October Update - We're Open!

Thanks to all the marvellous people who have stepped up and volunteered their time for the roster, donated goods and services and/or brought in artwork to be appraised for the gallery. We are truly amazed at the generous resonse we have had to the prospect of a community gallery.

At the risk of leaving someone off the list, we are very grateful to:

• Roger Bellchambers for his work to create wall brackets for our flag, remove doors and sliding windows

• Jenny Oscar for her donation of kitchen and electrical items

• Wendy Smyrk for her donation of Magnart hanging magnets and kitchen tidy

• Sue and Ron Knudsen for their donation of cleaning materials and equipment

• Heather Wood for donating a laminator

• Judith Sharrock for donating a box of A4 printer paper

• James for office chairs

• Heather Davitt for donating a First Aid Kit

• Rhonda Allardice for her donation of measuring equipment

• A frame sign donated by Lyn Wise

• A wonderful donation of desks for our studio rooms

• and to all the other members who volunteered their time

We have been very excited to see a large number of artists, makers and supporters join SW Makers over the past week. We welcome you and encourage your input to the association by speaking with one of the board members, emailing us, or dropping into 38 Bank Street. Please spread the word and let friends and family know what is happening in the Port Fairy art scene!

If you have volunteered for the roster, please drop in and check your availability or contact Kay O'Connell. If you have artworks to be considered for the gallery, please come along and speak to the curatorial team - Rob Gatt, Freya Marriott and Sian Burman.

New Exhibition at Charlie's on East in November

Following Kate Winnen's exhibition "Adventures in Colour", Britt Gow (printmaker) will be hanging her intricate linocut, textural collograph and extraordinary woodgrain prints.

"Nature, Red in Tooth and Claw"

Exhibition Opening - Saturday 4th November

2.30pm at Charlie's on East

The title of the exhibition is a line from the famous poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson, who wrote “In Memoriam A.H.H.”(1850), as a tribute to his young friend who had died 17 years previously. His prose “reflected a bleak, increasing awareness that the cruelty of the industrial revolution and the expanding Empire showed the world not to be the warm creation of a loving God, but instead to be impersonal, material, and strictly physical.” The industrial revolution was just the beginning of constant assaults on and increasing separation from the natural world. Two hundred and twenty years later climate change, habitat destruction, introduced species, pollution, population growth and over-harvesting threaten species across the globe.

Since Britt was a small child, she has had great empathy and concern for living organisms, especially Australia’s native flora and fauna. Her science degree gave her an understanding of living organisms from a cellular level, to their anatomy, physiology, ecology and evolution over millennia. Her influences include printmakers such as Lionel Lindsay, Bryan Nash Gill (wood grain prints), and John Wolseley and assemblage artists such as Rosalie Gascoigne and Janine Mackintosh. This exhibition will be on show from Monday 30th October until Sunday 7th January.

October Newsletter - Glyph Gallery!

Thanks to everyone who attended our AGM last night and the enthusiastic response to our plans for 38 Bank Street. It was exciting to see and hear so many artists and supporters express their delight at having a community arts space in Port Fairy. Thank you also to all those members who offered to donate items and volunteer for the roster.

As mentioned at the meeting, we are hopeful of opening some of the rooms next Thursday 12th October, to attract some of the Spring Music Festival visitors and work out shop procedures. If you pop in over the weekend and speak to one of the board members in attendance, you may be able to select a few days in the coming months to be on the volunteer roster.

A reminder that Kate Winnen's "Adventure's in Colour" exhibition continues until the end of October (at Charlie's) and Jill Edwards' "Art of Small" exhibition goes through until the end of the year at her home studio (70 Model Lane).

Blarney Books is hosting Rachel Peter's exhibition "Flora", which opens on October 7th, 4.00-5.00pm. Rachel is a local artist who has exhibited frequently in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Melbourne since 2003. Her intimate, acrylic paintings celebrate the natural world with colour, form and texture.

Come and see our new space for Artists and Makers at the AGM!

This Thursday 5th October at 5.30pm we will be holding our Annual General Meeting for the South West Makers Association. The meeting will be held at 38 Bank Street, the venue we have agreed to lease for at least the next six months, with an option for a further period.

Please consider nominating for the board and becoming a part of the exciting future for our community of artists, makers and supporters. The night will include presentation of the Annual report, election of new board members, followed by a brief adjournment to tour the building and some food and drinks. There will also be an oppportunity for some decision making for the name of the Gallery and to endorse our vision for the overall operations of the facility.

We are planning a 'soft' opening on Thursday 12th October, to be ready for the Spring Music Festival goers the following weekend. We will need volunteers to staff our exciting new facility to open at least four days per week. It is anticipated that we will have retail space, individual artist studio spaces, a work room and an exhibition gallery. You may be interested in hiring or sponsoring a studio space - more information to follow.

We look forward to meeting with you to discuss this exciting development on Thursday 5th October.