Africa Comes to the Manning, 18-25th May

The flavours, music, films and stories of Africa are heading to the Manning Valley 18-25 May.  The second annual Africa Comes to the Manning cultural festival will be based at Taree’s Manning Art Gallery, with a bounty of free activities for all ages.

“Ubuntu” (oo-buun-too), a southern African term that means "the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity", is the theme of the 2014 festival. The initiative aims to raise awareness about African culture and issues faced by African migrants and refugees in Australia, whilst showcasing the Manning Valley and celebrating the contributions migrants and refugees make to Australia.

Don’t miss Afro Fest on Sunday, May 18 from 9:30 am to 3 pm, when the Art Gallery will feature an African souk (market), introductory African dance moves, the creation of an African-inspired community mosaic piece and an interactive Kid Zone (where kids can create African leaf animals like elephants and help build a jungle). Food, fashion, face painting and fun are also on offer.

The high energy Newcastle-based drummer originally from Ghana, Afro Moses, will also be on hand to share the music of Africa throughout the day in informal, small workshops.  He will kick off Afro Fest at 9:30 with Drum Beat Africa. This BYOD (Bring Your Own Drum) activity is sure to get your toes tapping and hips wiggling.

Award-winning social documentary photographer and oral historian Louise Whelan returns by popular demand for this second festival.  She will host Cultural Connections at Afro Fest, an opportunity for locals to have their portraits taken and to share their own histories.  Stylised portraits against stunning cloth backgrounds chosen by the sitter from Louise’s collection will be underway inside the Gallery. The resulting body of work will be part of a multimedia piece based on cultural identity and connections in NSW.  Participants will receive a digital copy of their portraits and notification of exhibitions.

The festival’s gala will be held on Sunday, May 18 from 6 to 9:30 pm, with a concert featuring four world class performers who will take us on a musical journey into West Africa, and a Master of Ceremonies, Honour Machaya, who hails from Zimbabwe. Tickets are $20 (plus booking fee) and are available from Movies, Games & More, 208 Victoria St in Taree or at www.gtcc.nsw.gov.au/bookonline.

Throughout the week, there will be storytelling workshops with Zambian-born Dorothy Makasa, a viewing of the Nigerian epic film “Half of a Yellow Sun” hosted by Taree Film Society at Fays Twin Cinema and other activities.

World Africa Day on Sunday, May 25 inspires the festival finale at the Art Gallery, featuring a Ghana-inspired three course meal and concert by local favourites, Wingsong Choir accompanied by Afro Moses. Tickets to the 12 Noon finale are $65 (plus booking fee), or $15 (plus booking fee) for the concert only (at 2 pm). Tickets are available from Movies, Games & More in Taree or at www.gtcc.nsw.gov.au/bookonline.

 For a complete program or to buy tickets go to http://africacomestothemanning.blogspot.com.au 

Mike Skelton Exposed - Until 11 May

Internationally lauded photographer Mike Skelton’s retrospective exhibition titled “Exposed” at Manning Regional Art Gallery until 11th May.

This stunning exhibition features 50 beautiful photographs including iconic images from internationally lauded campaigns for corporations like Singapore Airlines, AT&T, Northern Territory Tourism and Fila Sportswear; as well as exquisitely realised humanitarian projects from Bolivia to Burkina Faso.  

In 2008 Mike gave up his business in Sydney and moved to Hannam Vale on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales where he lives with his wife Carolyn.

Mike says, “Over a period of 18 years I regularly put aside 4 - 8 weeks in the year to photograph in the developing world for PLAN and The Hunger Project. I merely applied the techniques I learned over many years from my commercial work to a different genre. Imagination and empathy are needed in both disciplines. I have attempted to portray the pride, grace and beauty I perceived in the people I met. I was without exception given their trust and I was humbled by their tenacity for life even when facing overwhelming problems. Over the years the reportage became my passion. The commercial work financed that passion”.

Madeleine Winch to visit Manning Regional Gallery

Members of the community are invited to meet  nationally acclaimed artist Madeleine Winch who will present an artists-talk about her life and work at Manning Regional Gallery on Thursday 20^th March from 1pm to 2pm.

Madeleine Winch was born in Melbourne in 1950 and now lives in Sydney. The exhibition currently showing at the Manning Regional Gallery titled States of Being is her 40th solo exhibition and is touring around NSW. Madeline studied design at the National Art School, Sydney and later set up a studio on the Greek island of Paros. Her paintings have been finalists in the prestigious Dobell, Sulman and Portia Geach art prizes. She has also illustrated several children’s books, including Edward Wilkins and his Friend and Come by Chance.

 

The Manning Gallery is resplendent with Madeline Winches beautiful and serene portrayals of people, which will act as the backdrop to the artists-talk. They show personal observations of human behaviour and her own deeply felt experiences. She captures figures that are immersed in their own thoughts and feelings, and often set against backdrops of sparse domestic interiors. Madeleine explains that “the paintings portray various stages of life and poignant moments in everyday existence.”

Gallery Director Sue Mitchell believes that the people of the Manning Valley are fortunate to be able to meet artists of this calibre, who are such important figures in Australian art, in their own town.

Come and meet the artist. Entry of $5 includes coffee and cake. RSVP gallery@gtcc.nsw.gov.au or 02 65925399

 

 

Wulamanyuwi and the Seven Pamanui Creative Workshop

Saturday 29th March at 10am and 11:30am
Duration: approx 60 minutes.
The Manning Regional Art Gallery hosts 2 sessions of a fantastic workshop rich in the art and storytelling of Aboriginal and Tiwi Islands culture, facilitated by cast members from the acclaimed hit of the Darwin Festival: 'Wulamanyuwi and the Seven Pamanui'.
This creative workshop for children in primary school (yr 3 to 6) explores theatrical concepts and skills based on storytelling. The stories involve reality, tradition and imagination and will be developed through use of puppetry, voice, sound and role-play.
Guided by professional actors and puppeteers, and working in small groups, the children will experience the process of building a scene for a play, inventing and developing characters, designing and making puppets to represent the characters, and performing a scene or short story play.
Cost: $12. Book on line by clicking here*Online bookings do not attract a booking fee. Bookings through Movies, Games and More, and at the gallery will incur a 50c per ticket booking fee.

Frugal Forest - 15th April

Frugal Forest FREE Youth Workshop 15th April

The Frugal Forest is a One Off Makery project, supported by Midwaste, the Australia Council for the Arts and Glasshouse Port Macquarie. Drawing in artists, musicians, scientists, community, business and industry, we aim to build an intricately detailed forest entirely from salvage. Why? Because nothing is wasted in the forest, and we could really learn from that.

Frugal Forest will be conducting a one-off youth workshop here at the Gallery during the school holidays (15th April). The workshop is FREE and numbers are striclty limited! This is an exciting opportunity for young people to get involved in such an innovative project.

Bookings are first come first served so get in quick! Call 65925450 or email gallery@gtcc.nsw.gov.au to book. For more info visit http://frugalforest.oneoffmakery.net.au/

Wulamanayuwi and the Seven Pamanui 29th March

Three Exhibitions Opening at Manning Regional Art Gallery - 7th March

Exhibitions by Archibald artist Madeline Winch plus regional artists Claire Skehan and Rebecca Rath opening at the Manning Regional Gallery on 7th March.

One of Australia's leading artists, Madeleine Winch, famous as a finalist in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes and for her much-loved picture books, is showing a major exhibition, ‘States of Being’, which comprises paintings and prints which depict the archetypal woman in domestic settings attempting to balance life as a mother and professional.

Running concurrently are two other outstanding exhibitions by  local Taree based artists Claire Skehan and Hil Van Dijk: Embracing the Angelic Realm and Rebecca Rath: Are we there yet?  

Claire and Hil have combined their skills to co-create a wonderful exhibition of printmaking, paper cut-outs and mixed media constructions that express their ideas about the angelic realm that is within your consciousness.

Claire states: “It may seem presumptuous to say, that this work is devoid of ego. It has been a journey of discovery, of accepting and acknowledging a higher aspect beyond our individual consciousness. To view this work, is to meditate. Listen to your thoughts and responses and accept what you hear, as your guidance.

Focusing on the area of the Hunter Valley, Pokolbin based artist Rebecca Rath takes us on the scenic route through many of the local towns within the valley. Having painted over 150 small documentary style oil paintings, Rath’s large installation will take you back to your childhood…. when a road trip meant the long route with many stops until your destination. Do you take the scenic route when you go on a road trip? Or do you take the highway? These are questions which interest landscape artist Rebecca Rath...

RSVPs are essential for the opening by contacting gallery@gtcc.nsw.gov.au or by calling 6592 5455. Cost is $10 ($7- FOGS members). Following the official opening, admission is free for the whole family from Friday 7 March to Sunday 13 April.