29/10/2015International residency to Aber continues into 2016

The previous Umbrella Studio exhibition, Godre’r Glais illuminated for many of us the value of the Aberystwyth International Artist in Residence. The value of spending three months, working in the studio and interacting with the locals extends far beyond each individual artist who participated. What became evident from the exhibition and artist talk is the positive and expansive impact Townsville artists make on the International program at Aberystwyth. Michelle Hall is a highly respected arts practitioner and former Umbrella Studio Board Member, she is the next artist to embark on this creative Aber adventure. Vicki Salisbury, Umbrella Director asked Michelle to give us some insight on why she applied: Why did you apply for the residency and what do you hope to gain from the experience? Michelle: Residencies always give practising artists space to explore new techniques and time to refine old ones. I wanted to dedicate time and space…
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27/10/2015Castles in the Air

Saturday 7 November – Friday 4 December 2015 at the Townsville Art Society Gallery, Art at Jezzine All are welcome to attend the opening at 2.30pm Sunday 8 November 2015 When you hear a phrase like ‘Castles in the Air’ does an image of Castle Hill shrouded in cloud come to mind?- perhaps you see a relic of a stone pile on a hill somewhere in Europe, or maybe a long held wish or childhood memory. See how artists from the Townsville Watercolour Group interpreted this phrase in this intriguing exhibition of watercolours. Exhibitors include Debbie Belcastro, Julie Boyd, Helen Caldwell, Val Claussen, Marjory Cook, Gai Copeman, Sally Grattidge, Jenny Hyatt, Annette Ireland, Geoff Maidens, Donna Maloney, Marion O’shea.

12/10/2015+One Exhibition Review by Michelle Hall

Plus One is a courageous exhibition of works by nine artists who completed their training at James Cook University. Artists include Neil Binnie, Jade Browning, Ben Green, Caitie Nettlefield, Douglas Prescot, Dianne Purnell, Kathrine Olive, Justine Reid and Katya Venter. Showcasing works from a wide variety of creative genre, as a group and individually, Plus One affirms the emergence of the nine.  What binds the works together, for me, is their firm grasp on what is possible in regional contemporary art. As Bourdieu notes in The Logic of Practice, “Only in imaginary experience, which neutralises the sense of social realities, does the social world take the form of a universe of possibles equally possible for any possible subject.” From the intimate illustrations of Neil Binnie and Jade Browning to the fine prints of Caitie Nettelfield we travel through the realistic to the hyper real.  Exploring the relationship between self and…
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