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.
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:
Maroondah Federation Estate celebrated its 10th birthday with a range of activities highlighting the Maroondah Art Gallery and the range of community groups that utilise the facility.
The celebrations coincided with a picnic in the park, providing a free barbecue and the opportunity to meet the Mullum Ward Councillors. Like previous picnic in the parks, today’s event was a great opportunity to meet members of the Maroondah community and I would like to thank the many people I spoke to throughout the day.
The celebrations also focused on the history of Maroondah Federation Estate, which began as a primary school, through photographs supplied by the Ringwood Historical Society. Other photographs covering Ringwood’s early history were also provided by the Ringwood Historical Society.
Like many community based organisations Maroondah City Council is fortunate to have volunteers who assist in the delivery of services or provide assistance in the form of social support, environmental care and committees of management.
This evening Maroondah City Council acknowledged the service of its volunteers who dedicate their time to the community. The reception also provides an opportunity to thank volunteers who have achieved milestones in their contributions, including several who have been volunteering through Council for 35 years.
Alex with Council's CEO, Frank Dixon and volunteers who were recognised for 35 years of voluntary service to the Maroondah community.
The strength of a community can be measured by the number of volunteers and I would to thank everyone that has dedicated their time to volunteering within the municipality. The speech provided during the reception is available within this post:
Time is a valuable commodity in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But time is something that Maroondah City Council’s volunteers are willing to offer every day as they assist their fellow community members and our natural environment.
Maroondah City Council hosted a special function at the Karralyka Centre on Thursday 11 November to recognise the valuable work done by the huge number of volunteers who help to support and deliver the services and facilities provided by Council.
Maroondah Mayor Councillor Alex Makin said approximately 500 volunteers who give their time to Meals on Wheels, Social Support services and Planned Activity Group, which provides support and social activities for Maroondah’s frail aged and people with disabilities, Community House Committees of Management, Wyreena Community Arts Centre, and Maroondah Art Gallery.
“In addition there are volunteers from Council’s bushland and sporting reserves who contribute their time to our natural environment and they are also to be thanked and commended for their efforts and contribution to the Maroondah community,” Cr Makin said.
“All Maroondah City Council volunteers were invited to the ceremony in recognition of the tremendous work they have achieved over the past year. Special awards were also handed out to 43 volunteers in recognition of their extended periods of service – ranging from 10 to 35 years,” Cr Makin said.
This year, there are four Meals on Wheels volunteers and one AC Robertson Reserve Committee of Management volunteer recognised for an outstanding 35 years of service.
Four volunteers, who worked with Meals on Wheels, Hughes Park Committee of Management or Heathmont Bushlinks, were recognised for 30 years of service.
A further two volunteers were recognised for 20 years of service, 12 volunteers for 15 years and 20 for 10 years of service.
Such long-term loyalty to volunteering highlights the obvious level of satisfaction and fulfilment that Council’s volunteers receive.
“The Maroondah community is indeed fortunate to have a wonderfully dedicated base of volunteers who strengthen and extend the social, environmental and cultural dimensions of our city,” Cr Makin said.
“Why not help to grow our volunteers by offering your time and skills to a variety of Council programs, such as Social Support Services where you can provide a friendly hand or ear for the frail elderly; Bushcare to help manage and improve our valuable bushland areas; Meals On Wheels; or Committees of Management for parks, reserves and community houses,” Cr Makin said.
To find out how you can make a rewarding and valuable contribution to the Maroondah community through volunteering, call Council on 1300 88 22 33.
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.
Ringwood Station fails to meet disability compliance standards and is perceived to be unsafe due to the poor station design, including narrow and steep ramps. The community has continually called for the full redevelopment of Ringwood Station into a safe, accessible and integrated interchange that will meet the needs of Ringwood as a vibrant urban centre.
While public transport is a State Government responsibility, Council must advocate on behalf of its community and it is clear that Maroondah is seeking a commitment for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station.
Council has been circulating a petition for the past month which has now attracted over 2000 signatures with approximately 1000 visitations through social media tools, including Facebook and Youtube. This evening Council officially launched the Missing Piece campaign with a direct call to action for all political parities to commit to the station upgrade.
Alex with Margaret launching Maroondah's Missing Piece campaign calling for the upgrade of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange
Ringwood Station is the Missing Piece in a vision for Ringwood, since a lack of commitment diminishes the residential, commercial and community investment that is taking place. Margaret Stevens, a renowned accessibility advocate who spent a week at Eastland collecting signatures for the petition, joined me in launching the campaign and calling on all political parties to commit to Ringwood’s future.
Council’s video highlighting the condition of Ringwood Station was displayed throughout the launch reinforcing the accessibility difficulties that exist.
The speech provided during the launch is available within this post:
In the spirit of Reconciliation, we acknowledge that we are meeting on land for which the Wurundjeri people have been custodians for many centuries, and on land which the Indigenous Australians have performed age old ceremonies.
We, Maroondah City Council, accept, respect and have shared with the Wurundjeri people in their customs of welcome.
The Wurundjeri people support the coming together of all people, respecting their individuality to focus on a unified and cohesive nation.
As you have gathered here this evening, you will have seen the video playing overhead showing the difficulty people in our community, and particularly those with a disability, have accessing Ringwood Station and the 50 year old ramps leading to the station platforms.
This video has been an important element of an advocacy campaign Council has been running over the past six weeks.
The campaign is seeking a funding commitment from all state political parties in the lead up to the State election for the upgrade of Ringwood Station within the next term of government.
The campaign has been running for six weeks with significant support and media coverage from Maroondah’s two local papers, editorial has appeared each week for the past 6 weeks.
Community support has been extremely strong, and to date we have over 2000 signatures to the petition, from individuals and community groups.
One of these individuals is here with us tonight, and I would like to acknowledge Margaret Stevens for her dedication to the cause in securing over 600 signatures from the Maroondah community and beyond during a week at Eastland. In addition, several members of the community, including Dawn Oliffe spent time at Ringwood Station securing signatures for the petition.
Margaret is one of many voices demanding action for Ringwood Station. I have spoken with many people during the course of this campaign and the message from the community is clear, Maroondah residents are tired of waiting, they want a safe, integrated, accessible and vibrant Ringwood Station, and they want it in the term of the next government.
Tonight, Council is launching “The Missing Piece – Ringwood Station” in the lead up to this evening’s Eastern Transport Coalition Forum.
Alex with Margaret launching Maroondah's Missing Piece campaign calling for the upgrade of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange.
Significant investment and development continues in Ringwood, with support from the State Government and private enterprise, however the commitment to fund the redevelopment of Ringwood Station remains the missing piece of the vision for the Ringwood Central Activities District.
As you can see within the Ringwood Central Activities District jigsaw, we have EastLink providing an important road transport corridor from Mitcham to Frankston, an area responsible for 40 percent of Victoria’s manufacturing output and over 1.3 million people living in the area and providing more than 350,000 jobs.
The sporting, recreational and leisure facilities that either currently exist (Maroondah Federation Estate/Maroondah Art Gallery, tennis, croquet, football and cricket), are under construction (Soccer), or awaiting funding (proposed Maroondah Aquatic and Leisure) in the Jubilee Park precinct are within walking distance from Ringwood Station and the Central Activities District.
New businesses and services are moving to Ringwood, bringing increased employment and spending, as evidenced by the Connect East building perched over EastLink.
Ringwood Lake Park is an icon of Ringwood, providing enormous leisure and recreational pleasure all year round for people of all ages and abilities.
The $39million bus interchange is poised to change the face of Maroondah Highway, however, it does not provide an interface with the existing Ringwood Station.
Residential housing development is showing consistent growth within the Central Activities District with private building developers showing their support for the vision of Ringwood. The new 10 story co-operative housing development will soon be home to over 100 people early next year.
Eastland and the Ringwood Market site are expected to see construction and expansion of retail, community and business floorspace, changing the face of Ringwood significantly.
The Lake to Creek project will see pedestrian and cycling links between the Mullum Mullum Creek and Ringwood Lake, adding another vital layer to the accessibility of our city.
It is time to add the missing piece to the Ringwood Central Activities District jigsaw, a new Ringwood Station.
It is time for each state political party to not only acknowledge the need for an upgrade to Ringwood Station, but to actually stand up and commit to fund this important piece of public transport infrastructure that remains the missing piece of the vision for the State Government’s own Ringwood Central Activities District.
The Maroondah Art Gallery is located at Maroondah Federation Estate in Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood. This evening I attended the opening of two exhibitions, ‘Idée fixe’ and ‘Come into the Garden Maud’.
‘Idée fixe’ includes works from three artists, Penelope Le Petit, Julie Milton and Antoinette de Morton, who utilise printmaking and a range of mediums to explore the association of objects and gender associations. ‘Come into the Garden Maud’, features works by Sharman Feinberg whose paintings depict the colours and shape of a number of private and public gardens, including Monet’s Garden in Giverny France.
Both exhibitions will be featured at the Maroondah Art Gallery until the 2nd of October. For further details please visit www.artsinmaroondah.com.au.
JUDGES in the annual Maroondah City Council’s Photo Competition had their work cut out for them this year with more than 70 photographers entering 121 photographs.
The winners were announced by Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin at a special ceremony on Thursday night at Maroondah Federation Estate.
“It was always going to be difficult judging what is a variety of subjects and a high standard of works,” Cr Makin said. “This year the entries featured everything from some of Maroondah best known landmarks to our native flora and fauna.”
First place in the open section (18 years and older) was awarded to Roger Frost, for his piece Under the Gum Trees, which captured the contrasting scenes of the Mullum Mullum Valley and the EastLink tunnels. Mr Frost won a $300 gift voucher courtesy of Croydon Camera House.
Second place went to Ciaran Magee for her piece Quiet Autumn, which shows a tranquil moment outside Ringwood Library. She won three Hoyts Eastland La Premiere double passes.
The intermediate section (13 to 17 years) was won by Stephanie Lillis, for Reflections in the Lake, a striking piece showing the beauty of Ringwood Lake at night. She was awarded a $200 gift voucher courtesy of Croydon Camera House.
Second place was awarded to Stephanie Lamb, for Friends and fun, which shows a group of friends enjoying each other’s company. She won four movie passes and a La Premiere double pass courtesy of Hoyts Eastland.
The junior section (12 and under) was won by Courtney Blythe, for Don’t Think I Should be Sitting Here. She won a $100 gift voucher courtesy of Croydon Camera House.
Mia Sango won four Hoyts Eastland movie passes for her second placed entry, Little Brother Drawing.
The Mayoral Encouragement Award was awarded to Marryl Vaughan for Shimmering Reeds. She won a $200 Eastland shopping voucher.
Cr Makin said he chose the photograph because of its creativity and use of colour.
“I thought it was a wonderful piece, it had so many artistic elements and captured the reflection and the contrasting colours of the sky and the lake perfectly.”
Cr Makin said the competition had really highlighted the photographic skills of the community.
“We have received some superb shots from all ages in the community,” Cr Makin said. “I encourage everyone to visit the exhibition and see the creative works of our residents on display. While they you there don’t forget to visit the J.A. Turner room to see selected works from the Maroondah City Council Art Collection. On display are pieces from acclaimed artists Larry Jenkins, Gayle Maddigan, Kate James, Konrad Winkler and Jill Orr.”
The Maroondah City Council Photographic Exhibition is open until July 24 at the Maroondah Art Gallery, Maroondah Federation Estate, Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood. Opening hours: Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm and Saturday 12pm – 4pm. Details: 9298 4545.
The event is sponsored by Croydon Camera House, Hoyts Cinemas Eastland, Maroondah Journal and Eastland Shopping Centre.
The Maroondah Photographic Competition is an annual event open to all residents, employees and visitors of Maroondah. The competition showcases the photographic talents of the community and highlights landmarks and features within the municipality.
Entrants are able to submit two A4 sized photographs for the competition, which are displayed at an exhibition at The Maroondah Art Gallery at Maroondah Federation Estate. There are three categories for the competition, including junior (up to age twelve), intermediate (13 to 17 years) and open (all ages).
This year’s competition saw 121 entries and this this evening I had the pleasure of launching the exhibition and announcing the winners for each category, including the Mayors Encouragement Award.
Alex with the winners of the 2010 Maroondah Photographic Competition
All submitted photographs will be on exhibition until the 24th of July at the Maroondah Art Gallery.
