OPENING: Full program of Grafton Regional Gallery’s huge opening weekend
All the details of how you can be involved in the community celebration for the redevelopment of our cultural centre
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It’s ready to go, and it’s time to celebrate!
The Grafton Regional Gallery will reopen after a 14 month renovation with a three-day celebration for the whole community.
And it’s not just paintings on a wall, but a vibrant display of local art, lantern makings, music, inflatables and culture for all.
>>> MAGIC OF CLARENCE: Celebrating the gallery’s reopening
The gallery space is renewed after $7.6 million in renovations funded by Create NSW as part of the Regional Cultural Fund.
Celebrations at the gallery will commence on Friday March 19 with an official opening at 3pm by Special Minister of State and Minister the Arts Don Harwin, and will continue with exhibitions opening at 5.30pm.
Community celebrations will continue on Saturday and Sunday March 20-21, 10am-4pm each day and a special Art ‘till Dark late opening on Saturday March 20.
“Artistically Grafton Regional Gallery is re-establishing itself as a place of creative innovation; a destination for art and culture which showcases the best of the Clarence Valley and brings the best to our region,” gallery director Niomi Sands said.
“The Gallery is ready to reinforce its position as a cultural destination for NSW.”
>>> RELATED: Grafton Regional Gallery sneak peek
The multifaceted artistic program at the new Gallery will ignite new relationships with creativity through exhibitions, tours, talks, workshops, special events and performances, screenings, children‘s activities and multimedia.
The new Gallery opens with a celebration of the magnificent Clarence Valley with four exciting exhibitions: River to the Sea, Unwrapping, Select and Our Place.
Celebrations will spill into the streets of Grafton with street flags and lanterns for Prince Street traders that have been inspired by the Gallery Prentice House facade and created by NSW Artist Ken O’Regan. Community members will be able to make their own lanterns with the artist at workshops in the Grafton Library on Thursday March 17 and at the Gallery as part of the Saturday and Sunday celebrations. This high street promotion has been funded by the NSW State Government through the Festival of Place – Summer Fun(d).
Here are the details and times for the opening weekend:
Friday March 19
3pm for 3:30pm: Official Opening. By Invitation only
MC: Mr Peter Wood – Managing Director – Arts Northern Rivers Welcome to Country: Mr Harry Walker – Bundjalung Elder
Speeches: Mr Jim Simmons – Mayor, Clarence Valley Council Ms Niomi Sands – Director, Grafton Regional Gallery, Mr Rod Watters – Chair, The Gallery Foundation, Mr Rupert Myer on behalf of Baillieu Myer – The Yulgilbar Foundation, Hon Chris Gulaptis MP – Member for Clarence
Official Opening: Hon Don Harwin MLC – Special Minister of State and Minister the Arts Friday 19 March, 5:30pm Cocktail Celebration and Exhibitions Opening. By Invitation only
∙ Exhibitions opening by Ms Niomi Sands
∙ Entertainment by the Jacaranda Quartet and The Clouds
Saturday and Sunday March 20-21, 10am-4pm each day. Art For Everyone.
Community celebrations including artists in residence and creative workshops: ∙ Food trucks and local I-Scream van will be on site each day
- Free workshops for community, bookings via Eventbrite:
- Garden art making workshops with the Art Gardeners
- Write a love letter to the Gallery with the Valentines
- Lantern making with artist Ken O’Regan
Saturday 20 March: 4:30-7pm. Art ‘til Dark
- Artist Talk with Goldberg Aberline Studio.
- Local DJ collective Edward Lovebot
- Pay bar and food trucks
Exhibition details:
River to the Sea
River to the Sea showcases the mighty Clarence River and the surrounding landscape through the eyes of nationally recognised artists – Frances Belle Parker, Sophie Cape, Steve Lopes, Euan Macleod, Robert Moore, Amanda Penrose Hart, Deborah Taylor and Ann Thomson. In the tradition of ‘en plein air’, these contemporary artists were invited to respond to the local landscape during a field trip in Spring 2020. This exhibition presents the mighty Clarence River and surrounding landscape as seen through the eyes of the artists and explores our connection to place and the natural environment, as well as providing a new perspective of the Clarence Valley. The project support material includes an illustration by local artist Cass Samms, catalogue essay by local writer Lesley Apps and photographic and video documentation by Cher Breeze and Danny Loyden. In her essay Apps reveals the link between this exhibition and the inaugural 1988 exhibition Artist/Tree on exhibition when the Grafton Regional Gallery opened its doors for the first time.
Unwrapping
Desire, Allure and the Culture of Single Use Plastic: a vivid burst of happiness and colour with the Goldberg Aberline Studio community collaboration conducted throughout 2020. This is an exciting installation, and the fruition of a twelve-month collaboration with Goldberg Aberline, the Lower Clarence Arts Group, Cowper Art Gallery and Studio, McAuley Catholic College; and local artists Cassandra-lyn Palmer, Kerrie Bowles, Julianne Gosper, Linda Coombs, Deborah McLennan, Cynthia McDermott, Suzanne Monin, Toni Simpson, Diane Nixon, Michelle Worley and Pamela Denise. Unwrapping explores the GAS’s fascination with the tantalising, decorative aspects of consumerism and commercial packaging. What draws us to the shiny, colour saturated surfaces, and how does it create in us a sense of value and status? How can such a powerful object of desire become completely worthless the moment it is discarded? Unwrapping engages with the Clarence Valley community to break down our complex relationship with plastics, raising awareness and tackling our urgent environmental issues
Our Place
Our Place: celebrates the Clarence Valley and the creativity of the local community. Participants of all ages and skill levels have been invited to share their experiences of living in the region. This exhibition highlights the cultural vibrancy of the Clarence Valley and has given local artists, makers, and creatives an opportunity to make their mark on the new gallery. Featuring two-dimensional works across all mediums, Our Place: Celebrating the Clarence emphasises the talent of Clarence locals.
Select: recent additions to the collection
Select: recent additions to the collection. Over the past two years the acquisition program has focused on works that celebrate contemporary drawing, supporting local creativity and creating a wider context for existing artworks in the collection.
Originally published as OPENING: Full program of Grafton Regional Gallery’s huge opening weekend
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