NEWS DESK
Gallery heads into new decade Bid to shift meetings A NEW year, new decade and a new era have begun at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery as it enters its 50th anniversary year. The 2020 program celebrates the development, growth, complexity and richness of the collection, kicking off with three exhibitions from 6 March-26 April and a newly commissioned large scale mural. A Collection of Stranger Things, curated by New Zealand-born, Melbourne–based artist Patrick Pound, reveals a hidden microcosm of objects and artworks that have rarely been displayed before. As an avid collector interested in systems and the ordering of objects, Pound will pair photos from his own collection with rarely seen works of the MPRG collection – placing them into new contexts in order to give them new meaning and uncovering unique visual connections. “To collect is to gather your thoughts through things,” Pound said. “Galleries collect like-minded things – exemplary things that will go well together and add up to a story of sorts. The things themselves, however, are relative strangers. “Stranger things places objects together differently. From a line of things with the wind travelling through them – one way and then the other – to a collection of people who are asleep, the gallery collection has never looked like this and never will again.” With a little help from our Friends has 30 works curated by the Friends of MPRG since 1996. Bought with money raised through memberships and events, the friends group was
from night into day Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au
MELBOURNE-based artist and illustrator Carla McRae’s mural plays with shapes and colour. Picture: Supplied
able to buy a range of works, including those of artists Gareth Sansom, Fiona McMonagle, Catherine Cassidy and Raymond Arnold. Inspired by the landscapes of the Mornington Peninsula, The Landscape In-Between by peninsula artist Sophie Perez in the foyer gallery is said to encapsulate the changing seasons by highlighting their unique colour, texture and light. “The stunning and variable landscape of the peninsula has given me an evolving subject on which to hang
my painterly obsession,” Perez says. “I see my works as freezing a moment in time, a conversation within the landscape and an attempt to capture the essence of place.” Lastly, the gallery will present a commission featuring the work of Melbourne-based artist and illustrator Carla McRae. Her new large-scale mural, to be completed by Thursday 27 February, plays with geometric forms and bold vibrant colour, activating the space with playfulness and lightness.
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MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors are being asked to change their briefing sessions from night to day and be held once a fortnight. Briefings are now held three Mondays and one Tuesday a month starting at 5pm. Cr Julie Morris says there are health benefits and cost savings by changing the meeting times and has asked her colleagues to trial her suggestion for a year from 4 May. Cr Morris wants fortnightly briefings held between 9am and 5pm with a report after the first six months on “the productivity benefits and cost savings”. In an email to her fellow councillors (sent at 8.24pm Wednesday 5 February) Cr Morris said her reasoning for holding daytime briefings “comes from a place of caring for others, thinking about the bigger picture and looking to reduce our outgoings and leading the way in new ways of doing things, that innovative thinking we all want to include in our day to day business”. “I’m not in any way trying to exclude anyone, especially those who have a job, as I too have a job, but feel that fortnightly we can work together to make a difference to the health and wellbeing of our guests and officers,” Cr Morris, a senior constable stationed at Frankston, stated. She said “several world-wide stud-
ies” had shown “shift workers (late evenings included) have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, insomnia, migraines, heart disease and mental health injuries”. “Moving council briefings to business hours, may allow the council flexibility to reduce catering costs, from a three-course sit down evening meal, to light and healthy, refreshments, for guests, officers and councillors, during the day.” The mayor Cr Sam Hearn told The News he saw Cr Morris’s move as “testing the appetite of council”. He was “comfortable” with her approach, “a procedural question” that could be further explored. “My overarching concern is the need for bright, qualified people on council,” Cr Hearn said. The “key” to holding briefing times during the day would depend on whether it was easier or harder for councillors – or aspiring councillors - who were parents, self-employed or retired. If successful, it will not be the first time Cr Morris has suggested changing meeting times. Soon after being elected in 2016 she managed to have the public council meetings moved from Monday nights to Tuesdays. Cr Hearn said attending Monday night meetings had “definitely been a challenge for her” and switching nights had not been problematic for other councillors.
Learn to sail with a World Champion! Or two! Anybody can learn to sail! Everybody can learn to sail! At Mornington Yacht Club we have two World Champions* amongst our accredited instructors teaching any age and we’ll supply all the gear you’ll need. You don’t need to be a member and our range of sea-happy programs will include the one that’s perfect for you! “Tackers” - Fun game-based “learn to sail” courses for 7 to 12 year olds. There’s even an introduction to sailing program for “Little Tackers” 4 to 6. “Out There Youth Sailing” - An active, fun program for 12 to 17 year olds. Dinghy “learn to sail”, Stand-Up Paddleboard, Windsurfing and Keelboat experiences are available. “Fun In The Sun” - Similar experiences are available for 6 to 11 year olds in our “Fun In The Sun” program. Adult - We have courses from novice to the more experienced in dinghies and keelboats. Know the basics? Try our “Learn to Race” program. *Sophie Jackson 2020 World Champion Aero 5 Rhett Gowans 2020 World Champion Aero 7 Find out more by contacting the club or going to our website.
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Mornington Yacht Club Schnapper Point Drive, Mornington VIC 3931 Phone: (03) 5975 7001 www.morningtonyc.net.au 1187
Mornington News
11 February 2020
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