Gasworks Arts Park’s Ceramic Studio is a Satellite venue in the 2010 Craft Victoria’s annual festival, Craft Cubed. Craft Cubed showcases the very best of contemporary craft in Victoria and the 2010 festival theme of ‘childhood’ is set to inspire people of all ages, especially the young at heart! So come down to Gasworks at the next Farmers Market on Saturday 21st August to speak with the practitioners and watch them work, peruse the seasonal produce at the market and enjoy the lovely grounds of Gasworks Arts Park!

Resident artists at Gasworks include acclaimed ceramicists Kris Coad, Ursula Dutkiewicz, Liz Low and Kay Goldfinch.

The Craft Cubed festival runs from the 5 August to 4 September 2010.
For full program listings visit the Craft Victoria website by clicking here.

When: Saturday 21 August
Time: 10am to 1pm
Where: Ceramics Studio, Gasworks Arts Park

Artist uncovers early Port Phillip

Whitegloss an exhibition by Pam O’Neil
31 August to 19 September 2010

What was Port Phillip like before white man came here? How has it changed? How did Aboriginal people live? These were the questions that set St Kilda artist Pam O’Neil on a visual quest to explore the 175 year evolution of the Port Philip landscape.

The resulting exhibition, Whitegloss, opens at the Angela Robarts-Bird Gallery at Gasworks Arts Park on 31 July and continues to 19 September. It depicts places around the city of Port Phillip as they are seen now and as they were before white people arrived.

The artist says the works are based not so much on the imagination but on the knowledge of the early Port Philip residents. She consulted the Boonwurrung people as well as paintings, prints, photographs and writings of early European inhabitants to reconstruct Port Philip’s earlier landscape.

‘Some of the places in my paintings will be familiar but others from the past may only be recognised by a clue to the present, hidden in the work,’ Ms O’Neil said.

‘I researched this exhibition for over one year to find out what the landscape was like before European occupation and how the indigenous people lived here.  To me, in over 40,000 years of human habitation of Port Phillip 175 years is just one step in a 250 step staircase,’ she said.

Pam worked in conjunction with the Boonwurrung Foundation and Port Phillip Ecocentre to develop this evocative exhibition of oil paintings and mixed media works. Fay Stewart Muir of the Boonwurrung Foundation, who will also conduct a Welcome to Country at the exhibition opening, says that her ancestors had a very strong connection with the area.

‘Port Phillip was a place that was rich in spiritual meaning and food for my ancestors the Boonwurrung. They lived and travelled around this land for more than 40,000 years before the Europeans came here,’  she said.

Pam O’Neil will discuss her work at an artist’s talk at 1 pm Saturday 4 September and Saturday 18 September.

Title: Whitegloss
Venue: Angela Robarts-Bird Gallery, Gasworks Arts Park, Corner Graham and Pickles Streets, Albert Park
Exhibition dates: 31 August to 19 September 2010
Times: Gallery hours 9am to 5pm daily
Opening Function: Tuesday 31 August from 6 to 8pm
Artist’s Talks: 1 pm Saturday 4 September and Saturday 18 September

For more images, interviews and further information please call Madeleine McClelland, Marketing Manager, Gasworks Arts Park on 03 8606 4200 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Reflections
An Exhibition by Tricia Sabey

Exhibition Dates: 9 August to 29 August 2010

Landscape art opens new horizons

Port Phillip artist Tricia Sabey takes the landscape genre into another dimension in her latest exhibition Reflections.

Tricia Sabey’s work is based on outback scenes of Australia and the diverse moods of Port Phillip Bay in summer and winter, from dawn to dusk. Through ever changing patterns of colour, form and texture she explores psychological, emotional and visual relationships of natural spaces above and below the horizon line.

Using plywood as her canvas, Sabey links the subject of the ‘painted landscape’ back to the reality of the land. She paints and assembles her artwork from memory, intuitively constructing compositions by cutting individual landscapes into different lengths and widths and randomly placing them into a final composition. Her assembled frames take on a three dimensional quality, blurring the lines between traditional landscape painting and sculpture.

‘I am fascinated by the way landscape can be viewed simultaneously, from within boundaries, through a fence, a window, a door, gaps in walls, looking down, close up or into the distance... My works are like a collection of fleeting views seen when travelling – in front, to the side and to the rear,’ Ms Sabey said.

A long-time resident of Gasworks Arts Parks artist studios and well-known in the Port Phillip community, Tricia’s 20 year artistic career has included the 2005 Williamstown Tattersall’s Contemporary Art Prize and an appearance in ABC TV’s Artscape series.

Title: Reflections
Venue: Angela Robarts-Bird Gallery, Gasworks Arts Park
Corner Graham and Pickles Streets, Albert Park
Exhibition dates: 9 August to 29 August
Opening Function: Tuesday 10 August from 6 to 8pm
Times Gallery hours 9am to 5pm daily

For more images, interviews and further information please call Tracey McIrvine, Visual Arts Manager, Gasworks Arts Park on 03 8606 4200 or email tracey[at]gasworks.org.au

POPaganda
Presneted by Gasworks Arts Park

Exhibition Dates: 24 August to 5 September 2010

The POPaganda exhibition is a series of propaganda posters from the mid 20th Century in China, giving an insight into the communistic world enforced by Chairman Mao.

During Mao's leadership, the communist party acquired control over all media, ensuring the people of China saw exactly what the communist leaders wanted to show them; the flourishing success of communism and Mao as their great leader.

In times without television, internet or radio; these propaganda posters were the main way for the communist party to enforce their manifesto onto the people. These posters were ubiquitous in China; from classrooms, to railways and public buildings, similar to the posters promoting concerts and bands we see everyday plastered on bridges and buildings. The political propaganda served to promote Mao, as the way to a life of happiness and prosperity.

As well as the political posters, POPaganda will also showcase cultural posters promoting operas, plays and literature. In many cases plays and literary pieces were based on the success of communism.

Chairman Mao and Andy Warhol have a lot in common!

Bibliography:
"Mao Zeodng." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. N.p., 11 Jul 2010. Web. 15 Jul 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong>.

When: 24 August to 5 September 2010
Where: Foyer Gallery, Gasworks Arts Park Corner Graham and Pickles Streets, Albert Park
Times: Gallery hours 9am to 5pm daily

Enquiries: please call Tracey McIrvine, Visual Arts Manager, Gasworks Arts Park on 03 8606 4200 or email tracey[at]gasworks.org.au

Expressions of Interest Now Open for Midsumma 2011

Our multi-purpose venues are now open for hire for Midsumma 2011.

Performers are invited to put in expressions of interest for shared usage of the spaces for short performances and ensemble evenings at rates affordable for budding performers. Gasworks Arts Park has a diverse range of specialist audiences and a strong core following of arts and entertainment buffs that regularly attend our events.

Five minutes from the CBD, Gasworks can find the right audience for your show.

Midsumma runs from the 16 January to 6 February, 2011.

Registrations with Midsumma are open until 17 September 2010, closing at 5pm.

Applications to be part of Gasworks programming for Midsumma close at Gasworks on 31 August at 5pm.

Registration fees apply.

Gasworks invites you to come and visit our venues.
More info www.gasworks.org.au
Enquiries: Contact Maria Griffin, our Venue Coordinator via phone on 03 8606 4205 or email maria[at]gasworks.org.au

Fun Holiday Workshops and Stage Shows at Gasworks Arts Park
1 to 14 year olds 
28 June to 10 July
These school holidays Gasworks Arts Park is offering five Stage Shows for the whole family. These performances include Mudcakes Concert, MANA, All Gone, The Magic Hat and Little Feet Music Concert. 

Gasworks Arts Park has lots of holiday activities for kids from 1 to 14 year olds. Popular Gasworks Arts Park Holiday workshops include fencing and sword-fighting, magic and illusion, art classes, dance classes, songwriting and theatre games, all taught by experts in their fields.

For Full Program Click Here

Gasworks is pleased to announce the appointment of Tamara Jungwirth as General Manager after the departure of Director Crusader Hillis.

James McCaughey, chair of the Gasworks Board, welcomed the appointment. "Tamara brings depth of experience and wisdom to the place where management meets strategic vision.  She comes to us at an important moment when we are assessing future directions for the park in relationship to possible new plans for the theatre building.  We look forward to working with her."  Read more....

 

Brianna and Sally look so happy after the session that I'm ready to book in for next term!  Actually we will be there tomorrow morning for the circus and the writing session, it's actually one of the few places I'm looking forward to returning to during the school holidays!

 

a brand new Gasworks website has been in development for the last couple of months. It is now live and we hope you enjoy the new look and experience.