Tag: artist

Attendance Report: Promoting the arts and community organisations

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On the 31st of March I had the pleasure of opening Parole Viaggianti, which is the latest exhibition at Maroondah Federation Estate. Parole Viaggianti, otherwise known as Travelling Words, features artwork by Angela Cavalieri explores the relationship between language, cultural memory and subjectivity drawing upon Angela’s experiences while travelling.

The exhibition was developed in partnership with the La Trobe University Museum of Art and highlights the Gallery’s role in exhibiting promising artists.

Parole Viaggianti will be on exhibition until the 14th of May at the Maroondah Art Gallery, located at Maroondah Federation Estate in Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood.

On the 7th of April I had the pleasure of attending the 21st birthday celebrations of the Croydon Stroke Support Group. The Group, which focuses on providing peer support, has grown rapidly over the past 21 years In recent times, the group has developed an arts focus, uncovering the hidden talents of its members, through painting, drawing and mosaics, as as well as writing.

The group has also pioneered the first choir for people with aphasia, a stroke condition where people are unable to speak but are still able to sing. The choir, which is an Australian first, helps restore confidence for people with aphasia and develops new talents in the arts and singing.

I would like to congratulate the Croydon Stroke Support Group for celebrating its 21st birthday and its innovation, I’m certain the Group will have many more birthdays to celebrate.

Opening of Angela Cavalieri’s Parole Viaggiante at Maroondah Art Gallery

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This year marks the 10th anniversary of Maroondah Federation Estate and the Maroondh Art Gallery. The gallery, which is located in the art room of the former Ringwood Primary School is Maroondah’s premiere art gallery featuring a diverse range of art exhibitions.

This evening I was invited to launch Parole Viaggiante, the latest exhibition at Maroondah Federation Estate, which was jointly curated between La Trobe University Museum of Art and the Maroondah Art Gallery. Parole Viaggiante features works by Angela Cavalieri, which captures her travel experiences, depictions of cities and the multifaceted use of language.

The exhibition which opened tonight will be shown at the Maroondah Art Gallery until the 26th of May. The speech delivered during the opening is available in this post:

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Opening the Kaleidoscope Exhibition

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Kaleidoscope is the name of an art exhibition hosted by Scope, which showcases the artistic talents of people with disabilities. The exhibition, which is being held across the State, includes a series of exhibits at the Long Gallery at Maroondah Federation Estate.

This morning I was invited to open the Exhibition at Maroondah Federation Estate to encourage members of the community to view artworks that were submitted under the theme of ‘Inspiration Works’. The launch was accompanied by ambient music provided by members of Scope, showcasing musical, as well as artistic talents.

Alex with the first prize winner of the Kaleidoscope Exhibition
Alex with the first prize winner of the Kaleidoscope Exhibition

The Kaleidoscope Exhibition was widely attended with several members travelling across Victoria to be present at the opening. It was wonderful to be a part of the exhibition and to see Scope celebrating the artistic talents of its members.

The speech I delivered during the proceedings in available within this post:
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Speaking to the Rotary Club of Warrandyte Donvale

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Australia is home to a large number of Rotary Clubs, which are organised into geographically defined districts. The eastern and south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne are situated within Rotary District 9810, which extends from Port Philip Bay through to Dandenong Ranges and beyond.

This evening I spoke to the Rotary Club of Warrandyte Donvale, discussing my Council, Community and business background. I had been assisting the Club in the formation of their new website, designed to create a dynamic web presence for the Club.

The Rotary Club of Warrandyte Donvale has unveiled its website to coincide with the launch of its Art Show, a major project undertaken by the Club. The website has enabled the Club to easily maintain content on the site and to add new information as required.

In addition, the website enables an on-line registration process for artists entering the Art Show. This removes the need to manually enter data, reducing duplication, as well as preventing errors that can occur when manually typing data from forms.

Furthermore, the automation of the on-line system means that time provided by the Club’s volunteers can be utilised on other activities, rather than spending time manually entering data. Volunteers often have time constraints and it is important that their time is valued and utilised productively.

I commend the Rotary Club of Warrandyte Donvale for utilising the Internet to improve the operations of the Club and to promote their activities.

Maroondah Weekly: Artists join Melbourne’s best

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The Maroondah Mayoral Art Show is an annual event, which raises funds for the Croydon Branch of Bone Marrow Donor Institute. The Maroondah Weekly has reported on the Art Show, which will be held until the 11th of December:

Maroondah mayor Alex Makin said 25 percent of the sale of the art works would be donated to the Croydon branch of the Bone marrow Institute, which has been a long standing patron of the show.

The art show showcases the breadth of artist talent, with many local artists participating in the event.

Cr Makin said the event was the also an opportunity for local artists’ work to be hung along-side well-known Melbourne artists. “It’s been one of the most diverse years in terms of the breadth of different art and the breadth of different mediums as well.”

In addition to Council’s support, the Mayoral Art Show is also sponsored by the Ringwood East branch of the Bendigo Community Bank, providing a partnership between local businesses, council and the community.

Delegates’ Report: Celebrating diversity and promoting art

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There are several items I’ll be reporting on:

On the 23rd of October I attended the Khaudo Festival, organised by Maroondah’s Zomi community. The Zomi are an ethnic group from Burma and Maroondah has one of the highest populations of refugees from Burma within Metropolitan Melbourne. The Khuado Festival is a celebration of the Zomi New Year and a welcome to the community.

Similarly on the 13th of November I attended a Sudanese Cultural Festival featuring music, food and dance from Maroondah’s growing Sudanese community. It is great to see our emerging communities sharing their culture with the wider Maroondah community through showcasing traditional dance, music and food.

On the 28th of October I attended Monkami’s production of ‘Hey Hey Its Monkami’. Monkami is a not-for-profit community based organisation that provides services and opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. The organisation has an emphasis on community development including theatre and the arts as well as community partnerships. The Ringwood Movie Makers have continued to work in partnership with Monkami and filmed a cameo performance as part of the script.

On the 7th of November I attended the Maroondah Festival and it was fantastic to see so many community groups and residents participating in the festival. For the first year in a while, we had pleasant weather and in addition it was fortunate the rain held off.

On the 11th of November I attended the Remembrance Day services at the Croydon RSL and I would like to commend the members of the RSL for their community focus and involvement of local schools and community members.

Also on the 11th I officiated the Maroondah Volunteer Recognition Function, where we recognised the valuable contribution of Maroondah’s volunteers. Many of these volunteers have been assisting Council in the delivery of services, including Meals on Wheels, as well as supporting our environment and social support services.

Lastly, the 11th also featured the opening night of the Mayoral Art Show, which supports the Croydon Branch of the Bone Marrow Donor Institute. All proceeds from the exhibition support cancer research and features 90 artists across a range of mediums and styles.

The 2010 Mayoral Art Show

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The Mayoral Art Show is an annual art event that supports the Croydon Branch of the Bone Marrow Donors Institute and the work it undertakes in the research of Cancer. The art show, which features 90 artists, includes promising and local artistic talents with a range of mediums.

The Mayor is able to acquire one of the pieces for the Maroondah Art Collection and I acquired a piece by Jazmina Cinina, a promising artist specialising in linocut and drawing upon her Lithuanian heritage and interest in werewolves.

The speech delivered for the opening is available within this entry:

Continue reading “The 2010 Mayoral Art Show”

Media Release: Mayor Art Show highlights local talent

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The 2010 Maroondah Mayoral Art Show will be on display at the Maroondah Art Gallery from 11 November to 11 December.

Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said the exhibition, now in its 14th year would feature works by some of Melbourne’s best known artists.

“To be featured in the exhibition each artist was asked to make a donation with all funds raised to be donated to the Bone Marrow Donor Institute – Croydon Branch to support further research into leukaemia,” Cr Makin said.

“It is great to be able to give our local artists an opportunity to share their works with the community, while also knowing that visiting the exhibition you are also helping to support a worthwhile cause,” Cr Makin said.

The Mayoral Art Show is sponsored by East Ringwood Bendigo Bank.

The exhibition will be officially opened by Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin at 6.30pm, Thursday 11 November.

The Mayoral Art Show is on at Maroondah Art Gallery, Maroondah Federation Estate, 32 Greenwood Ave, Ringwood. The gallery has extended its opening hours especially for the exhibition, and is now open Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and Saturday 12 noon to 4pm.

For more information please contact the Team Leader Arts & Cultural Services, Susan Ryan on 9298 4536.

– ENDS –

Hey Hey It’s Monkami

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The Monkami Centre is based in Croydon and provides a range of services for people with intellectual disabilities, with the aim of developing employment and educational opportunities.

Monkami has a strong focus on community development and has established the Monkami Drama Group which holds an annual theatre performance to demonstrate the talents of its clients. The Monkami Drama Group is one example of the organisation’s community focus, which also includes a focus on artistic skills and volunteering opportunities.

This year’s performance was titled ‘Hey Hey It’s Monkami’ and followed the plot of performers auditioning for a part in Red Faces. As the Mayor of Maroondah, I provided a cameo appearance via a video sequence, in relation to Monkami’s suggestions. The Monkami performance is possible due to a partnership between Karralyka and the Ringwood Movie Makers, who have provided ongoing multimedia support including filming sequences to accompany the stage performance.

The annual Monkami theatre performance continues to grow in popularity each year, including a number of external performances to showcase the skills and talents of the performers. Tonight’s show was a tremendous success and Monkami is already planning for their 2011 theatre season.

Monkami Luncheon – Introducing Alarming Art

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The Monkami Centre is located in Croydon and is a not-for-profit disability services provider for people with intellectual disabilities.  The Centre has a strong emphasis on empowering its clients and provides a range of educational, employment and community development activities.

This afternoon I attended a luncheon organised by the Monkami Centre to provide an introduction to their latest project, ‘Alarming Art’. The project includes the transforming of the former Croydon Fire Station into a community art space, featuring artwork from Monkami’s clients and other artists.

Today’s lunch also provided an opportunity for Monkami to discuss their other projects, including volunteer and employment opportunities that exist for their clients. These projects are critical in demonstrating that people with intellectual disabilities can contribute positively to our community and I commend Monkami for its emphasis on developing and enhancing the skills of its clients.

An official launch of Alarming Art is planned for 6.30 pm on Thursday the 14th of October at the former Croydon Fire Station, 14A Croydon Road in Croydon.