ARTS
EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS SIGNIFICANCE OF ‘COUNTRY’ A stunning exhibition of art by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from many Indigenous nations celebrating the concept of ‘country’ will be officially opened at the USC Art Gallery at 3pm on Saturday May 22. The exhibition, called Country In Mind, has been curated by Christopher Bassi – an artist of Meriam (Torres Strait), Yupangathi (Cape York) and British descent – and features works that are primarily from the USC Art Collection. Mr Bassi said the exhibition included art from the Central Desert, the Kimberley, Arnhem Land and the Gulf country and showcased the many ways Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists make works of and about country. “For First Nations people the term ‘country’ is used as an expression of the relationship between an individual and
their ancestral lands and seas,” he said. “Connection to country is inherent we are born to it, it is how we identify ourselves, it is our family, our laws, our inheritance, and our legacy. “The artists in this exhibition represent the land as the link between spirituality, culture, language, family, law and identity.” USC Art Gallery Manager Megan Williams said USC was presenting this exhibition as part of a Connecting Stories program to showcase First Nations art and culture through exhibitions, public art, cultural tours, workshops, artist talks and events at South East Queensland regional art galleries during May and June. The Country In Mind exhibition will be on show at USC from May 17 until July 31. USC Art Gallery, 90 Sippy Downs Drive Sippy Downs. www.usc.edu.au/art-gallery
Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, All the fish in the sea 2005
Music and Lyrics by
Book by
Stephen Schwartz Winnie Holzman
Woodworkers on show
Cooroora Woodworkers Club
Kent Smith
The Art & Sculpture Gallery at THE ART HUB Cooroy will be exhibiting the amazing creative artworks of Cooroora Woodworkers Club members and Kent Smith Artist. The Cooroora Woodworkers Club focuses on sharing the enjoyment of working with wood. Their members include men and women working in a friendly and supportive atmosphere having the availability of well maintained woodworking equipment. They make items for schools, aged-care facilities, disadvantaged families, the local botanical gardens and other community associations. Above all they love working with wood… A small group of Timber Artisan’s have grouped together to showcase their beautiful timber creations at the new exhibition running until June 18.
The artisan participants are - Michael Mitchell, Merryn Paul, Jeffrey Fraser, Aline Briggs, Elizabeth Moss, Otto Pickermann, Billi Jan Campbell and Anya Nilson. Also exhibiting is Kent Smith, an accomplished painter who generally paints on large panels in acrylic and mixed media, and has exhibited widely on the Sunshine Coast. In the US he worked as a Landscape Architect on major urban renewal and parks project in Michigan. As head of a design team in Melbourne, he worked on major projects like Gas Works Park, and was involved in many urban design projects around Victoria his current artwork is an off-shoot of this background.
Exhibition runs from May 21 to June 18 @THE ART HUB Cooroy, 3/2 Emerald Street, Cooroy. Ph: 5447 6155
Get on board! JOIN US AT THE
MARY VALLEY RATTLER 07 5482 2750 @maryvalleyrattler Historic Gympie Station 10 Tozer Street, Gympie, QLD.
W W W.MARYVALLEYRAT TLER .C OM. AU Page 24 | Your Local Lifestyle June 2021
