Well not quite… the end of the year sees the Tidal Award Exhibition on show and receiving great feedback; the Tidal Artisan Street Market opens this Friday 9 December at 3pm and the inaugural Tidal Festival kicks off on the 23 January 2017!
Winding the clock back to the first half of the year, key works from each decade of collecting were presented in the Forty Year Survey of the DCC Permanent Collection exhibition; new paintings and studies by Anne Morrison attracted many visitors to the Gallery and the touring exhibition Katherine Hattam: Desire First provided visitors with the opportunity to view a survey of paintings and sculptures by this renowned Melbourne artist. Evening workshops were fully booked and school groups were inspired by these engaging displays, observing, writing and making art in the exhibition space.
Images (clockwise from left): Curator Emily Kennel speaking about 40 Years of Collecting; Katherine Hattam; install view Anne Morrison: Preservation and Loss
The cold weather did not deter visitors from visiting the Gallery while the Lyons Share exhibition was on display. Featuring photographs of the famous Lyons family made by the Robinson Photographic Business in Devonport, and items on loan from Home Hill – the Lyons’ family home, the exhibition engaged audiences on various levels. Some members of the public relayed fascinating stories about their contact with the Lyons family while others shared their memories of the famous couple attending events in Devonport. Alongside this exhibition was a display of prints from the DCC Permanent Collection presented in conjunction with the Print Council of Australia’s 50th Anniversary. A highlight of the exhibition was a series of prints by Bea Maddock [b1934, d2016].
The 2016 Solo Commission featured large scale B&W photographs and video work by North West artist Lisa Garland. After a huge opening night, the gallery continued to be filled with visitors captivated by the characters represented in Garland’s works – and of course, many of these characters came to view their life-size portraits. Our final touring exhibition for the year was the fascinating Shapeshifters: 3D Printing the Future where the public could witness a 3D printer in action and view the many applications for 3D printing including those used in architecture, building, medicine, furniture making and art. We were pleased to showcase seven emerging Tasmanian artist’s exhibitions in The Little Gallery and were encouraged by many of these artist’s enthusiasm and level of skills when presenting workshops.
Images (clockwise from left): 2016 Solo Commission artist Lisa Garland; install view The Lyons Share; Lisa Garland twilight tour
Punctuated throughout the exhibition program have been many great projects including Reclaim the Lane held as part of National Youth Week, Four 8 Film Festival, film-making workshops, PORTAL community photography project and exhibition; various art-making workshops and talks; Books + Art monthly discussions; early years and school programs and concerts. Outside the Gallery the Droogs completed a street art project on the laneway wall of Devonport Bookshop and participated in Make Your Mark at TMAG while DRG showcased items from the DCC Collection in Hobart on two separate occasions.
Images (clockwise from top left): Droogs mural at Devonport Bookshop; Drawn Home workshop participants; Four 8 Film Festival screening; Nick Parish Trio; 1, 2, 3 Create participants; education programs at the Gallery; Reclaim the Lane; Nightscape Photography.
Of course, the foundation for everything DRG presents is mainly constructed ‘behind the scenes’ and for this I wish to thank all of my staff for their input and commitment to the arts in 2016. With a few weeks left until the end of the year we hope to see you at the Gallery to view Tidal or perhaps we will cross paths at the Artisan Street Market this Friday. In the spirit of the festive season: have a safe and relaxing summer and we look forward to seeing you soon at DRG.
– Ellie Ray, Director
