Presidents' Talk

 January  2022 Newsletter

Welcome to 2022! The Summer Arts Festival is in full swing on the gem that is Herring Island. Our first exhibition of the year  'ZOOM OUT' went live! We are followed by Valley Potters, with their exhibition 'out of the void' and then  the Contemporary Arts Society National exhibition of A4 Sized arts...so plenty to enjoy moving into April. Grab a picnic, enjoy the bush and installations and bring your friends to celebrate the beautiful work that has been created. Focusing on Herring we acknowledge Jenny Rickards for her coordination and passion, she is there every day making it happen with members who volunteer their time. Parks Victoria and Friends of Herring Island, Robert Lee (president of the Contemporary Artists Society) who coordinates the Herring island Summer Arts Festival of which the Victorian Sculptors is a part. Fred Fair, John Ride and Stonnington Council and Kooyonga Creek Winery. And of course to the many sculptors who have created this wonderful exhibition and  who volunteer to make it happen. Demonstrations and workshops are always highlights and engage visitors of all ages. We follow with pictures of Betty Knight demonstrating her magical skills in Portraiture and Jude Bridges-Tull who hypnotises the kids of all ages to self-express. A special thankyou. We continue to juggle activities and changing restrictions around COVID; if any sculptor requires help with picking up and returning sculptures to and from an exhibition due to 'risk' please contact the President's Team and we can see what we can do to assist. We also want to acknowledge and reflect for a moment the sad news in conjunction with the passing of one of our long standing members Anthony Kim, a true creative, he will be missed. Your Committee will be meeting early February and the next issue will highlight plans for 2022. Regarding our next exhibition opportunity - the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2022 Sculpture Exhibition (MIFGS) ...reminder that applications close 4th March. Create and inspire! ASV Presidents Team

Herring Island

 

HERRING ISLAND EXHIBITION

This newsletter celebrates the Herring Sculpture Exhibition, shares interesting artists’ works and invites sculptors to exhibit their art in other shows.

AS you may well know, visiting this unique place is well worth the effort. 

 

Gunnel Watkins opened the exhibition with an excellent speech. 

View this fabulous exhibition on our ASV webpage.

Association of Sculptors of Victoria  

Some views of the exhibition capturing the atmosphere.

Have you explored the sculpture scattered around the Island? Included in the December newsletter was an article written by Gunnel Watkins describing the sculptures, as she viewed them for the first time. 

	Australia Day at Herring Island was very humid but busy. Betty Knight demonstrated modelling a clay head using a happy volunteer, Damien.  While Jude Bridges-Tull encouraged children and adults to let their inner child out and play with clay.

Post script: Winner of the Peoples Choice Award was Aukje van Vark's “Leafy Seadragon” with runner up Drasko Boljevic “When the wets went dry”

Entry Forms and Special Visits

 

Entry forms and Exhibitions: Please remember to check the exhibitions page on the website for further information regarding MIFGS Toorak Village Sculpture Exhibition entries close 1st February, but there are a few days extension for those who have statues at Herring Island. https://www.toorakvillage.com.au/sculpture Entry into the Trails 2022 close 15th February open April 3rd to 1st May 2022  A4 Art Australia exhibition entries close 18th February. Small statues the size of A4 can be entered. The exhibition is on at Herring Island from 5 March to 18 April 2022. Environmental Art Prize with Global Impact Environmental art prize with global impact | ArtsHub Australia Sculpture Magazine <advertising1@sculpture.org  (Please reply using this email) The International Sculpture Center and Sculpture magazine are proud to present our third annual Art in Public Places edition. To appear in our upcoming May/June 2022 issue, this special section offers public art organisations and artists the opportunity to present their projects, events, and programming within the context of our featured editorial highlights. Deadline for the space in  May/June 2022  is March 8th The following categories are invited to participate: Public art programs Sculpture collections on campus Art in airports Artists with commissioned public works Fabricators of outdoor sculpture Also, Thanks to Dalchem our sponsors, who give us a prize every year and they are great suppliers os casting, moulding materials

2. Special visits to studios Dean Bowen: Thursday 5th May Alex Goad Wednesday 23rd Feb

HOW CAN SCULPTURE HELP THE ENVIRONMENT? MARS – Alex Goad is an industrial designer, artist and mad keen scuba diver. He became concerned about damage and deterioration of our reef and decided to do something about it.  Alex Goad - Art, Design and Architecture SO, He created M.A.R.S    Modular Artificial Reef Structure. It is designed to rehabilitate damaged environments. It is small, lightweight and can be easily installed under water by hand.   Alex has agreed to talk to us about how he came to start this project, how he has used clay and 3D printing to achieve an aid for restoring our marine life.           REEF DESIGN LAB We will meet at his studio at 7.30pm  Wednesday 23rd February 61 Southern Road  Mentone 3194                            Don’t miss this wonderful Opportunity.

ASV Artists' News and Interesting Art

  3. ASV Artists’ News

Condolences to Anthony Kim’s family. 

Sadly, Anthony died peacefully and content surrounded by his loving family, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Many exhibitors might remember Anthony Kim and his wooden and limestone statues.

On a happier note:

Congratulations to Suzanne Kaldor for receiving a highly commended prize for her Ceramic Figure “Summertime” at VAS  Summer exhibition. It can be seen at the Victorian Artists Society Website.

Suzanne’s comment: “Since I lost my mobility, I got two prizes for online Exhibitions. First was a highly commended Sculpture prize at VAS Summer Exhibition 2021, the second one Valda Coming Sculpture Award at MSWP&S. “  Changing Perspective 2021 Exhibition. I like very much of the Judge's comment: " This is such a refreshing and fun piece of sculpture! The zinc sun cream and the polkadot bikini take me back to leisurely beach days. I really enjoy the smaller delicate scale of the piece paired with the relaxed and weighty position of the sitter-  so characteristic of how you feel when you sit on the sand. “

Thanks, Suzanne “

4. Interesting Art Installations and exhibitions

• Les Kossatz counting sheep

Les Kossatz counting sheep | Black Mark - Melbourne Art 

Exhibition on the lawn at NGV  “Five sheep, two ewes and three rams, awkwardly emerging or descending through trap doors, half there and half not there. The lawn location is not a hostile installation” 

• Climarte: Emergency Action

climarte gallery

After more than ten years working at the nexus between art, science and civil society, CLIMARTE introduces the world’s first gallery dedicated to addressing the Climate Emergency in all its manifestations.

• Rising, Patrica Piccinni held in the Ballroom above Flinders St Station to 12th June

• Seeing the Invisible on at the Royal Botanical Gardens until 30th September 2022

Seeing the Invisible | Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

• Two Important Australian Artists at Qdos…

Inge and Grahame King 30 Jan to 19 February at Qdos Fine Art Gallery Lorne

www.qdosarts.com

Sunday Soirees

 

5. Sunday Soirees at McClelland Sculpture Park Sunday Soirees at McClelland with the Michelle Nicolle Quartet To be held each month in the Sarah & Baillieu Myer Education Pavilion at McClelland, the Sunday Soirées music series will be a great way to enjoy an afternoon of art and music in a unique and intimate setting. The Sunday Soirées music series has been curated by Monica Curro, violinist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Co-Artistic Director of the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival.

6. Invitation to participate in the newsletter. We would love to hear from you - we invite you to share your news: we wish to inspire, inform and assist with skills development, please send us any  interesting items you come across and events where you are exhibiting. Please email Carmel or Gunnel at newsletter@sculptorsvictoria.asn.au          Thanks.