February 7, 2019
Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery launched its 2019 exhibition schedule with art, song and even a bit of poetry last Saturday morning.
Guests who attended the official opening of “50 Shades Of Colour” were treated to a performance by 13 members of Sing Australia, a poem composed for the occasion by Glady Hood and three galleries full of original works.
The main exhibition, which covers two-thirds of the gallery, was prepared by Kingaroy’s Friendly Art Group.
For a complete change of pace, there is also a second, smaller exhibition of works by Dayboro artist Vyvyan Bloomfield in the Small Gallery.
Kevin Owens, from the Friendly Art Group, explained the group had been formed a decade ago to encourage anyone who wanted to pursue art.
The February exhibition features works by nine of the group’s members executed in their preferred media, ranging from charcoal, graphite and coloured pencil through to pastels, acrylics, watercolours and ink.
Kevin said the group met every Tuesday at the 1913 Council Chambers behind the Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery from 9:30am and 11:30am for a cuppa, a chat and mutual help with individual art projects.
“We always welcome anyone who’d like to join us, especially anyone who’s always yearned to do art one day,” Kevin said.
He paid tribute to artist Thelma Archibald, who provided help, encouragement and guidance to the group for this month’s exhibition despite a recent bereavement.
And he thanked Sing Australia for adding a musical touch to the morning’s activities.
Dayboro artist Vyvyan Bloomfield said she had lived in the South Burnett for a while when her husband worked on the Tarong North power station construction project, but moved to the Moreton Bay area several years ago.
She is largely self-taught, and has loved to draw since childhood.
Vyvyan progressed to dabbling in oils in her early 20s and had her first exhibition before the commitments of raising a family intervened.
This self-imposed sabbatical lasted until 2000, when she took up the brush again.
Within a few years she discovered she could easily move between realism and abstraction, and this is a path she’s pursued ever since.
Vyvyan said her works were inspired by family, friends and events but her ultimate muse was nature.
These creative wellsprings are evident in her works, several of which were quickly snapped up by eager buyers.
- “50 Shades Of Colour” and “Works By Vyvyan” will remain on display at the Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery from 10:00am to 4:00pm weekdays, and 10:00am to 2:00pm on weekends, until the end of February. Admission to view the exhibitions is free.
