Art Archives - Page 3 of 12 - Destination's Journey

22 June 202317 June 2023

Maitland Regional Art Gallery May 2023

We revisited the Maitland Regional Art Gallery in late May 2023 and were lucky to catch two great exhibitions in their last days. It’s not often that we get to see Torres Strait art displayed in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia, this was a great opportunity.

Mir Giz Kemerkemer Opged Lam Zenadh Kes (Stories From the Eastern Islands – Torres Strait) by Toby Cedar

18 March – 28 May 2023

As a Torres Strait Islander and now Maitland local, artist Toby Cedar finds deep connection between art, community and culture. This exhibition presented works celebrating Eastern island culture with both traditional and contemporary art forms. The works covered traditional histories of masks, headdresses, myths and legends.

Nete Ka Nali (Who am I) by Toby Cedar — Outrigger Canoe by Toby Cedar

Tjukurpa by Rita Watson and Selinda Davidson

4 March – 28 May 2023

This exhibition is the result of a collaborative glass project between Ninuku Arts (community of First Nations Artists) and JamFactory (South Australia). A unique form of storytelling, these works not only share the stories of each artist but have also become a valued part of intergenerational learning at Ninuku.

This exhibition brings together the artworks of Rita Watson and Selinda Davidson with glass vessels as contemporary translations of their ancestral stories.

Tjukurpa by Rita Watson and Selinda Davidson Maitland Regional Art Gallery May 2023 — Tjukurpa by Rita Watson and Selinda Davidson

20 June 202312 June 2023

Sculptures at Scratchley

Sculptures at Scratchley is a planned annual sculpture exhibition held for the first time this year in the grounds of Fort Scratchley, a historic fort at the entrance to Newcastle Harbour in New South Wales, Australia. Held for the first time in 2023 the exhibition showcases a selected number of international, national and local artists’ works, with a variety of styles and materials.

The exhibition is open to the public with free entry and the chance to nominate a sculpture for the main prize of People’s Choice Award, which is a non-acquisitive award of $25,000. The exhibition also has a peer-judged award, also non-acquisitive, of $15,000. For anyone interested, non-acquisitive means that the operator of the exhibition does not purchase the winning piece. Instead, the winner is able to sell it on the open market. The exhibition ran from May 13 to May 28, 2023.

The variety of sculptures was great and the backdrop of the fort and surrounding beaches was a great setting. Hopefully this will be an on-going annual event, like the Sculptures at the Sea at Bondi.

First Prize Winning Sculpture Bleaching by Michael Greve

The Miss Fits by Geoff Harvey Sculptures at Scratchley — The Miss Fits by Geoff Harvey

Learning to Fly by John Logvyn Sculptures at Scratchley — Learning to Fly by John Logvyn

Persistence by John Logvyn Sculptures at Scratchley — Persistence by John Logvyn

The Leadlight Garden Shed with Glass and Timber Tools by Lee and Zac Howes Sculptures at Scratchley — The Leadlight Garden Shed with Glass and Timber Tools by Lee and Zac Howes

Prancer by Nicole O'Regan — Prancer by Nicole O’Regan

Advance by Nicole O'Regan Sculptures at Scratchley — Advance by Nicole O’Regan

Following Orders by Anthony Xerri Sculptures at Scratchley — Following Orders by Anthony Xerri

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

10 January 20235 January 2023

The Newcastle Lock-Up 2023

The Newcastle Lock-Up 2023

On display at the Newcastle Lock-Up until 5 February 2023, “Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt” by Alex Seton was specifically made for the cells of the Lock-Up. The title of the show refers to Kurt Vonnegut’s anti-war novel “Slaughterhouse-Five” about the fire bombing of Dresden that dislocates linear time.

These beautiful artworks are worth the visit and with free entry it’s even better. We had a great time here, slowly walking around the exhibits.

Our previous visit to the Lock-Up can be found here. It details the building’s history and shows the rooms and cells with no artwork installed.