[Windows Media - 5 minutes]
NOLAN EXHIBITION OPENED IN BRISBANE
The exhibition 'Sidney Nolan: A New Retrospective' which features more than 100 works from the late 1930s to the late 1980s has opened in Brisbane.
This exhibition, the first retrospective since Nolan's death in 1992 has enjoyed great popularity at the Art Gallery of NSW and the National Gallery of Victoria.
At the heart of the exhibition are the multi-panel paintings 'Riverbend I' from 1964-65 and 'Riverbend II' from 1965-66, which evoke the place where the artist's grandfather struggled as a farmer and, as a policeman, pursued the Kelly gang.
'Sidney Nolan: A New Retrospective' was curated by Barry Pearce, a recent guest on ARTS alive, and continues at the Queensland Art Galley until 28 September.
back to top
INDIGENOUS EXHIBITION OPENED IN TOKYO
And the largest collection of works by an Australian artist to be exhibited outside Australia went on display at the National Art Centre in Tokyo on May 28.
'Utopia: the Genius of Emily Kame Kngwarreye', tells the story of the late Emily Kame Kngwarreye, an Indigenous artist who lived and worked at the Utopia out-station, 250km north-east of Alice Springs. Kngwarreye, who died in 1996 was a senior Anmatyerre custodian and artist.
The exhibition's curator, Margo Neale, said "She was an artist of few words, in English at least, but her paintings speak volumes. She did more than 3,000 paintings on canvas over a period of 8 years, which is roughly one painting per day."
The exhibition attracted considerable interest in Osaka earlier this year. After its showing in Tokyo, the exhibition will go on display at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra from 23 August.
back to top
$1.6M FOR INDIGENOUS ART SUPPORT
The Minister for the Arts Peter Garrett has announced an additional $1.6 million to support infrastructure, professional development, marketing, and governance projects.
The announcement fulfils an election commitment to boost support to Aboriginal art centres, and 32 organisations have been funded to carry out 37 projects, many of them involving urgently-required infrastructure work.
Mr Garrett also said the planned introduction of a resale royalty scheme would further support the Indigenous arts community and provide artists with proper recognition of their ongoing rights in their work.
back to top
ALICE PRIZE
Alice Springs artist, Pip McManus is the winner of the 2008 Alice Prize for her digital video work entitled 'Ichor'. 'Ichor' is said to be the ethereal fluid flowing like blood in the veins of the gods, which is poisonous to mortals.
The 55-minute long DVD features an androgynous ancient-looking ceramic figure, accompanied by a meditative cello on the soundtrack, which slowly fragments until it collapses into the earth from which it was derived.
This year the Alice Prize attracted more than 250 entries from all over Australia and from non-Indigenous as well as Indigenous artists.
This year's award was judged by Susan McCulloch, art critic and co-author of McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art. McCulloch said "The standard of this year's Alice Prize is of a very high calibre and represents a fine range of Australian contemporary art... Pip McManus's Ichor was for me, the stand-out work. It is a very fine work of international standard."
Highly commended were works by Eubena Nampitjin from Western Australia and Catriona Stanton from the Northern Territory.
The Tammy Kingsley People's Choice Award will be announced at the close of the exhibition, which is on at the Araluen Arts Centre, until June 8.
back to top
NIDA OPEN DAY
On May 31st NIDA, the National Institute of Dramatic Art, opened its doors and invited the public to explore one of the nation's most prestigious performing arts schools.
Visitors were able to observe rehearsals, take part in improvisation and acting classes, watch design and productions students at work, and meet current students.
In addition to its full-time program, NIDA has a wide range of short courses available for children and adults alike.
And for those who were unable to attend the Sydney open day, NIDA will be holding full-time course information sessions in each capital city during June. Details may be found on the NIDA website at www.nida.edu.au.
back to top
HELPMANN APPOINTED NEW CEO
Alison Dunn has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Helpmann Academy.
The Helpmann Academy is a South Australian not-for-profit organisation that supports the transition of artists from tertiary education to professional practice thorough grants, awards, mentor-ships, international artist residencies, events and exhibitions, publicity and a visiting artist program.
Dunn brings to the post a long interest in the arts and a broad business background, with particular experience in communications and marketing. She has worked with some of Australia's flagship cultural organisations. She also authored a survey of arts and cultural needs of rural and regional communities for Regional Arts Australia.
back to top
