WINNER’S SHOW By Andrea Louise Thomas
Artist, Kevin Chin, won the 2015 inaugural Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize adding to an impressive list of other prizes and grants. He returns to The Gallery at Bayside Arts and Cultural Centre to present his solo exhibition, Worlds Away. Chin’s work combines fantasy and reality in intriguing ways. In his own words, his work is about, “a sense of alienation and how that connects us to a sense of belonging we create for ourselves.” There are seemingly incongruous elements in his work that leave the viewer to imagine their place in the landscape as they are drawn in to ethereal worlds both foreign and familiar. Chin is particularly interested in
themes of travel and the migrant experience. Educated at the Victorian College of the Arts in oil painting, Chin mixes his own colours and applies them in transparent layers to create depth and an otherworldly feel. This approach is reminiscent of the Chinese watercolours he saw at home growing up. See Worlds Away at The Gallery @BACC, located on the corner of Carpenter and Wilson Streets, Brighton. Gallery hours are Wednesday to Friday 11 am to 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm. Admission is free. 9261 7111.
Pictures: Kevin Chin’s Airlift (Top) and No Rest (below) won him the Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize.
PARTY TIME! By Andrea Louise Thomas Frankston’s CBD will be taken over by the dance, music, food and arts of Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese cultures. The annual Ventana Festival is a highlight of the city’s arts and culture calendar providing genuine insights into the cultural diversity of Spanish speaking countries. Ventana’s Street Fiesta on March 12 is a dazzling display of colourful dance, joyous song and delightful music. The ‘Queen of the Sea’ procession kicks it off with Carnival dancers in spectacular costumes
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sashaying their way from the beach into the CBD. Music and dance continue until sunset. A food, drink and craft bazaar on Wells Street offers the tastes and scents of handicrafts of Latin America. Try the pupusa from El Salvador for something different and delicious. Don’t miss the 10th annual Ventana Fiesta Saturday, March 12 starting at 11:45 am from the beach at Playne Street to Wells Street plaza. The party continues until 8 pm. Info: thefac.com.au
WRITE TO RECITE By Andrea Louise Thomas Frankston Library is offering quarterly poetry workshops (Poetry for Page or Stage). Participants have an opportunity to learn about poetry, write poetry and if they choose to, they can perform their work to the group with coaching tips from established local performance poet, Andrea Louise Thomas. A three-time finalist in the Australian Poetry Slam Victorian State Finals and Poetry Idol at The Melbourne Writer’s Festival, Thomas has a wealth of experience to draw on.
She holds a degree in English Language and Literature (University of California, Berkeley) and has had a wide range of poems published. Come write some poems and find your voice at Frankston Library (Long Room) on Tuesday, March 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Free, but bookings appreciated. Ring 9784 1020 for further information. bayside & mornington peninsula