Visual arts and crafts - News and events

Events | Featured projects | Announcements

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Events

National Portrait Gallery - Canberra

Opened 4 December 2008

The new National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is the first major building to be built in the Parliamentary Triangle in 20 years, tucked between the High Court of Australia and the National Gallery. The NPG's previous home at Old Parliament House could only fit a fraction of the 1,200 works in the collection but the new 14,000 square metre space displays more than 450. National Portrait Gallery.

The Byron Bay Artist Trail - Byron Bay, New South Wales

Opened 5 December 2008

The Byron Artist Trail has been created to give visitors a glimpse into the Byron Bay art environment and an opportunity to purchase a one-off work of art, directly from the source. These include glass, paintings, sculpture, fashion design, jewellery and a host of others as well.

William Robinson collection - Brisbane

1 January - 31 December 2008

Arguably Australia's greatest living landscape painter, William Robinson's visionary compositions of Queensland's verdant rainforest have changed the way we perceive landscape and reinvigorated Australia's distinguished landscape-painting tradition. A QUT alumnus, the artist's work features throughout 2008 in a series of focus exhibitions drawn from QUT's extensive William Robinson Collection. The genres that have dominated his mature output - the farmyard, landscape, seascape and self-portraiture - are creatively explored. QUT.

Not Just Black and White: The Images and Life of Tom Lennon - Wagga Wagga, New South Wales

11 October 2008 - 11 January 2009

Tom Lennon holds a unique place in Wagga Wagga's history - cutting a familiar and proudly eccentric figure as The Daily Advertiser photographer from 1955 to the early 1970s. The photographs in the Not Just Black and White exhibition provide a vast collection of striking visual fragments of the social and cultural history of the times. Tom's life and his body of photographic work, are preserved at the Charles Sturt University Regional Archives, and explored in this exhibition. A partnership between the Museum of the Riverina and the CSU Regional Archives. The Historic Council Chambers Site.

Hip Pop - Melbourne

28 November 2008 - 28 January 2009

Supporting Father Chris Reilly's Youth Off The Streets, the Hip Pop exhibition showcase four 'hip' and four 'pop' artists from 2008. United Galleries.

Brighton Jetty Classic Sculptures - Adelaide

23 January - 1 February 2009

The Brighton Jetty Classic Sculptures exhibition was inspired by Brighton Surf Life Saving members after experiencing 'Sculptures by the Sea' at Cottesloe Beach, WA in 2007, the latter event being modelled on the now famous 'Bondi Sculptures by the Sea'. Sculptures large and small for outdoor or indoor display will be made from multimedia including wood, wire, glass, metals, stone, clay, plastics and cement. Brighton Jetty.

You show us yours, we'll show you ours - Sydney

28 November 2008 - 1 February 2009

A complementary exhibition of works from the ECU and Holmes à Court Collections which celebrates seven decades of exceptional artists. This exhibition includes works by Charles Blackman, Guy Grey-Smith, Robert Juniper, Eveline Kotai, Kathleen Petyarre, Lloyd Rees, Rover Thomas & Brett Whiteley. Holmes à Court Gallery.

True Crime: Murder & Misdemeanor in Australian Art - Geelong, Victoria

November - 1 February 2009

An exhibition of works inspired by true crimes and their perpetrators. True crime - murder and misdemeanour in Australian art explores the long-standing interest of Australian artists in depicting criminal activity, from the early-1940s to contemporary times. Includes works by Albert Tucker, Sidney Nolan, Charles Blackman, Thomas Gleghorn, Brett Whiteley, Garry Shead, Steve Cox, Adam Cullen, Nick Devlin, Freddie Timms, Timmy Timms, Patty Bedford, Catherine Bell, Damiano Bertoli, Mark Hilton and Richard Lewer. Geelong Gallery.

Justene Williams - Sydney

6 November 2008 - 1 February 2009

Sydney-based artist Justene Williams presents a new five-channel video installation exploring her ongoing interest in the history of images, gesture and dance. Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Coffee Shop Confessionals - Melbourne

14 January - 7 February 2009

Coffee Shop Confessionals takes a look at the social role of coffee shops in contemporary society, whilst paying homage to the great women artists of the past and present. Iconic artworks have been reconstructed as a commentary on the traditions of the art world and the exclusion of women from it. The exhibition questions what draws women to coffee shops and why it is that when something significant happens in a woman's life she wants to discuss it over a 'Weak, Skinny, Latté'. Town Hall Gallery, Boroondara.

Sand, Sea and four small birds - Sydney

9 December 2008 - 9 February 2009

Sydney watercolourist Guy Troughton celebrates the ancient art of watercolour in his latest exhibition, Sand, Sea and Four Small Birds. Many of the watercolours in Guy's latest show have been done 'en plein air', a technique made famous by the French and Australian Impressionists. Bathers' Pavilion, Balmoral Beach.

Delicate Touch III exhibition - Bermagui, New South Wales

3 January - 16 February 2009

Delicate Touch III exhibits the works of Janet DeBoos, Kirsten Coelho, Ivan Gluch and Bronwyn Kemp, who use porcelain for its fineness and the capacity for complete fusion of clay and glaze. Narek Galleries.

No standing only dancing: Photographs by Rennie Ellis - Melbourne

31 October 2008 - 22 February 2009

Photographer Rennie Ellis was renowned for his candid documentary images of contemporary Australian life. His photographs in this exhibition document the richness and diversity of contemporary life from the 1970s and 1980s.  Ellis was best known for his photographs of social events, such as music festivals, fashion parades or nightclubs, but his oeuvre also encompassed the grittier side of life. The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia.

Bondi Jitterbug: George Caddy and his Camera - Sydney

29 November 2008 - 22 February 2009

The vintage glamour of Bondi Beach comes to life in the stunning summer collection Bondi Jitterbug: George Caddy and his Camera. The exhibition features 60 black and white images taken by amateur photographer and champion jitterbug dancer George Caddy, in the 1930s and 1940s. Forgotten for 60 years, these dramatic photographs reveal the lost story of daring gymnastic feats known as 'beachobatics', and capture a striking parade of lifesavers and fashionable sunbathers. Visitors to the exhibition can enjoy rare film footage from the times featuring jitterbug dancers and Bondi Beach as the 'Playground of the Pacific'. State Library of NSW.

New Acquisitions 2008 - Sydney

12 December 2008 - 1 March 2009

New Acquisitions 2008 presents works by contemporary Australian artists purchased by the Museum of Contemporary Arts over the past 12 months. New Acquisitions 2008 provides an insight into current influences and practices of Australian artists and encompasses diverse media, from painting and photography to prints and three-dimensional works. Museum of Contemporary Arts

The late landscape paintings of Horace Trenerry - Sydney

29 November 2008 - 15 March 2009

South Australian painter Horace Trenerry was born in 1899 in Adelaide, where he was based for his entire career. It is Trenerry's late work that provides the most significant evidence of his genius; chalky, boldly designed images that place him on a par with the finest modern Australian landscape painters of his time. The late landscape paintings of Horace Trenerry exhibition is based on the small group of his paintings acquired by the Gallery since 1986, supplemented by several loans, and coincides with a new book to be published on the artist in 2009. Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing Exhibition

27 February - 28 March 2009

The Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing offers the opportunity for artists to exhibit their skill and talent in drawing. It informs, and will continue to educate, future young artists in the discipline, commitment and practice of drawing. Adelaide Perry Gallery.

Brett Whiteley, 9 Shades of Whiteley - Regional tour

12 July 2008 - 23 August 2009

Entitled 9 Shades of Whiteley, the exhibition will travel to six regional centres across three states over 18 months. The 'nine shades' include Whiteley's early works, abstracts, Christie & London zoo series, Lavender Bay, portraits, birds & landscapes, sculptures, late works and the Studio. The final section includes photographs of the Brett Whiteley Studio, Whiteley's last home and studio from 1985 to 1992 before it became a public gallery. Various locations.

Featured projects

Arts and Disability Research Project Survey - Victoria

September 2008

The State Government through the Office for Disability, Arts Victoria and Department of Human Services has commissioned the Cultural Development Network to undertake a research project examining ways that the participation of people with a disability in the arts, as artists and as audience members, can be increased. The first stage of the research is a survey about the arts experiences of people with a disability and secondly, a series of public forums and focus groups, mapping arts and disability across Victoria.

The James Gleeson Oral History Collection - Canberra

July 2008

The National Gallery of Australia library's James Gleeson Oral History Collection comprises 98 interviews with prominent Australian artists accompanied by 2000 photographs of the works discussed in the interviews, as well as edited transcripts. A number of these interviews are being made available online. The Collection has considerable historic and cultural significance and in February this year was inscribed into the UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) Australian Memory of the World Register. National Gallery of Australia.

Wonderlust New journeys Your collection - Perth

Begins 23 June 2008

Wonderlust is new presentation of the State Art Collection, featuring Indigenous, Australian and International art, craft and design acquired since the gallery's inception in 1895. The aim of the exhibition is to transform the visitor's experience of, and access to, the collection through new journeys of discovery organised around five key themes: Home, Mapping, Presence, Story and Material Gesture. Wonderlust brings together painting, sculpture, photography, works on paper, craft and projections, which range in date from one of the earliest Western Australian works in the collection, Frederick Garling's 1827 views of the Swan River, to recent works from 2006-2007. Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Australian collection - Victoria

Permanent exhibition

Comprising more than 20,000 works, the NGV's collection of Australian art is one of the oldest in the country. Browse highlights from the Australian painting collection by artist name. It now includes the Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists (VFLAA). VFLAA purchases significant contemporary visual artworks by Australian artists for the NGV collection and for touring and lending to the network of regional and metropolitan galleries of Victoria. National Gallery of Victoria.

Announcements

Rupert Myer AM reappointed to NGA Council

15 December 2008

Mr Rupert Myer AM has been reappointed as part-time Chair of the Council of the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) for a further three years.

Art Indemnity Australia supports Degas: Master of French Art

11 December 2008

The Australian Government's Art Indemnity Australia program is helping the National Gallery of Australia bring the nation's first-ever dedicated exhibition of works by Edgar Degas to audiences in Australia.

Boyd painting sells for $800,000

11 December 2008

Arthur Boyd's landscape painting Moby Dick Hill has gone under the hammer for $800,000.

Resale Royalty Rights for Visual Artist Bill 2008

27 November 2008

The introduction of the Resale Royalty Rights for Visual Artist Bill 2008 marks a landmark day for Australia's visual artists, whose right to an ongoing economic interest in the value of their artistic works will be appropriately recognised in Australia for the first time. It will benefit more than 20,000 visual artists in Australia whose diversity of work spans painting, sculpture, glassware and photography.

Cate's laid-back approach to a digital portrait

22 November 2008

The new multimedia portrait of Cate Blanchett by the artist David Rosetzky will be screened at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra when it opens to the public on December 4. It is one of six portraits commissioned for the $87.8 million building which will provide a permanent showcase for 500 pictures of well-known Australians. Designed by the Sydney architect Richard Johnson, from Johnson Bolton Walker, the 14,000-metre-square building will house the 1,200 pictures it has collected since 1998.

IMAGinE award winners announced

25 October 2008

Gallery and Museum professionals from across the ACT and NSW converged on the Art Gallery of New South Wales for the presentation of the inaugural IMAGinE awards. Western Plains Cultural Centre, a cutting edge facility at Dubbo was a winner for organisation excellence, along with Campbelltown Arts Centre, who have cemented themselves as a high quality, and highly regarded Western Sydney arts facility. More winners.

Artists expected to benefit from Resale Royalty Right

October 2008

Arts Minister Peter Garrett has announced that a resale right for Australia's visual artists is expected to be in place by 1 July 2009. Legislation would be introduced into the Parliament before the end of the year. The resale royalty scheme will involve a mandatory five per cent artist's royalty on resales of artworks, when sold for $1,000 or more. The resale royalty right will apply to works by living artists and for a period of 70 years after an artist's death. Resale royalties will be collected and distributed to artists by a single collecting organisation, which will be selected by the Government through a competitive tender process.

Thorpe's My Pain, My Gain up for auction

25 September 2008

A painting by Australian swimming champion Ian Thorpe will go under the hammer in Hong Kong next month. My Pain, My Gain is estimated to fetch between $9,230 and $12,350 when it is offered to buyers at Sotheby's Sport in Art auction on 5 October. The acrylic on canvas measures two metres by four metre and shows Thorpe cutting through the water with tiny human figures all over him.

Amber Wallis announced as winner of Brett Whiteley travelling art scholarship 2008

17 September 2008

It was announced at the Brett Whiteley Studio in Sydney's Surry Hills, that Amber Wallis from North Fitzroy in Victoria is the winner of the tenth Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship for her work Untitled landscape, 2007, mixed media on paper. One hundred and twenty-seven entries were received from around Australia, 22 of which are included in the finalists' exhibition, on show at the Brett Whiteley Studio until 30 November 2008. Thirty year-old Wallis is studying at the Victorian College of the Arts, (part of the University of Melbourne) for her Masters in Visual Art. She is a part-time practicing artist and has participated in several group and solo exhibitions.

Basil Sellers Art Prize Exhibition - Melbourne

September 2008

Sixteen contemporary artists were selected to compete in the inaugural Basil Sellers Art Prize, a $100,000 award for an artwork on the theme of sport. Chosen by a distinguished panel of judges, artists were short-listed and the winning entry is a video artwork by Daniel Crooks titled Static No.11 (man running) 2008. Short-listed entries are on display at The Ian Potter Museum of Art. University of Melbourne.

Virginia Grayson wins the 2008 Dobell Prize for Drawing

September 2008

Virginia Grayson was awarded $20,000 for winning Australia's most respected award for drawing. An image of Grayson in the studio joins a collection of drawings acquired as Dobell Prize winners at the Art Gallery of New South Wales since 1993. This year there were 586 drawings entered of which 49 are included in the exhibition. Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Statue of John McDouall Stuart restored in Darwin

9 September 2008

A statue which survived Cyclone Tracy but was shattered by vandals two years ago has been restored and unveiled in Darwin's Raintree Park. The monument commemorates Scottish explorer John McDouall Stuart, whose journey from the south of Australia to the north became the route for the overland telegraph line and the Stuart Highway. Artist Geoff Todd restored the work, recast in bronze to make it stronger. ABC news.

Pregnant sculptures, whirling dervishes and the first ever poet take out Australia's top award for art and faith

3 September 2008

The Blake Prize of $20,000 has been awarded to artist David Tucker for a sculptural work that depicts a procession of pregnant women and symbols of Egyptian, Christian and Hindu traditions. From over one thousand entries (more than double the previous year), Tucker's work A Local Girl Comes Home was selected for its simple, positive joy, with judges praising its technical finesse as well as its conceptual resonance across various forms of faith. All winning and short-listed works of art and poetry are on display as part of the Blake Prize Exhibition, from Friday 5th September until Saturday 4th October. National Art School Gallery.

Key online resources

• Arts OutWest
• artsource - The Artists Foundation of WA
• Living Treasures Online Resource
• WEB-ARTS

Collection resources and online publications

• Collections Australia Network
• RedBubble
• Artists of Australia
• Arts Northern Rivers - Visual Arts Network

Institutions and government organisations

• Artbank

Peak bodies and associations

• National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA)
• Craft Australia - Australian guilds, societies and associations
• National Exhibition Touring Support Australia
• Viscopy
• Photography Australia Group
• The association of Western Australian art galleries

People

• Brett Whiteley
• Fiona Hall
• Grace Cossington-Smith
• Harold Cazneaux
• Margaret Olley
• Margaret Preston
• Dictionary of Australian Artists Online

Featured websites/projects

• Major visual arts prizes