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Wall to Wall Benalla Street Art Festival
Opportunities for NEA Artisans Would you like to use a space at the Wall to Wall Hub on the foreshore as part the Makers Market on Saturday or in the Workshop Tent on Sunday? The Hub Makers Market ‘Bump in’ to start at 10 for an 11 am to 3 pm market on Saturday 6th April. $15 site fee – unpowered sites. Water available from taps in vicinity. Phone Shannon Tharratt on 0487 448 150 or email shannytharratt@gmail.com to book a site. Shannon will need a copy of your public liability insurance. NEA at the Hub - Workshop Tent NEA has been ‘given a blank canvas’ to use a 3 metre x 6 metre marquee for workshops, demonstrations, and other forms of artisan presence at the Wall to Wall Hub on Sunday 7th April. ‘Bump in’ at 9 am to start at 10 am. If you are not rostered at NEA on Sunday and would like to ‘do your thing’ and be part of the action, please contact Kylie on 0400 086 388 or lvingthedream@bigpond.com. You don’t need to be a current exhibiting artisan or studio tenant to participate in the Workshop tent – you just need to be an NEA member.
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 ++Over the Wall to Wall Festival we are presenting another magical #gallerygig at North East Artisans++
Join us for a special night of high class live and original tunes in an intimate and comfy setting, surrounded by the works of local artists! JoJo Smith, who hails from Violet Town, is one of Australia's greatest musical treasures, a sexagenarian pocket-rocket, soul-singing, groove-driving tour de force, who "drops jaws and melts hearts with every performance" (Colin Thompson, Bendigo Blues Festival Director). Across her 50 year career Jo Jo Smith has worked with the cream of the crop, and her capacity to move her listeners through tears and joy with the power of music is stronger than ever. “Jo Jo Smith is a true soul singer. She sings soul music. She sings with and through her soul. Smith has a mighty weapon in her voice, she reserves its power striking only when necessary” (Marty Jones, Rhythms Magazine) “Jo Jo has been an inspiration to myself and many other musicians in Australia for many years" (Renee Geyer) Lauded for writing "some of the most simple and beautiful songs you will hear" (**** The Age), Lucie Thorne has earned her place as one of Australia’s most striking contemporary songsmiths. With eleven releases to her name and a prodigious touring schedule, Lucie Thorne continues to carve out an extraordinary creative career. From spacious gritty rock n roll to dark and delicate folk, Thorne conjures "exquisitely impressionistic... poetry in motion" (**** Rolling Stone Magazine) with an intimacy and warmth for which her live shows have become so renowned. “a demonstration of power through grace and subtlety. World Class.” (Roots Down) "Atmospheric, innovative brilliance" (**** Sydney Morning Herald) Tickets - $20 (presale) at https://www.trybooking.com/BBUIX OR in store at NEA OR - $25 on door if available Under 18's free but must be accompanied by a responsible parent/guardian. *Bar *No byo thanks! Kirsty Maclean is returning to Scotland today after spending time in Benalla during which she became a valued and regular volunteer at North East Artisans. Over time we discovered that Kirsty had studied at both art and graphic design schools in Scotland. We would often find her in quiet moments drawing intricate patterns in her artist’s note book. Kirsty exhibited two paintings in the ‘Our Back Yard’ exhibition during the Benalla Festival, selling her very first painting and the first painting to sell in the exhibition. Kirsty also created a memorable mural featuring a tartan or patchwork quilt like pattern during the Window to Window Festival festive celebrations late last year. Some quick facts to start with, Kirsty… Where is home? ‘Between Glasgow, where Mum lives, and Aberdeen, where Dad is based. They are still together and I go between ‘homes’, sometimes in Aberdeen and sometimes in Glasgow’ Where would you most want to live and create/write etc? ‘There are just too many places – my goal is to get to every continent. The next goal is to live somewhere in Asia, maybe try to get some art done there…I think it is a pretty interesting place’ Comfort food? ‘God, what isn’t! I’ve a massive sweet tooth …chocolate; carrot cake; cheese cake; pastries… ’Current reads/films/exhibitions attended? ‘In Brisbane recently I went to the Modern Art Gallery and the Brisbane Art Gallery. One has a really large aboriginal influence. It was really good to see as I haven’t seen a lot of aboriginal art since being here. The Modern Art Gallery was also really good.’ Kirsty, what do you see as your artistic Influences? ‘Mostly things I find scattered around the place. I don’t think I have any particular influence…but there is a Korean artist I really like, Mingee, who does portraiture of women with these amazing coloured patterns…She has flowers bursting out of faces, half realistic, half nonsense. It is really mind bending to make sense of some of it’ What are you working on at the moment? ‘Mostly small wee drawings until now as it’s been too hot to do anything and I do all my work outside. I’m too Scottish to really deal with the heat over here! I’ve these little canvasses I’ve managed to get hold of so I’ve been doing wee intricate things with them in my spare time.’ What was the first work you exhibited publically or sold as an artist? ‘Probably the one here at the ‘Our Back Yard’ exhibition. I had my little tree and the cockatoo. Sally phoned me to tell me that the little tree had sold and I definitely squealed. I was really excited!’ How has your background/ background influenced your artwork/creativity ? ‘I’ve been drawing pretty much since I could hold a pencil. My granny was never a proper artist but she used to do all these really nice portraits of geishas. Then she started to go to art classes and we always used to draw together. Mum and Dad were always keen to get me drawing as well. It’s something I’ve always done.’ What’s the best part of being an artist? ‘The creativity of it all. It’s more of a hobby really, though I’d love to take it further… It’s just like getting all of the stuff out of my head… There’s something stuck in there and so it’s like getting it out, it’s very freeing to get it out.’ What’s the worst part of being an artist? ‘Self esteem! I fell out of it for a very long time. I used to go to art school, but I don’t think I was in the right course. I wanted to be a painter, but I was easily the worst painter in the class! When I was in secondary school I was the best in the class – to then go to being the worst, I took a hit. It wasn’t until I came here that I started drawing again properly. I used to do a lot of digital art though, which I’ll probably return to when I go back to Scotland’. What’s the best (or worst) advice you’ve received about your work? ‘I can’t really say, but selling my first work at NEA was actually a positive thing’ What’s been the most significant moment in your artistic/creative career so far? ‘Probably being part of the Window to Window festival in Benalla late last year . I had done big paintings before, but they were always on my bedroom wall so I could come back to them. At the Window to Window interview they asked me whether I wanted to do a small one or a big one and I said, ‘I’ll be fine, I’ve done big ones before’. And then I actually started doing it! It was two hours in on Friday and I was still drawing it up…and it dawned on me just how much work it was going to be. I had to call in the cavalry… my boyfriend and his family came to help me. They were saying ‘Chill’… I finished at 8pm on Sunday! It was supposed to take 6 hours and it took 22 hours. I still had an idea of what I wanted it to be, but at that point I didn’t much care. It was like, ‘I’m done’. I remember thinking, ‘I’m in over my head’, but I’m pleased that I finished. It was a good lesson.’ What do you find most challenging about (your field of work) ….. ? ‘I think it’s just coming up with a good idea, trying to make the painting work – the composition stage – that’s probably my greatest challenge’ When you’re struggling with a painting or drawing, where do you look for inspiration? ‘Normally when I’m struggling I’ll work on something else for a bit, then if I see something, or something in another drawing clicks, I’ll go back to it. I think space is what I need when I get stuck’. Who do you picture as the ideal viewer/audience of your work? ‘Just anybody really, anybody who enjoys it, anybody who’s will to take a moment to look.’ Whether creativity in different areas can be taught is often debated – what’s your view? ‘I think you can in a way, I think it’s just pointing people in the right direction’. Where and when do you prefer to work on your art/…..? ‘I’ll just draw whenever and wherever there is a bit of space. I’ll do a lot of drawing when I’m behind the counter volunteering’ What do you listen to when you work? ‘I make a lot of playlists…my music taste is terrible… ‘ Do you buy your eg. art supplies online, in an art store, or both? ‘Wherever I can get the cheapest deal, really. I’m not that well off to be that picky’ When not drawing or painting , what do you like to do? ‘I like to read. I do a lot of reading. I love video games. I’m really into comics, graphic novels. I’d really like to look into and try that when I get home and have my computer’. If you could go out to dinner with any artist, who would it be and why? ‘Maybe a comic artist. There’s an amazing woman who does the drawings for a comic series I really like, ‘Saga’. There’s another who’d be even better. Frank Quietly – he’s a Scottish illustrator who is involved with ‘The Sandman’, it’s an out of reality comic’. What is the art work that’s had the most significant impact on your life and work as an artist– and why? ‘Lots of different things I think, a variety of things. Glasgow has a really big artistic influence, especially with the art school. They’ve always had the most amazing exhibitions. Glasgow is an amazing place for arts and crafts’ At the beginning of the interview you said you are currently working on small canvasses. What do you hope to work on in future? The small canvasses I’m working on are coaster size and so are like working on miniatures, they are teeny tiny versions of the big window. I’d may be like to work on something bigger in future.’ Kirsty, we have so enjoyed getting to know you, appreciated your contribution to NEA, wish you well for the future, and hope to see you again one day. Kirsty was interviewed at North East Artisans Benalla on Friday 22 March 2019 after participating in her final (for the moment at least) ‘Introduction to Jewellery Making’ session with Sally Wallace. BL
The Australia Letter, a weekly newsletter from the New York Times Australia bureau. recently included a collection of "informed tips for what to do, eat, see, drink and more over autumn in Australia,... What Art Festival to See: Wall to Wall Festival Benalla, Victoria, April 5-7, 2019. walltowallfestival.com “A beautiful little street art festival that quite literally takes over the entire township of Benalla in northwest Victoria. Despite the obscure location, Wall to Wall always draws an impressive collection of local and international artists. It’s a really fun, community-orientated event that encourages everyone to get involved. “Keep an eye out for the work of the young Melbourne artist Kitt Bennett. He paints these incredible murals which, due to their immense scale, can only be viewed in their entirety from an aerial perspective. I hear he has something quite special in store for this year’s festival.” — Rone, street artist based in Melbourne (Check out Rone’s current exhibition in Melbourne’s Dandenong Ranges, “EMPIRE,” here.)" Merv and Irina's New York friend, Mary Anne, who visited NEA recently, sent the link to Irina who shared it with us. - "Your Autumn Guide to Australia, From The New York Times (and Friends."
Award winning New Zealand based musicians, The Frank Burkitt Band will be performing at North East Artisans at 6 pm on Thursday 11 April as part of their 17 date ‘Lost But Alive’ Australian Tour, fresh from being announced as winners of the NZ Music Award for Best Folk Artist 2019. After impressing audiences on their debut Australian Tour in March 2018 which included performances at Port Fairy Folk Festival and Blue Mountains Music Festival, they are returning to Australia with a heap of new songs and a new live EP ‘Lost But Alive’. Frank is a story teller, songwriter, singer and guitarist. In that order. His rambling anecdotes aim to give the audience more of a connection with his songs. A folk songwriter at his core, American roots music with hints of jazz, blues and swing very much shape his music. When he relocated to Wellington from Edinburgh he formed The Frank Burkitt Band, with blues and country mandolin player Cameron Burnell and jazz double bassist James Geluk. Touring Australia as a trio with vocals, guitar, mandolin and double bass, they will perform original songs spanning a wide range of genres such as Americana, swing, blues and folk. Tix $15 at https://www.trybooking.com/BAYVA OR in store at North East Artisans. Under 18's free but must be accompanied by a responsible parent/guardian. +Bar No byo thanks! Michaela Alexander To our poets,
We are writing to let you know that 'life getting in the way' has meant that our plans for Poetry events at NEA in 2019 have been put on hold. The sessions we held to celebrate Winter, Spring and Summer seasonal changes in 2018 will always have a special place in our memories, and we hope in yours. We would be delighted if at some point the poetry sessions could be revived - if we can get around to it, we will do so, but we are actually looking for volunteers to put their hands up! Perhaps it could be an annual event and the winter solstice could be a suitable time. Please keep writing poetry, there are many other opportunities in the North East for you to share your art. Seamus Foley Beverley Lee North East Artisans is a community art space in the heart of Benalla at 122 Bridge Street. Our Gallery Shop provides a space for the artisans of North East Victoria to display their stunning creations and an opportunity for the community to shop locally. NEA provides studio space for artisans; an array of special exhibitions throughout the year; regular gallery gigs; various art and craft workshops; and space for community groups to meet. We encourage visitors to NEA to come in and enjoy the space, browse the art, relax and chat to the artisans and to get involved in special events and activities. Opening Hours: Our GALLERY SHOP opening hours are subject to volunteer availability. The shop is open Wednesday to Friday 10am-4pm & Sat 10am-2pm. We open on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays only when we can or for special events (if we have additional volunteers). For visiting groups, gallery shop/NEA tours may be arranged by appointment. The Red Road Cafe at NEA is open from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm Saturday (closed Sunday). Whilst the cafe is open, visitors may still have access to open studios and the exhibition space. If the gallery shop is closed, the friendly cafe staff may be able to assist you with any enquiries. Workshops at North East Artisans are offered throughout the year by local artisans who are either exhibiting in the NE.A Gallery or are involved in NE.A in other ways. If you would like to book into or discuss an advertised workshop, please contact the artisan directly. If you are unable to contact the artist, please speak to one of our customer service volunteers in the gallery shop or message NEA through our facebook page/website. Please note: *If there are not enough participants workshops may be cancelled at the Artisans discretion *Participants (or guardians) need to sign a liability waiver prior to participating in NE.A workshops. *B.Y.O snacks and drinks (or pop into one of the many great local bakeries & cafés). NEA's core values include people, art, community, connectedness, sustainability, transparency, quality and inclusiveness. All are welcome at NEA! ;Our Story' on our Facebook Page was updated today by Deb Dodd and has been reproduced here.
 i hear django presents Ordinary Elephant (USA)
Wednesday 17th April 2019 - The Gallery Gigs at North East Artisans International Folk Music Awards 2017 Artist of the Year, Ordinary Elephant are “as genuine as it gets” – Lloyd Maines. The nomadic husband and wife duo captivate listeners with their well-honed combination of insightful writing, effortless harmonies and intertwined clawhammer banjo and guitar. Pete’s understated, melodic and mellow banjo weaves through Crystal’s steady and clean rhythm guitar, with poetic lyrics purposefully delivered in rich harmony, “like their voices were made to go together” – Texas Music Journal. www.ordinaryelephant.net Doors 6:30pm // Tickets $15 |
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Email: northeastartisans@gmail.com
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Phone: 0402 563 918 (Gallery Hours)
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Address: 122 Bridge Street East, Benalla, VIC 3672
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