Queanbeyan!

This week I spent a day in Queanbeyan, just out of Canberra. I was invited to talk about our VIM Grant program at a workshop organised by Elizabeth Brown, Regional Arts Development Officer from STARTS (Southern Tableland Arts). I was so impressed at the sheer range and diversity of the Queanbeyan art community that was represented at the workshop– in the crowd there were poets, ceramicists, circus performers, quilters, folk musicians, and also a few volunteer museums!

Joining me in presenting were Bea Brickhill from Australian Business Arts Foundation (ABAF) and Miriam Stacey from the NSW Heritage Branch. I personally found it really beneficial to hear about their grant programs, in particular the interesting work ABAF are doing in partnering Arts Organisations with local businesses who are keen to engage in some philanthropy.

After the workshop (and sneaky look at some of the best Op shops I have ever seen!) I was very lucky to given a guided tour of both the Queanbeyan Museum and the Queanbeyan Printing Museum. I was pretty excited as both museums are participating in our Standards Program this year, and have just completed the grueling self review component. Having read so much about the museums on paper, it was such a delight to actually visit them in person. Ever since my return I have been raving about the fascinating and well designed exhibitions and beautifully cared for collection both museums provide.

Doug Quane (who volunteers at both Museums) and Peter Conlon (Manager (Library and Cultural Services at Queanbeyan Council) very kindly made the time in their busy schedules to personally show me around the Museums, even though it was outside of regular opening hours. Doug even demonstrated one of the printing presses for us - it was amazing to see the huge amount of work that used to go into just printing one line (let alone a whole newspaper).

At the Queanbeyan Museum next door, it was impressive to see all the hard work the volunteers had put in to developing such interesting and engaging displays. I was interested to see that some exhibitions had been developed in collaboration with local CIT students that are enrolled in Museum Studies. I thought this was a really great idea – the Museum gets some excellent volunteer help and the students get such valuable hands on experience in working with a collection. I’d love to share this idea with more volunteer museums. I also got very excited when I was shown the hospital display and I caught sight of the museum’s Iron Lung which is apparently one of only twenty remaining in Australia!

The Iron Lung!

Museum display curated by a CIT student

A German typewriter complete with umlauts!

Doug Quane demonstrates a printing press.

The Ice Bear

By Julian Bickersteth, Managing Director, International Conservation Services

As a conservator working across various disciplines I have a penchant for sculpture as an art form. I think it is the three dimensionality about sculptures that I enjoy so much along with their tactile nature.

So when we were lucky enough to undertake conservation work with internationally renowned animal sculptor Mark Coreth on a number of his bronzes here in Australia, I was immediately working in one of my favourite areas.  Mark’s latest project involves carving a life size polar bear out of a 9 tonne block of ice and allowing it to melt to reveal a sculptured bronze of the bear’s skeleton frozen inside it. As a metaphor for global warming using art with a strong environmental message it appealed hugely to me, as I know how hard it is to bring home the truths about the effect of climate change.  Mark created the ice bear at the Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009 and since then in London, Manchester, Toronto and Montreal. 

This sculpture struck me as having both a fourth dimension, in that it is almost kinetic as it melts, constantly shrinking and changing in colour , and a fifth in that it carries with it this incredibly powerful message of raising awareness of global warming.

I have been working over the last eighteen months to get ice bear to Sydney and finally last week end we made it happen in Customs House Square. 

It has struck an amazing chord with people and we have been inundated with visitors and media attention, the latter extending from the Times of India to Xinhua Chinese newsagency (http://www.cncworld.tv/news/v_show/15504_Ice_Bear_display_.shtml

Logistically it has had its challenges especially getting a big enough crane to place the frozen bear in the middle of Customs House square, but the response has made it all worth it. Check out this 360 degree view of it at night last Saturday http://www.mediavr.com/vividbear1.htm

Now fully melted, it will remain as a stark bronze skeleton in position until Saturday morning.

Me with the sculptor Mark Coreth ( on the left) and master ice carver Duncan Hamilton ( on the right). 

Julian Bickersteth

Managing Director

internationalconservationservices

There's a War On! opens at Cowra

There's a War On! opening at Cowra Art Gallery

Michael Rolfe and Brian Langer

Vanda Cassim with curried eggs

Along with M&G NSW staff members Sarah-Jane Rennie and Andrew Brettell, on Friday 3^rd June, I traveled to Cowra to speak at the official opening of M&G’s There’s A War On exhibition.

With support from the NSW Heritage Office, There’s A War On focuses on telling stories about the home front during World War I and World War II. Its presentation has been designed to allow host venues to complement the touring component with local stories about contributions to the war effort.

Cowra of course had a very direct connection to hostilities as the location of the Prisoner of War Camp made famous by the breakout of Japanese prisoners in August 1944. The Camp also housed prisoners of other nationalities, in particular a contingent of Italian prisoners whose remarkable art work and handicraft feature prominently in the exhibition.

Director of the Gallery, Brian Langer, has assembled items that clearly define the relationship, beyond that of adversaries, which existed between local residents and the prisoners. A large crowd enjoyed the evening’s proceedings, which were made all the more pleasing; through the quality of catering provided by the Friends of Cowra Regional Gallery (I must get that stuffed curried egg recipe Brian)!

On the Saturday morning, Sarah Jane presented a talk on the development of the exhibition and in the afternoon she introduced those present to the related wiki, giving them the opportunity to contribute their own stories to the growing data base of war related narratives generated by the exhibition.


Michael Rolfe

Sarah-Jane Rennie presents There's A War On! to delegates from around NSW

M&G NSW meets the Premier and Arts Minister

The Hon. Barry O’Farrell, Prof Colin Rhodes, Michael Rolfe and the Hon. George Souris.

On Thursday 2^nd June, following representations to the State Government, M&G NSW Chair, Prof Colin Rhodes and I were invited to meet with NSW Premier, the Hon. Barry O’Farrell and Minister for the Arts, the Hon. George Souris in the Premier’s Parliament House office.

The purpose of the meeting was to introduce our organization to the new state government and to advocate for programs and activities provided by museums & galleries throughout NSW. We emphasised the strength & commitment of work undertaken within the sector and championed the significant role local government plays in the provision of such services.

Both the Premier and Minister indicated that they were well aware of the overall value and community wide benefit bestowed by galleries and museums within communities large and small. There was an acknowledgement of how well the sector was served by volunteers and a further acknowledgement that more needs to be done to empower Aboriginal communities through support for cultural knowledge, identity and participation.

I outlined the history of galleries in NSW, noting in particular their century old contribution to regional NSW, and that this history continues to be created out of significant community aspiration. Similarly it was noted that the State’s many volunteer and professionally run museums characterise an innate desire to research history, collect objects and tell stories about people and their lives.

On behalf of all museums and galleries in NSW we thanked the Premier and Minister for their valuable time. We also encouraged them to continue their keen interest in the sector and of course, to visit as many museums and galleries as possible. 

Michael Rolfe

New Tourism Data

Today Roy Morgan Research released some longitudinal data on tourism. With over 18,000 responses drawn from their annual door-to-door surveys over the last 10 years the results show a clear change in behaviors and a distinct difference in the under 30 and 30+ markets.

Below are some of the key findings:

More people are taking overseas holidays than domestic holidays. Those taking an overseas holiday have risen from 13% to 21 % from 2001 till 2010. When asked the respondents would like to travel domestically or overseas: overseas has increased from 43-47% with domestic destination decreasing from 82%t to 77%

photo from http://www.myfirstholiday.com

Though currently the Australian dollar is very strong the cost of holidaying domestically and overseas - when looked at in terms of CPI increases - has remained fairly consistent

Factors that appear to be influencing the increase in the demand overseas travel include:

• A significant increase in awareness and available destinations in the last 10 years
• An increase in the cultural diversity of Australia
• An increase in “openness to new ideas”

People are more active on their holidays. 72% of domestic tourists wanting to explore local culture with this increasing to 82% for overseas travelers . Of sightseeing activities undertaken while overseas museums and galleries rank well in the options (30% & 19 % repetitively)

People are also traveling more by air with “Drive only” holidays falling from 73% in 2001 to 64% in 2010. When Jetstar joined the market in 2004 there was a significant drop in drive only holidays.

Under 30’s:

• have lower discretionary income. This is across owner/occupiers, renters and those living at home. The Under 30's appear to have quite high person debt from either credit card or personal loans.
• are taking less holidays but saving for a year or two to take a longer OS holiday
• less likely to want to take a weekend away ( 66% in 2001  to 57% in 2010 )
• are now more likely to agree with the statement “ it only feels like a holiday if I leave Australia  (9% in 2001 to 15% 2010)  

Cool Comes to College Street

When is a museum not a museum? Or more precisely, how does the stuff (ing) that perceptions are made of become effectively recast? A visit to Jurassic Lounge, the Australian Museum’s recent Tuesday night foray into after hour’s event making, answered that question many times over!

As an idea, J-Lounge was conceived by Museum Director, Frank Howarth, following a visit to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco where, on Thursday nights, a similar style of event was being held. Tweaked and readapted for Sydney, Howarth hired The Festivalists, a Sydney based company that specialises in the production of cultural events that feature the hottest new artists, performers and DJ’s. Together they envisaged that success would involve a spectacular rearrangement of the institutional mood, attracting up to three hundred paying guests per night. As it turned out, the first season averaged over one thousand people per session (@ $15 per head) and the place was indeed ‘altered’.

As we approached the museum a queue stretched from the main entrance, down College Street, to the corner of William. Inside it was jumping, live music, performers and artists created scenes more reminiscent of a club in Newtown, or some other piece of nightlife central. It was a remarkable transformation with in house Interpretive Officers and Front of House staff ensuring through clever programming that guests were still engaged and interested in the exhibitions and collections on show. Clearly the koala and other cute marsupials that caught my eye, were twitching to the beat of a new generation.

With such a success on their hand I’ve no doubt Jurassic Lounge will return. So stay tuned, subscribe to the Australian Museum’s twitter account or become a friend on Facebook – be the first to know when ‘nocturnal cool’ once again descends on a ‘happening’ College Street.

Michael Rolfe

Boolarng Nangamai Aboriginal Art + Culture Studio

Beside the native plant nursery, outside the Boolarng Nangamai studio (L-R): M&G NSW Manager, Aboriginal Sector Development Steve Miller with artists Bonny Brennan, Deb Callaghan and Codie Werth.

With its roller door open, Boolarng Nangamai Aboriginal Art + Culture Studio is a burst of colour at the end of a quiet industrial estate in Gerringong on the NSW South Coast.

Boolarng Nangamai (Boolarng = Together (Biripi language group) Nangamai = Dreaming ( Sydney Dhawaral language group) is an Aboriginal artists collective that is both cultural enterprise and not-for-profit. With some successes to date, it is a model that is attracting attention.

The nine core artists met while studying for their Advanced Visual Arts Diploma at West Wollongong TAFE in 1995. TAFE Visual Arts teacher and fellow artist Kelli Ryan saw the potential in the group both as artists and a bonded group that could survive and work together beyond the confines of coursework.

So much did she believe in them that she purchased some land with a small inheritance and on the advice of Roy Boy Stewart. The land straddles a part of the Union Creek and the reeds that grow wild there have been used by Koories for traditional implement making for thousands of years.

With the team’s commitment, Kelli borrowed to built the industrial sheds and the other sections are now leased to other businesses.

Boolarng’s strength as a community enterprise is the commitment of its artists. It’s strength as a cultural enterprise is the diversity of work they produce.

The splashes of bright colours you see as you approach the workshop reveal themselves as art and craft produce – paintings, wood carving sculptures, poker work, cane and woven sculptures made from the dried and prepared plant life on site, even beanies and scarves.

The latest addition is a series of cards from artist’s works, produced in conjunction with the Red Cockatoo artists collective in the Blue Mountains.

Other activities such as cultural awareness training and cross-cultural workshops in Australia and overseas have enhanced Boolarng Nangamai’s reputation.

Even so, the studio still struggles through periods without paid staff. When the orders come in, the studio is abuzz and the numbers swell. In quieter times artists drop in to work on their own projects or catch up on the news and latest developments.

Boolarng Nangamai Aboriginal Corporation also has DGR status and actively seeks philanthropic support in making a difference for NSW Aboriginal arts and crafts.

Website: http://www.boolarng-nangamai.com/

Unit 5/ 9 Bergin Street GERRINGONG N.S.W. 2534

Ph: (+61 2) 0414 322 142

If driving along the Princes Highway, take the second Gerringong turn off (if coming from the north) or take the first exit (from the south) into Belinda Street. This will take you under the railway bridge and towards the pub on the right hand side.

Turn left directly opposite the pub into Victoria Street and follow it until you cross the creek. Turn left into Bergin Street and we are immediately on your left. Boolarng Nangamai in the end studio within a big complex of five.

Steve Miller