s Bicycle” will remain on display at the Wondai Regional Art Gallery from 10:00am to 4:00pm daily until Saturday, November 25. Admission to view them is free.
