Regional galleries link communities
ONE of the many strengths of a regional art gallery is its sense of community.
This can happen through a local event that includes sharing an art experience with family and friends, neighbours and visitors.
It can be also embrace a broader interpretation of community that highlights cultural diversity explored though a shared passion such as photography.
Two regional exhibitions celebrate a hands-on approach to arts practice and an acknowledgement of the poetry of place.
The Rosalie Gallery in Goombungee is hosting Potting it All Together, a ceramic exhibition that is tactile and visually engaging.
This rewarding and coherent body of work by a group of artists began as a shared experience in exploring and creating ceramic objects.
It is further enhanced by informative didactic panels that give background and added substance to the pieces displayed.
However, what makes this exhibition truly impressive it that the artists are children from Prep to Year 6 who attend Kulpi State School.
Visionary teachers at the school seized an opportunity offered by the Flying Arts Alwill liance.
They applied for a grant that would fund an artist-inresidence in the chosen field of pottery.
The successful application saw ceramist Dianne Peach teach a range of techniques including slab construction, pinch pots, and plate making using raku clay.
Building a kiln was also part of the experience that involved the children, parents, carers, and members of the community.
The students smoothed and burnished their pots, drew patterns into surfaces and Ms Peach then bisque fired the pieces in her own kiln.
This was followed by the glazing and firing in earnest and finally the exciting moment of opening the three kilns to see the magical results.
The participation, the exchange of ideas, the involvement, the skills learned, the gratifying results, and the intergenerational collaboration
remain a lifetime memory for all who shared the adventure. The Crows Nest Regional
Art Gallery is featuring works from the Toowoomba Takatsuki Photographic Exchange.
This exchange of photographs between the Toowoomba Photographic Society and the K eisha Photograph Association of our sister city, Takatsuki in Japan began in 2006 as part of the 15th Anniversary celebrations of “sisterhood”.
Since then it has been a yearly event that fosters cultural and artistic dialogue between the cities.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the sister-city relationship a Sister City Photographic Competition with the theme, Living in Harmony generated additional interest.
The photographs on display include twelve works from Takatsuki and twelve from Toowoomba.
The styles and content are diverse, delighting in the opportunity to share significant aspects of each location as well as offering an insight into the interests and artistic vision of the photographers.
This is particularly apparent in works by Hiromu Yamada, Toshio Fujii, Syoohei Fujiwara, Graham Burstow, Edwin Mangabat, and Sandy Adsett.