INTERVIEW: ANDREA EBSWORTH Ceramic Artist and Cultural Planner Andrea Ebsworth is a career ceramic artist with a number of university degrees in the arts. She has created thousands of exceptional individual pieces of art and sculpture over the years, as well as, many public art projects. She has worked all over Australia in both urban and remote settings. With an exceptional eye for colour and composition, her mosaics shimmer, her pottery is utilitarian but fun and her public murals speak to the people. Andrea is a true people’s artist and activist. She has dedicated much of her professional career to promoting community arts, teaching, mentoring and connecting artists to audiences. She has a true love of arts and culture. It is this love and her exemplary credentials that inspired her to apply for the position of Cultural Planner for the Mornington Peninsula Shire. While I am deeply appreciative of her amazing art, I am equally in awe of her selfless promotion of the arts. Her drive to connect the community to the arts makes her an excellent Cultural Planner. I wasn’t sure people really knew what a cultural planner was, so I decided to interview her in both capacities. ALT: What does a cultural planner do? AE: It’s a bit of an oxymoron as culture happens regardless of planning. That said, a cultural planner creates a framework for opportunities for cultural engagement, such as, creating art spaces, disseminating information about what’s on, offering arts and performing workshops and proposing the necessary funding to culturally enrich community life. Local government must provide services broadly so opportunities for learning, participation and civic engagement are integral to community. Councils aren’t just about roads, rates and rubbish! ALT: How can the community put its ideas forward? AE: Libraries are valuable hubs and places where we currently provide a number of cultural activities, there are also a number of community hubs where you can become involved or you can contact a local Councillor or Shire CEO and make suggestions. ALT: How does one find out what’s going on in the local art community? AE: The first place to look is the Shire’s artsblog: http://www. artsonthepeninsula.wordpress.com. There is also an arts information wall at Mornington Library and local arts groups can express interest in displaying artwork in the Library Foyer Space. We also now have Pearl magazine. If groups are consistent about listing their events on the blog and with the magazine, we will finally be able to connect many more dots and look like
we know what’s going on in our neighbourhoods! ALT: What about you as an artist? Tell me about your philosophy of art… AE: I’m extremely grateful to have survived working in the arts for over 30 years and now that I have returned home to the peninsula I hope to bring about opportunities for communities to explore and to express their own creativity as well as experiencing the artistic outcomes of others. In a bygone time we used to present the art of others only or import cultural solutions from outside. This was known as a ‘cargo cult’ mentality. Thankfully we are more aware of the importance in cultural democracy and view active participation as integral to sustaining profound and transformative impacts upon people and communities through its arts and cultural aspirations. ALT: What attracted you to the medium in which you work? AE: Well, as we all do, I began drawing and painting and textiles have always had a fascination for me, ever since I had a Barbie doll to dress. After art school I discovered that along with my ceramic production work I found a niche in the market for handmade and hand-painted tiles. Influenced by Spanish architect and artist, Antonio Gaudi, I admired how he collected every type of tile (in the early 1900s) and would give his workers the freedom to install as they wished. For me mosaic represents recycling pieces of collected history and memory through broken china or tile. Due to my ‘day job’ it is a convenient medium to produce sculptural forms with recycled broken china and with the advent of globalism and the home wares industry and subsequent impacts on ‘local’ and ‘handmade’ I am relentlessly satisfied to call these works Made in China. ALT: Where can people see your work? AE: A very small selection of my ceramic tableware is currently on display at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery until Feb. 19. People can put my name and select images in any search engine and other examples of my work will pop up or contact me at: andrea.artisana@bigpond.com. ANDREA LOUISE THOMAS
APPETITE FOR FINE FOOD AND FINE ART AT NOEL’S GALLERY When I ventured up the hill to meet the new proprietors of Noel’s Gallery, I had no idea what a treat I was in for. Gus Dick, and his partner, Sarah Glenn have completely embraced the iconic establishment bringing new food, brilliant business sense and an irrepressible enthusiasm to the table. While they’ve only been there a couple of months, they have already made the place their own. Angus says, “It’s all about the people.” He clearly loves being in hospitality and certainly makes one feel welcome. Sarah says their mission is “to provide casual dining with optimum service”. Just because the atmosphere is relaxed doesn’t mean the food or service suffers. Their business motto is “Evolving food, wine and art”. What that means is that as they find out what their customers want, they will evolve to meet their needs and
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desires. The interesting thing about Noel’s is that it is also an art gallery and always has been, but this is where Gus and Sarah have brought a new spin to the business. They have employed young wait staff who are also the artist’s whose work is currently on display. The aim is to support young artists while teaching them a secondary skill in hospitality. It’s a winning combination. Interesting dinner table conversation, intriguing art, fine food and proprietors who really know their stuff about fine wine is what you’ll find. Stop by the new and improved Noel’s Gallery and you’re sure to get a warm welcome, a cold drink and a delightful hot meal. Open every day, except Tuesday from noon until 11pm. For bookings call 5989 3159 or visit their gorgeous website: www.noelsgallery.com. ANDREA LOUISE THOMAS
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