Page 46 - Tropic Magazine Issue 10

Lifestyle
Arts

Cairns Art Gallery

What’s happening at the city’s
premier gallery space this
February and March.
The year ahead
Cairns Art Gallery will present a dynamic
program of national, international and
local exhibitions that include a Fred
Williams exhibition of his acclaimed
gouache paintings from his famous
Weipa series. Fred Williams is recognised
as one of Australia’s most influential
artists whose unique depiction of the
Australian landscape took Australian
painting to a new level of modernity and
abstraction in the twentieth century. Dr
Deborah Hart from the Australian
National Gallery will officially open the ARTNOW FNQ
exhibition on Friday 9 March at 6.30pm.
Passage Story Waters
Also in March, the culmination of almost The Gallery has an extensive collection of FNQ that showcases exciting new works
a year of community engagement works that have been acquired since the by established and emerging
workshops by internationally acclaimed Gallery’s opening in 1995. Currently on contemporary artists from the region.
husband and wife team, Alfredo and display is a beautiful installation of more This year twenty-eight artists were
Isabella Aquilizan, will be a visually than sixty Aboriginal and Torres Strait selected by Alexie Glass-Kantor, Director
stunning exhibition that will take Islander works from the Gallery’s of Artspace Sydney for inclusion in the
audiences on an underwater voyage of Permanent Collection. Story Waters exhibition. Of these works by Grace
discovery. Passage is a large-scale explores different themes and traditional Lillian Lee, Daniel O’Shane, Vincent Babia
installation comprising more than three stories about ways in which Aboriginal and Michael Marzik have been purchased
hundred boats that have been created by and Torres Strait Islander peoples for the Gallery’s permanent Collection
more than eight hundred local holistically value the historical, with funds from the Gallery Foundation.
community participants to tell their mythological and cultural significance of
stories of journeying to a new home and the ocean and the creatures that inhabit
issues surrounding migration and it. More than twenty artists are
resettlement, memories of travel, and a represented in the exhibition with works
sense of place and belonging. across a range of media, including linocut
prints, paintings, ghost net sculptures,
masks, and headdresses. Each work is
informed by traditional legends, spirit
stories, totems and cultural lore, and each
describes the cyclic importance of seasons
for hunting and gathering sea life and
timing journeys and travel.
Fred Williams exhibition
ARTNOW FNQ
Also on display, until 18 February, is the
Passage Gallery’s biennial exhibition ARTNOW

On fire

A unique program for local Parker, Priscilla Ong, Olivia Azzopardi,
female artists pairs Carolyn Mudge and Elizabeth Hunter.
The program was designed by Tanks
emerging talents with Arts Centre, KickArts and REACH* to
experienced mentors. provide a “bridging opportunity” for
young artists to be supported in the
Some of the Tropical North’s most early stages of their practice. “All of the
renowned artists have given their artists have brought their own
younger counterparts a major boost in approach to working within a group,
the complex world of contemporary art. supporting each other as new skills are
The unique mentorship program called learned and new friendships are Carolyn Mudge
FLAME 2018 partnered six established formed,” a spokesperson from Tanks
artists with some of the region’s top said. The FLAME 2018 exhibition, a free
senior high school art students. The showcase at Tank 4, will be launched MORE: tanksartscentre.com
mentors included India Collins, Hannah on March 10 and run until March 20.