More than 800 artworks on offer at Downlands Art Show

Now in its 37th year, the Downlands Art Show has developed a reputation for hanging fine work, from investment pieces, to work from young and emerging artists.

RME Downlands Art Exhibition 2024 feature artist Christine Porter, Thursday, September 12, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

In preparing for the 2024 Downlands Art Show, Christine Porter returned to her roots.

The Lismore painter has built her career around capturing the sublime quality of Western Queensland’s wool sheds and revisited the shed that started it, at Charlotte Plains near Cunnamulla.

“The first shed I painted was 40 years ago, almost to the day, from that second onwards I wanted to do more,” she said.

“They are so interesting as a piece of architecture, stylistically they have shapes and colours and tones, and overlaid with that they are work space, so it is not just about beauty for beauty’s sake.”

Ms Porter is the Downlands Art Show’s featured artist and the work she will display is a revision of that first shed.

“I went out and had a look at it again, it is interesting to see that first painting and my work now and see how it has come a long way since then.

“My work is more about the patterns.”

The show will be open to the public through the weekend.

Curator Evan Hollis said it was one of the best collections the school had hosted in the show’s 37-year history, with almost 300 artists represented.

“We have almost 800 art works, worth more than $900,000,” he said.

“There are quite a lot of investment works, ranging from $45,000 to $100.

Every piece was selected by the show curatorial group and hung by the artist with help from Downlands College parents and students.

“I think we have a really good selection of sculpture, from glass, to timber and ceramics, there is some jewellery,” Mr Hollis said.

“There is an incredibly diverse range of paintings, we have had to curate the landscapes into five areas to make sure it is represented properly.

The show is open from 10am-4pm, Saturday to Wednesday at Downlands College’s Graham Centre.