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Your weekly community newspaper covering Safety Beach to Portsea For all advertising and editorial needs, call 03 THE onset of the latest COVID-19 restrictions proved heartbreaking for two “outsider artists” who were looking forward to staging a joint exhibition at & Gallery, Sorrento. The outsider artists – or artists with disabilities – Robert Croft and Jonathan Thompson had been working hard to prepare works for the exhibition which closed just one day after being open to the public. Neither got to see their works on display. “The gallery is looking at its calendar of future exhibitions with a view to shifting dates so this exhibition can be extended and the opening event can be held when safe to do so,” & Gallery director Julie Collins said. “The opening will also feature music by the band Croake, of which Robert is a member, so we all hope we are able to hold the opening at some stage. “A catalogue is available with all works for sale and we hope these amazing works find their way into private and public collections. It would be great if the federal-government-supported Art Bank and backed more outsider artists by collecting them.” Ms Collins said she visited artist Mark Cuthbertson’s studio late last year where she came across the artists’ work. “As mentor to both artists, Mark has allowed Robert to express himself on a larger scale, and give Jonathan the opportunity
Wednesday 4 August 2021
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to explore more sculptural materials and possibilities,” she said. Ms Collins said that as outsider artists, their creativity is “unrestrained, a display of delight that is honest, raw, unfiltered, and joyous”. She said Croft gave a tactile quality to his work. “No matter what medium he uses, [he] delights in the colour, texture, and rhythm of application. “The layers of colour and texture [he] achieves through his processes demonstrate the instinctual nature of this Artist. “An industrious worker, Robert draws reference from still life and the printed image; but mainly and most effectively, his inspiration comes from the pure joy of creating.” Ms Collins said Thompson had 20 years’ experience working across a variety of mediums and techniques. “Drawing inspiration from the everyday, from family, friends and online, he redefines and reshapes his ideas, through his unique processes. Jonathan creates art that seeks to question and provoke a response from the viewer.” She said & Gallery was “honoured to be able to showcase their work to a wider audience, giving them the opportunity to be acknowledged for their commitment to their creativity.” Visit &galleryaustralia.net Stephen Taylor
Heartbreak for ‘outsider artists’ Missing out: & Gallery staff member Cash Brown with the “outsider” artists’ work. Picture: Yanni
Shire seeks metro break with benefits Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au MONEY and planning are behind the latest motivations to reassess the status of the Mornington Peninsula. Officially designated as part of metropolitan Melbourne, the peninsula is regarded as being regional when it comes to some services, such as fire protection from the Country Fire Authority. This split identification can also mean that Mornington Peninsula Shire is prohibited from applying for some federal and state government grants.
However, if the shire is officially regarded as regional, it would lose the protection of green wedge planning restrictions. The solution being sought by the shire is for the peninsula to go half way and be designated peri-regional and, hopefully, retain most of the benefits of being metropolitan. The shire will by October seek the opinions of peninsula residents through an online poll. Advocacy facilitator Emma Lindsay, in a report to council’s 13 July meeting, said that “the debate surrounding the current metropolitan classification … is a complex issue including signifi-
cant planning, land use and administrative implications”. “Most of our community are not aware of the complexities involved beyond COVID lockdown, which necessitate careful analysis and consideration, beyond a yes or no vote,” Ms Lindsay said. There has been widespread anger from residents faced with the same restrictions during lockdowns as those imposed on metropolitan Melbourne. Ms Lindsay - who described the peninsula as having a hybrid urban and rural character - cautioned councillors against pushing for a change in the peninsula’s status until it had “a
clear advocacy position, informed and validated by external and independent research”. A timetable would be “dictated” through negotiations “with the successful company procured, to deliver supporting external data”. “At this point, the shire will be in a better position to share the reasons for our proposed way forward with the community, so they can make an informed decision about their view.” Ms Lindsay said a peri-urban group of councils had successfully persuaded the state government to let them access the Growing Suburbs Fund. “This advocacy approach looks be-
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yond our metropolitan status to address the unique mix of urban and regional challenges across the Mornington Peninsula, while potentially preserving the Green Wedge Zone and avoiding other significant financial costs to the shire,” Ms Lindsay said. “The external support will further inform our case for access to regional Victoria funding, where clear and comparable regional issues exist. “This will help enable the local tourism and agricultural sectors to reach their full economic potential, where they are currently overlooked by metropolitan focused funds.” “Metro disadvantage” Page 7