Sun. Dec 22nd, 2024

Three new art installations celebrating local art, contemporary Australian drawing and dual perspectives of bird life are on display at the Tamworth Regional Gallery this weekend after being officially opened last night.

The 2022 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award (JADA) is on exhibition, featuring the work of 56 artists, selected from 641 entries to be featured in the travelling exhibition across regional audiences until 2024. The exhibition encapsulates the extraordinary spectrum of current drawing practice, from the expressive and abstract, to hyper-realism, and works that evoke a poetic and emotional response to our world. The prize is generously supported by the Friends of Grafton Gallery, and will be on exhibition until Sunday 27 August.

Members of the community will also have an opportunity to buy quality regional art from leading local artists this until Sunday 25 June at the Tamworth Regional Gallery Friends’ Silent Auction. The major biennial fund-raising event helps the Gallery to purchase new works for the Collection, including paintings, drawings and ceramics. Those interested in purchasing artworks can make silent bids throughout the exhibition period, which closes at 1pm Sunday 25 June.

In addition to the above, a new digital, outdoor installation from the Australian Museum highlighting the incredible world of Australia’s birdlife will be on in the Tamworth Library and Gallery forecourt from Saturday, 24 June to Sunday, 27 August. Presented on an interactive storytelling cube as a piece of public art, The Birds of Australia STORYBOX, brings to life the iconic bird illustrations of John and Elizabeth Gould together with First Nations storytelling and knowledges.

While uncovering John and Elizabeth’s bird expedition across New South Wales, the outdoor installation further explores why understanding the significance of Australian birds from a First Nations perspectives and their role in connecting to Country is vital to our fragile future.

Penne Fraser, President of Friends of Tamworth Regional Gallery, is looking forward to seeing how the public engage and support with each exhibition.

“Tamworth Regional Gallery are trying to build upon the variety of art practices, artists and ideas that viewers can gain access to in our region, and these exhibitions are a fantastic display of that commitment to variety in action,” she said.

For Tamworth Regional Gallery opening hours and further exhibition information visit https://tamworthregionalgallery.com.au.

Top image: Alun Rhys Jones, ‘Flux’, 2022, charcoal on Stonehenge paper, part of the JADA exhibition

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