Art – Coastbeat

Fairy Floss Fantasy

Elize Strydom — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 01:16:36 +0000

When Alyson Pearson – aka Alykat – puts on a show, boy, does she put on a SHOW. For Fairy Floss Fantasy, the queen of colour has brought together more than 30 local and national artists each with their own style and subject. It’s cute, it’s crazy, it’s pink. Very pink! COVID put an end to plans for a laneway party on opening night. But Alyson came up with a way for art lovers to indulge in this sweet as sugar show. Coastbeat swung by last Friday night, blissfully unaware that it would be the last fabulous art event before lockdown.

An Intimate Evening of Art

Quick to respond to ever-changing COVID restrictions, Alyson planned a series of intimate evening exhibition sessions. But those restrictions shifted yet again, plunging the whole state into lockdown just hours before the third exhibition session. Coastbeat was fortunate enough to see the show the night before everyone bunkered down at home.

The lucky eight guests were handed a signature Alykat Fairy Floss Cocktail (created by Events By Mus) on arrival and enjoyed bottomless popcorn and coconut ice. Alyson guided guests through the exhibition and unveiled her latest artwork, Fantasy Island. It focuses on a whole bunch of Coffs-isms. There’s South Solitary Island, a local favourite the Blue Groper fish, clouds and trees made up of the Dorrigo Mountains, North Wall beach, and a Coffs Carnival ride.

The ULTIMATE Show Bag

No whimsical wonderland event is complete without a goodie bag. Guests left with the ultimate small business show bag, with a combined value of more than $100. It includes vodka samples from Critters Distillery, custom made rosettes from Up.Sidesunny, plus a premium greeting card and printed envelope set from Art Circus.

A Focus on Local Artists

Fairy Floss Fantasy features art in every shade of pink. There’s hand dyed fibre art by Coffs Coast artist Therese Lyons, hand painted banksias and seedpods by Toowoomba’s Chelsea Baker, and cotton candy skies by Sawtell photographer Leah Moore. You’ll find stunningly lifelike paintings by Grafton’s Chris Hazell and intricate line work on Sylvia Leech’s vivid, larger than life Australian bird portraits.

A range of limited-edition stationery and paper products from Coffs based Art Circus is on display. It includes notebooks, journals and greeting cards featuring the work of emerging Australian artists.

Alykat Creative Gallery Studio will stay pretty in pink for a while yet. Once lockdown lifts, you’ll be able to visit during the week or snap up one of the few remaining spots for the intimate exhibition sessions.

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Inspire Your Heart with Art – Grafton

Coastbeat — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 22:04:33 +0000

January 31 has been designated as “Inspire Your Heart with Art Day”, a time when you are encouraged to connect with art in some way. Danie May invites you to join her for a Creative Play Date in recognition of this day. These types of sessions simply aim to have you connecting with the artist within and she calls them her Pause, Paint and Play Sessions. They are a guided creative process that gets you experimenting with different mediums, colour, mark making and various techniques in combination with your own self-expression to create an artwork. Cost $50.

When: Sunday, January 31, 1pm–4pm

Where: 50 Skinner Street, South Grafton

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/inspire-your-heart-with-art-tickets-136755059063?aff=ebdssbcitybrowse

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Archibald Prize Exhibition – Coffs Harbour

Coastbeat — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 01:39:35 +0000

Awarded to the best portrait painted by an artist resident in Australasia, the Archibald Prize presents images of a who’s who of contemporary culture, from politicians to celebrities and from sporting heroes to artists. The Archibald Prize was first awarded in 1921 and is Australia’s foremost portraiture prize. It is also Australian art’s most controversial competition. Numerous legal battles and much debate have focused on the evolving definitions of portraiture. The Archibald quickly became a prize eagerly sought by artists, not only because of the money it offered and the publicity and public exposure it generated, but because it also gave portrait artists an opportunity to have their work shown in a major gallery. Previously, portraitists had been largely restricted to public or private commissions.

Finalists are exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales before embarking on regional tours, including the upcoming visit at the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery. The 2019 Archibald Prize will be on show at two venues this year, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery and Culture Hub on Level 1 at Coffs Central.

“The creation of Culture Hub gives us the chance to present the whole Archibald exhibition for the first time,” Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery curator Chloe Waters says.

As part of the exhibition, the Gallery is hosting the Young Archie competition. Budding artists between the ages of 5 and 18 were invited to submit a portrait for the Young Archie competition, as part of our family-focused activities for the 2019 Archibald Prize regional tour. Entries will be exhibited alongside the Archibald Prize exhibition. The Archibald Prize exhibition begins with a sold-out opening night function on Friday, with the exhibition open to the public from Saturday until March 6.

When: Friday, January 22 to Saturday, March 6

Where: Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery and Culture Hub, Level 1, Coffs Central

https://www.coffscoast.com.au/event/archibald-prize-2019-provided-by-coffs-harbour-city-council

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Paint and Sip at The Seed – Port Macquarie

Coastbeat — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 08:15:11 +0000

Get your creative juices flowing with Paint Your Town at The Seed Creative Workshops for an evening of painting, sipping and celebrating! The group will be led by an artist coordinator who will give you step-by-step instructions on how to create your final masterpiece. And the best part? You can take your beautiful artwork home to hang on your wall. All equipment, canvas and paints are provided, with classes suitable to all abilities, including absolute beginners and people who “can’t paint”. BYO nibbles and drinks.

When: Various dates (call 0447 114 796 to check or to book a party)
Where: 44 Gordon Street, Port Macquarie

https://portmacquarieinfo.com.au/whats-on/events/paint-and-sip-at-the-seed

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Cleverman Exhibition Connects to Local Aboriginal Culture

Elize Strydom — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 02:45:43 +0000

Step inside the Wadjar Gallery at Corindi Beach and go behind the scenes of a groundbreaking Indigenous superhero series. ABC-TV’s Cleverman is an original Australian drama rooted in Aboriginal mythology. This exhibition features costumes, props and artwork from the show. It also explores First Nations storytelling, language and creative production design. Coastbeat visited the Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre and experienced this immersive exhibition.

Local Language Connection

Cleverman is a dystopian sci-fi story with a difference. The politically-charged series looks at Aboriginal origin stories in a contemporary context. Curated by ACMI, this is the first time the Cleverman exhibition has been shown in New South Wales. So how did it end up in the tiny coastal town of Corindi Beach? There’s actually a very special local connection. The Aboriginal characters in Cleverman speak Gumbaynggirr alongside the northern New South Wales language of Bundjalung.

“A lot of the actors had to learn Gumbaynggirr with Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative in Nambucca Heads,” says the gallery’s creative director Alison Williams. “It’s wonderful to hear the language being used on-screen – it’s a celebration and acknowledgment for us.”

Interaction and Immersion

The interactive exhibition gives behind-the-scenes access and features props, costumes and storyboards. Visitors are given a headset and can plug in to various audio ports to hear more about what went into the making of this remarkable series.

Installation Challenges

Installing the immersive display was a massive undertaking. Wadjar Gallery had to be gutted and painted black which took a week. The elements arrived in massive crates that filled the room. Torrential rain added an extra layer of difficulty.

“It’s definitely the biggest show we’ve ever done,” Alison says. “We’ve had a very positive response so far as people just don’t expect to see something like this when they drive down Red Rock Road!”

Cleverman is on show at Wadjar Gallery in the Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre until April 11. The gallery is open Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 4pm and on weekends from 9am to 2pm.

Keen to see more art locally? Check out Eugenia Lim’s The Ambassador on now at the Culture Hub in Coffs Central.

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Bellingen Artisan Market – Bellingen

Coastbeat — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 00:06:12 +0000

Once a year, some of the region’s best artisans gather to present buyers with a feast of artistic originals. The Bellingen Artisan Market will be held alongside the regular Growers Market and present a range of handmade items from more than 60 skilled craftspeople. There will also be food stalls, coffee and cold drinks for sale, along with live music by the Merchant Bankers.

When: Saturday, December 12, 8am-1pm

Where: Bellingen Showgrounds

Find out more here

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Snowline to Sandune – Port Macquarie

Coastbeat — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 00:00:46 +0000

Snowline to Sandune is the culmination of an artistic process which began when a retired high school art teacher decided to give lessons to adults in her home studio. Over the years, students came, and many stayed on, eventually evolving into a group of friends painting together, contributing ideas, skills, critiques and providing encouragement. Behind the paintings in this exhibition are nine women, each of whom may be a mother, a wife, a lover, a woman who may have art training or more likely not, who has aspired to live a creative life.

When: From Saturday, December 12

Where: Glasshouse Regional Gallery, Port Macquarie

Find out more here

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The Art of Painting & Drawing a Symbolic Narrative – Taree

Coastbeat — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 23:48:22 +0000

Develop the use of visual language in paintings with artist Vicki White. Vicki will guide you through the process of using props and objects to explore the idea of symbolism and metaphor in your artwork using your preferred medium. Take along your drawing materials plus a number of personal objects or props from nature like branches, stones, leaves, flowers. Pack some coloured or patterned fabric or sheets too.

When: Sunday, December 13, 10am-3pm

Where: Manning Regional Art Gallery, 12 Macquarie Street, Taree

Find out more here

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Silk painting workshop – Ballina

Coastbeat — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 04:15:43 +0000

Not everyone can be an artist, but Kim Michelle Toft knows everyone can produce art. There’s no doubting Kim’s artistic talent and she likes nothing more than bringing out the best in people who have only ever dreamed of creating something worth framing. The Ballina gallery owner is world renowned for the amazing colours and brightness of the underwater scenes she paints onto silk. At her classes, held most Saturdays, she passes on the techniques she first learnt in Byron Bay and has perfected over the past 30 years.

“It’s all about silk painting technique, no artistic ability is required,” Kim says of the classes.

“It’s not a drawing class, participants trace their design onto the silk and then they add the colours.”

With a maximum of four people, the classes attract locals, tourists and many day trippers from the Gold Coast.

“It’s a great way to get creative for four hours and it’s a rewarding experience,” Kim says.

“Everybody loves what they do.”

Kim believes silk is perfect for highlighting vibrant colours and the shimmering brightness is what makes her marine scenes come to life.

“When you paint on silk the dye saturates the fibres – it becomes one with the silk.

“The colour comes out beautifully and the light shines through the silk – it’s an amazing combination.”

When: Saturdays, 11am-3pm

Where: Sea Silk Gallery, 6/2 Martin Street, Ballina

Learn more and book your place at a class here.

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Knit the City in the Heart of Coffs Harbour

Elize Strydom — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 03:06:02 +0000

Coffs Harbour is alive with colour and creativity. A riot of crocheted and knitted creations – from spiders to rainbows – made by artists and community groups have been installed in the city centre. Coastbeat set out on foot to find them all.

Notice anything different in the Coffs city centre? Perhaps a little more colour, a little more fun? Local yarn artists have created installations in unexpected places as part of ‘Knit the City’. This collection of knitted creations officially launches today and aims to encourage people back into the heart of Coffs.

The theme of the installation – ‘in bloom’ – ties in with the change of season. With warm weather upon us and ever increasing daylight, this family-friendly exhibition offers locals and visitors the opportunity to walk around the city with fresh eyes.

“What an imaginative, colourful and fun way to get people in the mood for the upcoming summer,” says Coffs Harbour Mayor Councillor Denise Knight. “Don’t miss out, come and enjoy these beautiful artworks in a lovely, outdoor COVID-safe setting – and do some shopping or have a coffee and a meal while you’re here.”

In the lead up to the exhibition, baskets of free wool were placed around the city to encourage at-home crafters to get involved. Their imaginative designs are in addition to the works made by artists including Olga Budovich, Cathy Stevens and Marg Coutts. Children from out of school hours care and members of C.ex combined their efforts to work on a number of collaborative pieces, too.

With more than 200 knitted and crocheted pieces made by 12 artists and groups, you may need a little help finding them all. Drop into the concierge desk at Coffs Central to pick up a free walking map and go check them out! Don’t forget to take some snaps and tag your posts #CoffsCityCentre.

Check out this exhibition showcasing local faces and voices in Grafton.

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