Children enjoying a demonstration by Hunter Water during the 'Water' family fun day and forum.
News
'WATER' FAMILY FUN DAY
The rain came down but didn't stop over 400 people attending a recent special event with Oceanactionpod, Take 3, Hunter Water, The Wilderness Society, Sustainable Neighbourhoods, and Coastal Care
Initiatives Inc on Sunday 18 June. Artists Ken Regan and Lauren Potts assisted many children with art activities while volunteers from the Wilderness Society offered badge making featuring favourite animals, the Gallery Society braved the elements and provided a hot BBQ lunch and the day finished with a very engaging forum. Thank you to all who supported the day and made it such a success.
Oceanactionpod was supported by Hunter Local Land Services and the Australian Government's Caring for or Country program.
NEW HOURS SAME GREAT ART
Our opening hours have changed! We are now open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 4.30pm and 11am-4pm on selected public holidays.
This will allow us to provide even better services to our community by giving us more time to prepare our programs, art classes and school tours. We hope you continue to enjoy the great experiences offered by Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery.
Nicole Chaffey Canoe Making with the Aboriginal Reference Group 2016
NAIDOC WEEK
An Aboriginal canoe was a feature of a NAIDOC Week event on Tuesday at Lake Macquarie City Council's Administration Building. The canoe was made as part of the Living Cultures project, a collaboration between the Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery and the City’s Aboriginal Reference Group. The ARG and the gallery have been working in partnership for over 17 years.
Worimi man Luke Russell, who was among the team of Aboriginal community members who constructed the canoe on a hot day in January, said it was made with traditional methods from bark supplied by the Australian National Maritime Museum. 'It is all knowledge that has been passed down in stories, so it’s in your head, not written down on paper,' he said. 'We had to ensure the right piece of bark was found and cut from the tree in a way that would not kill the tree, then smoke it for hours so we could bend and fold the canoe into shape. It shows the pure ingenuity of our ancestors, to be able to make something out of simple materials that is so functional.'
Tuesday’s NAIDOC celebration included a traditional smoking ceremony, performed by Mr Russell, the raising of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags and a demonstration of traditional dance. Tony Ridgeway, a cultural linguist, spoke on the NAIDOC Week theme, ‘Our Languages Matter’.
The canoe will be on display in the LMCC Administration Building until 14 July.
Exhibitions
8 July – 20 August 2017
DIANE ARBUS: AMERICAN PORTRAITS
Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery is the first stop of a national tour and so an unique opportunity to see rare and powerful photographs by Diane Arbus alongside other leading American photographers.
Diane Arbus: American Portraits is a National Gallery of Australia exhibition. The photographs of Diane Arbus (1923-71) are among the most widely recognised in the history of photography. Her images stand as powerful allegories of post-war America, and once seen are rarely forgotten. The work continues to polarise viewers who question whether she exploited or empowered her subjects, often drawn from society's margins.
This is also the focus of the opening forum Sunday 9 July from 2pm with Anne O’Hehir, Curator of Photography, National Gallery of Australia, William Yang, artist, Nina Dodd, photographer/writer Runway and Angus Bowen, curator Photo i.d.
The National Gallery of Australia acknowledges funding support from the Visions touring program, an Australian Government' initiative aiming to improve access to the national collections fro all Australians.
Ron Morrison Australian surf championship (detail) 1959 Silver gelatin photograph 35.0 x 47.0cm. Donated through the 1997 Photographic Invitation Prize, collection Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery © the artist
YOU COLLECTION: PHOTO I.D.
This exhibition has been curated from the gallery's photographic collection to showcase work that explores the Hunter region - its people, landscape and events such as the Newcastle earthquake in 1989, the capture of notorious prison escapee Kevin John Simmonds in 1959 and the 1955 Maitland flood.
A gallery project by emerging curator Angus Bowen from the School of Creative Industries, The University of Newcastle, in consultation
with Rob Cleworth.
Pablo Tapia Self Portrait at work (in progress) (detail) 2017 oil on linen 113 x 82cm courtesy the artist © the artist.
ARTIST FOCUS: PABLO TAPIA
This is the next exhibition in our Artist Focus series and features the work of Pablo Tapia. Hunter-based Tapia uses centuries-old direct oil painting methods and favours traditional genres. Characteristic of his practice is a commitment to skill, simplicity and communication.
A gallery project co-ordinated by Meryl Ryan in consultation with the artist.
Events
A DON'T MISS OPENING FORUM:
PHOTOGRAPHER/SUBJECT RELATIONSHIP
Sunday 9 July This forum coincides with the opening of Diane Arbus: American portraits, Hosted by Gallery Director Debbie Abraham, guests include, Anne O’Hehir, Curator of Photography, National Gallery of Australia, William Yang, artist, Nina Dodd, photographer/writer Runway and Angus Bowen, curator Photo i.d. Refreshments served. Free event. All welcome.