6 minute read
New cultural facility opens in June
Find your inner artist
The new front entrance to Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios at 164 Longueville Road.
Already renowned for its strong art scene, the launch of new facilities in Lane Cove will provide the whole community with an opportunity to discover their inner artist.
The new cultural facility - Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios - combines newly renovated studios on the ground and lower levels of 164 Longueville Road, together with the existing exhibition space at Gallery Lane Cove, located on the upper level of the same building.
Together, this exciting precinct enables the community to participate in a range of creative classes, as well as view artworks in professionally curated exhibitions held throughout the year.
A striking new façade is planned for the entire building using vibrant pink and orange, which will create a strong street presence.
Community art classes were previously run by Centrehouse Arts Centre in an old building opposite Lane Cove Public School. Many an art enthusiast has passed through its doors since it was first established in 1972.
The new creative studios are located in the space that was previously occupied by Lane Cove & North Side Community Services. The building has undergone an extensive new fitout, and the result is a series of rooms that will offer classes across six creative disciplines including printmaking, ceramics, painting, drawing, textiles and jewellery.
The studios will present a program of term classes, workshops, masterclasses and facility hire opportunities. It will also introduce artist residency programs, with three working studios now available for hire. The new facility will welcome its very first artist-in-residence (supported by Lane Cove Council) in June 2018. Travis de Vries, Create NSW Aboriginal Arts Fellow, will develop new work in preparation for an exhibition at Gallery Lane Cove in 2019. In addition, Travis will run two workshops in late June and early July.
A new management committee has been established to oversee the operation of the gallery and studios. Councillor Karola Brent is the President of this committee and is joined by a very experienced Board, including Katrina Cashman, Assistant Director of Mosman Art Gallery and Vice-President of the committee.
“This custom-fitted facility is an amazing addition not only to Lane Cove and the lower North Shore, but the whole of Sydney. We will be doubling the number of classes that were previously offered by Centrehouse, with courses in a variety of art forms for children, teens, adults and seniors at all levels – beginner, intermediate and advanced,” said Councillor Brent.
Rachael Kiang is the new Manager and Curator of Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios and is very excited about the new facility.
“Co-locating the studios with the Gallery enables complementary activities of art making, exhibition making and art appreciation to take place under one roof, effectively establishing a cultural precinct. The new studios are a result of both
Red Escarpment and Road - Purnululu National Park, Kimberleys by Chrissie Lloyd (former President, Lane Cove Art Society). Acrylic on paper, 104cm x 130cm. To be displayed as part of "'The Art of Friendship' exhibition. Photo courtesy of the artist.
community advocacy and the generous support of Lane Cove Council in funding and managing the building refurbishments.
“This is a place for artists and the community to come together for formal and informal creative exchange. While courses emphasise traditional art forms, they will be taught in a contemporary way, with the view to developing skills that can be employed in contemporary art practice. The approach is to situate modern, formalist lineages in an expanded, contemporary context. This will be articulated through the Gallery exhibition programming as well.”
Rachael says that even people with a cautious interest in art are likely to find a course that interests them.
To encourage engagement, Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios will introduce a membership program alongside opportunities for volunteers and interns. A donor’s program will also be established to assist with the purchase of additional equipment, the support of exhibitions and artist residencies and to further increase the scope of classes.
For further details, contact Rachael Kiang, Manager & Curator on 0421 773 683.
Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios
New Premises, New Beginnings
• Official launch and
Open Studio Day, 10am-4pm,
Saturday 23rd June • Opening ceremonies commence at 11am
Doors of the facility will be open to the public with a free program of demonstrations in each of the four studios in different art forms. Everyone is welcome to visit the premises and partake in the activities. Formalities will commence at 11am.
The Art of Friendship
22 JUNE – 28 JULY
Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios is proud to present The Art of Friendship, an exhibition suggested by the distinguished Australian artist and Lane Cove resident Guy Warren AM.
The Art of Friendship, acknowledges the important role Guy Warren has played as an artist and educator within the Australian cultural sector for so many years, paying tribute to Guy through a small selection of works by his eminent Sydney artist colleagues, friends and professional associates over the years. The exhibition is a statement in itself of the importance of nurturing relationships to creative development, art making and the broader cultural network.
It is the first time that Lane Cove has hosted an exhibition of such calibre. Some of the distinguished artists are finalists in the 2018 Archibald Prize, 2016 Sulman Prize and winners of the 2018 and 2017 Gallipoli Art Prize. Exhibiting artists include Guy Warren with Suzanne Archer, Deborah Beck, Gillian Bennett, Ann Cape, Tom Carment, Kevin Connor, Lucy Culliton, Elisabeth Cummings, Jim Croke, David Fairbairn, Chris Gentle, Margot Goodall, Chick Gordon, Colin Husband, Nola Jones, Michael Kempson, Peter Kingston, Alun Leach-Jones, Chrissie Lloyd, Steve Lopes, Euan Macleod, Idris Murphy, Peter O’Doherty, Bernard Ollis, Daniel Pata, Amanda Penrose Hart, Luke Sciberras, Wendy Sharpe and Ann Thomson.
The exhibition signals the future direction of Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios – a commitment to showcasing artworks of significant import; to create a platform of exchange for established and emerging artists across different modes of practice; and to foster the development of the art scene in Lane Cove and the greater North Shore.
Votive Landscape by Steve Lopes (winner of 2018 Gallipoli Prize). Oil on canvas, 90 x 90cm, 2017. To be displayed as part of 'The Art of Friendship' exhibition. Photo courtesy of the artist.
“When I was first approached to have a curated exhibition of my own artworks in Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios, I thought, why should the attention rest solely on me?
Much better to make a broader mark by including artworks by some of the many eminent artist friends and colleagues I have known over the years, whose works I have admired and whose long friendships have been so important to me.
This exhibition has not been curated with a singular theme or point of view, rather it is the result of the generosity of spirit borne of such friendships. What makes this exhibition different from others is that the artwork selection has been personally made by each artist in consultation with the curatorium: myself, Katrina Cashman from Mosman Art Gallery and our Gallery Manager at Lane Cove, Rachael Kiang.
I hope that the exhibition surprises and delights its audiences and reminds people of the importance of friendships, connections, creativity and Lane Cove’s rich history of art making.”
Guy Warren AM
