A new art exhibition at Tamworth Regional Gallery will show off six collections from the region, reinterpreted by artists in new mediums.
Collection Conversion is now open, and it’s all about throwing new light on old works, according to gallery and museums director Bridget Guthrie.
“It will allow us to really showcase some of the collections in our region but also interpret them in a new and fresh way,” she said.
“It’s the concept of mining the collections, the individual artists exploring them and taking inspiration from them - and creating new work that can tell a fresh story and maybe provide a perspective from another avenue, too.”
Three collections owned by Tamworth Regional Council, and three by the University of New England (UNE), will be reimagined.
“We did this deliberately as part of both the council’s forward direction and UNE’s forward direction, working in partnership,” Ms Guthrie said.
UNE’s Associate Director of University Collections, Ms Narelle Jarry said the collections held at UNE are diverse and fascinating.
“By sharing them as inspiration for our regional artists is not only a great way to add value to this material, but it allows for an exchange of ideas between academics and artists,” Ms Jarry said.
“Artists play a role as social commentators and, like academics, interpret and interrogate information for others. From that perspective of common ground, this exhibition was always going to be a success – from both the generation of artwork and the conversations that led to them.”
The gallery sought and gained a grant for the show from the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund, provided through Regional Arts Australia and Regional Arts NSW.
The exhibition will run until July 11, and there will be a launch event on April 29 at 6pm during Tamworth Heritage Festival.
The museums, collections and artists to be featured in the exhibition are:
* Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Collections (UNE) - by Amy Hammond
* Australian Country Music Hall of Fame - by David Darcy
* N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium, University of New England (UNE) - by Angus Nivison
* Tamworth PowerStation Museum - by Rowen Matthews
* Natural History Museum (UNE) - by Katherine Harvey
* Tamworth Fibre Textile Collection - by Vic McEwan
Contact
- UNE Media – 02 6773 2551 (media@une.edu.au)
- Tamworth Regional Gallery: Bridget Guthrie, 02 6767 5248
- Tamworth Regional Council: Brad Moffett, 02 6767 5232, 0408 370 038
