IMAGinE Exhibitions Nominations

The 2011 IMAGinE award nominations have closed and as always we have been inundated with entries from throughout NSW. Over the next four weeks we'll highlight the nominees in each category as we warm up for a glamorous night of canapes, wine and awards at the Australian Museum's Terrace Room.

This week we're concentrating on the Exhibitions and Public Engagement. We've had so many nominations we need to split this category in two. This week we're looking at volunteer run organisations and those organisations run by 1-4 paid staff.

Without further ado, here are the nominations:

EXHIBITIONS & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT - VOLUNTEER ORGANISATIONS

Australian Railway Monument
Stories from former Werris Creek rail employees a well as original footage from the days of steam up until modern day diesel and electric. This theme is believed to be unique in the Australian context and is based on the fact that Werris Creek is the first and last railway town in NSW.



Glenalvon Museum
This was a program of changing displays on local heritage themes whilst interpreting Glenalvon, classic Georgian two-storey town house located in Campbelltown and simultaneously undertaking a progressive upgrading of the room displays to create the experience of life during the last 180 years.


Port Macquarie Historical Society
A series of temporary exhibitions themed to link to local, statewide and national history festivals, other celebrations and visiting exhibitions. Each of the temporary exhibitions also included a public program event, usually an open day with free or gold coin entry and coffee morning with curatorial speaker or other relevant local guest speaker/s.

Port of Yamba Historical Society

A special exhibition, titled Nursery-Rhymes Exposed – Delve Deeper than the Ditty, depicted thirty-one Rhymes. Each was displayed alongside a colourful illustration and information labels explaining background and historical context, sourced from hours of research. Surrounding each was a collection of items. eg ‘Polly Put the Kettle On’ featured a collection of tea-sets and pots; ‘Baa-Baa Black Sheep’ - wool and shearing equipment.



Thredbo Ski Museum

The Kiandra Story which endeavours to display to the visiting public through historical photographs, DVDs, skis, apparel, historic newspaper articles, the rich story of organised alpine skiing beginnings in Australia and arguably ,the world to acknowledge and celebrate the 150th Anniversary of organised alpine skiing in Australia, beginning at Kiandra in 1861.




Willoughby District Historical Society Inc
The Tales of Flat Rock Creek exhibition explores the impact of urban development on a pristine natural environment since the European settlement through the eyes of Willoughby residents. The story is told through three primary themes: the Rugged Landscape to the 1930s; the Ruined valley resulting from industrial waste, the Willoughby Incinerator and the garbage tip that impacted on the downstream landscape, flora and fauna; and its Reclamation, which explores the rehabilitation of the area and restoration of the incinerator as public recreational facilities and a bushland walkway.
EXHIBITIONS & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT - 1-4 PAID STAFF

Coffs Harbour Regional Museum

The Museum Pop Up was devised when the museum was flooded and closed in March, 2009.It was of vital importance to be able to reassure local residents the collection was in good condition and that their history was intact and was being managed in a responsible way although the objects were in storage. The "Pop Up" museum concept was embraced by the community.


Cowra Regional Art Gallery

The project was the co-curated presentation of the touring exhibition There’s a War On!  World War II at Home . The Cowra component was curated by the Gallery Director Brian Langer and showcased visual art and craft objects, photographs and memorabilia from community and private collections in Cowra that were linked in various ways to the works and curatorial themes of the touring exhibition.




George Hanna Memorial Museum

Audacciousville: the Story of Dacey Garden Suburb’ explored the history of Australia’s first public housing estate. Daceyville, as the suburb is known today, began construction in 1912 and was a product of the first labor government in New South Wales. Unfortunately, due to World War I and a change of government, the finished suburb was a fraction of its planned size.


Glasshouse Regional Gallery

People Of the First Sunrise was a project in partnership with Port Macquarie TAFE, MCA and the Gallery. Over a 9 month period, Aboriginal TAFE students developed a curatorium and selected works from the MCA Collections under the mentorship of Keith Munro, Curator Aboriginal projects, MCA. 24 works by 17 renowned Indigenous artists from eastern Australia were selected exploring current issues about identity and place

Goulburn Regional Art Gallery

GW Bot: the long paddock A 30 YEAR SURVEY is a solo survey exhibition of past and recent work by GW Bot and includes some new work. As one of Australia’s leading artists her printmaking, sculpture and painting is justly exhibited on its own. Bot’s unique visual language and imagery offers alternate ways of viewing the familiar.



Grafton Regional Gallery

The project involved two exhibitions Fire, Form and Fruition Geoff Crispin: a regional practice in clay and An Artist’s Influence on the Collection presented simultaneously in September 2010 at the Grafton Regional Gallery. Form examined the interactions between an artist and local and remote communities with in Australia and overseas. An Artist’s Influence demonstrated the interaction between an artist, Geoff Crispin, working in a regional area and his impact on the collection development of their regional gallery.
Macquarie University Art Gallery

India ─ Past, Present and Abroad provides broad access to the understanding of our multi-cultural nature of Australian heritage, by presenting the perspectives of local photographers and historians on the contribution of Indian culture. Travel photography and newspaper heritage is made accessible for audiences to conduct similar research.



Peacock Gallery

Auburn Youth Art Showcase-"Own it"- An exhibition of works by local young people aged 12-24 during Youth Week and School Holidays ( 1 April to 1 May 2011) at the Peacock Gallery, Auburn Botanic Gardens. The strategies used resulted in the provision of an engaging exhibition and public programming aimed at engaging youth in the arts



UNE Heritage Centre, University of New England
THROUGH THE COLLECTORS LENS - DISSECTING BOOLOOMINBAH exhibition at NERAM exhibition provides an opportunity to use a large `museum standard' exhibition space to explore the diversity of collections held by the university and to introduce them to a general audience. The project was to develop an exhibition which could use scientific and cultural collections to explore a common theme which would be interesting to a general audience