​NEA's program over the Wall to Wall Benalla Street Art Festival at the weekend  featured - 

9:- 4 Red Road Cafe - Extended Hours 
9 - 4 'Another Brick in the Wall' Exhibition
10 - 4  Gallery Shop - Extended Hours, plus: 
11 - 3 Sunday - Makers Market at the Hub - 'Buttons to Go' was there!
10 - 2.30 Sunday - NEA demonstrations and tasters - Wall to Wall Hub - Catherine, Chris, Elaine, Jarita, Seamus with willing whittlers Sally and John.

The weather was perfect to be sitting at the footpath cafe drinking coffee from the Red Road Cafe in festival mode, perhaps catching Frank, Tom and Bruce in session, or visiting the NEA marquee at the Lake where our artisans kept busy whittling, carving spoons, making jewellery or folding paper.  Thank you Elaine, Catherine, Chris, Elaine, Jarita and Seamus for being there; talking to the public about your work, sharing ideas with one another, and representing NEA at the Hub. 

A very special thanks to Sharon Tharratt from all at NEA for helping us to realise most of the original concepts planned for the Hub and to Kylie for stepping in to facilitate NEA's involvement.

​++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!

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."

Jake and Sam Bowtell's concept of filming 2018's Wall to Wall Benalla street art through the eyes of people viewing the event across the weekend has come to fruition with the release on Killer Pig Productions You Tube channel last week of 'A View from the Street - Wall to Wall 2018'.  Throughout the Wall to Wall weekend Jake, Sam and young film maker Jack Johnson called in to NEA for breaks, cameras over their arms.

'I'm so excited that this is finally out to the public!  Local brothers from Killer Pig Productions have done another killer job--they were up at the crack of dawn and on site filming all weekend for this year's Wall to Wall.  Great job, fellas, and thanks to Matt Katsis Music for the killer tunes'.    Michaela Alexander, 'The Gallery Gigs' event manager, NEA.  

"...Perfect timing for a flash back!!!! Wall to Wall Festival 2018!!! Local boys - Killer Pig production with Matt Katsis amazing track - Enjoy!!"  Wall to Wall Benalla on FB.

Killer Pig' team members Sam  Bowtell and Jack Johnston filming, Day 2

An occasional BLog.

"The ‘Collins Street farmer’ represents the corporate organisations that have taken control of our food chain. He looks down at a hamburger that consumed around 2,500 litres of water to produce.
 
The city scape in the background describes the affluent Western world fed by these farming practices, people disconnected and too busy to think about where their food comes from and how it is produced.
​
 
Look carefully in the top left corner and you will see a bulldozer clearing the last remaining old growth forest. Acres of monoculture corn and soy sprawl across the horizon where these forests once stood. The primate on the stump sits helplessly wondering where its home has gone. The dead canary sends an alarming message to stop these unsustainable practices before all species on the planet are doomed.
 
The cows are locked in small yards.  Part of the production line, they are force-fed corn on a conveyor belt. The markings on the cows form the world map indicating that this is a world problem, while on the other cow the face of an African child peers out, wondering why that corn isn’t grown to feed his starving country.
 
The whole scene plays out in knee-deep rising water caused by global warming and rising sea levels.
 
My mural was inspired after watching a documentary called ‘Cowspiracy - the sustainability secret’.  For me it was a game changer.  I became a vegetarian the very next day.
 
“Filmmaker Kip Andersen uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organisations are too afraid to talk about it.
 
Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption and pollution, is responsible for more greenhouse gases than the transportation industry, and is a primary driver of rainforest destruction, species extinction, habitat loss, topsoil erosion, ocean “dead zones,” and virtually every other environmental ill. Yet it goes on, almost entirely unchallenged.”

Tickets now on sale at NEA!  $20.00.   Two screenings - 2 pm and 8 pm.  A Wall to Wall Fringe event at NEA.  Judges:  John Orczik and Tom Long.  MA15+

​It has been so busy at NEA lately - and with the lead up to NEA’s Wall to Wall 'fringe' festivities there's increasingly chat about 'how' things will be done, rather than 'what' is to be done.   NEA's activities coincide with the official Wall to Wall Festival Program.  You  won't find them on the official Wall to Wall booklet, however we've come to regard them as key events in the Wall to Wall Fringe Festival!  They are being cross promoted by Benalla Street Art, which has allocated wall space to a number of local community street artists, including NEA's Tim Bowtell,  Tim has been allocated the wall at Primal Gym which faces the railway line.   

The Door of Hope project is entering its final stages, with the Exhibition opening on April 6th focusing teachers and participants alike.  Thanks go to teachers Edie Black and Annie Longmuir for designing and delivering such wonderful courses.    Please put Thursday 6th April from 6 to 8 pm in your diaries for the opening of the Door of Hope exhibition.  

The Door of Hope has presented many challenges to NEA, a small non-profit voluntter based organisation.   Organisations receiving grants for such projects typically have facilities and systems in place and can allocate a paid project worker to coordinate the project - however NEA  has been entering new ground.  With two courses with paid teachers, rather than workshops developed and administered and marketed largely by the artisan involved, we needed someone to take on a coordinating role, a staff room; access to wifi, a computer and printer; additional tables and more.. Each time we move into the next stage of the project new, sometimes unanticipated, needs arise, resulting in fast footwork to meet the latest challenge.  

The 'in kind' contribution by volunteers, exhibiting artisans and artisans on the executive committee to the Door of Hope project has been crucial to its development and operation.  
The Door of Hope will need to find  alternative sources to continue in its current format as we have been informed that Tomorrow Today can only fund such projects on one occasion. Another format the development of a discretionary fund of monies to be used to provide reduced and at times free courses to people who have difficulty payng for art courses. 

NEA is constantly responding to logistical challenges.  Providing the venue for the upcoming Benalla Shorts Film Festival has involved Tim Schloss devising a way in which to hold a seated gathering for up to 60 people.  Having available more studio space involves Cornelia and the committee exploring new ground.  Commission rates for large works by NEA artisans; how to manage workshop bookings which require an additional layer of administrative support and what is a cost effective way in which to provide some level of WiFi coverage are  questions also under consideration.  There is never a dull moment.

Lots of other things are happening at NEA including the call for entries to the 'In Your Face' Portrait Exhibition.  Entries close on June 1, with the exhibition opening on July 1st.  Contact Cornelia for more details.

Kate Jenvey's exhibition at the Benalla Art Gallery Gallery is midway and has been a memorable and most successful event in Benalla's art calendar.   Kate recently spoke to the U3A Art Appreciation group who spoke glowingly about her talk and her exhibition.  

Cornelia recently added a post about 'Project Project' to Facebook.  Like NEA, it began in 'pop up' form, is volunteer based, and now an ongoing concern.  ​​'Project Project' doesn't appear to have many dull moments either.  Check out the article... 'A Scrappy Volunteer Art Space draws creatives in South Omaha'.

​ ‘Caught’  NEA artisan, sculptor Garth Hughes, who came in to see what he could do to help out recently.

​Occasional Blog by Bev Lee

​**'The Occasional Blogger' is open for submissions by NEA members.  
​Send copy to northeastartisans.projects@gmail.com ​

A link to this video/slideshow was added to a post to NEA;s Facebook site recently by its creator, Benalla local Ron Cooke.  It covers much of the street art completed in both 2015 and 2016.  
​
If you are visiting Benalla, maps showing the locations of Benalla's street art are available at NEA and many other locations..  Alternatively, there's an online map on Benalla Street Art's web page or print out their downloadable map.
​