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"It's not easy being green" - Tim Bowtell reclaiming Greta - 2 January 2020
This year was the second year for two new annual festivals in Benalla, 'Benalla Rugged Up' in August, and 'the Window to Window' Christmas Festival in December. Like the Wall to Wall Festival in April, Benalla Rugged Up and Window to Window encourage the community to 'See the art in everything', which is the vision of Benalla Rural City's tourism strategy.
While 'Benalla Rugged Up' caused a flutter on social media, a veritable storm of activity developed surrounding the art work of NEA founder and president Tim Bowtell on Benalla Rural City's Mair Street window during'Window to Window' .. Picked up early by Sky News, also appearing in the Daily Mail in the UK, it was pleasing to see reports over the following days on regional television stations becoming better informed and balanced, Discussions have continued, with most of the Letters to the Editor (three pages) in this week's Benalla Ensign about Tim's painting -- nearly all of which were positive! Tim's compelling portrait of Greta Thunberg, draws from and is representative of Tim's current work. Tim describes being surprised that around 90% of people who spoke to him while he was painting weren't aware of Greta Thunberg, and is pleased that his work has acted as such a catalyst for conversations about climate change. The announcement by Time Magazine of Greta as their Person of the Year a few days into the controversy on social media proved a wonderful endorsement of Tim's choice of a portrait of Greta for his window. Here are two of the later reports from mainstream media, the first featuring an interview with Tim at NEA.
The second item from 9 News Border North East includes responses by Renewable Energy Benalla's John Lloyd and Benalla Sustainable Future Group's President Peter Holmes
An occasional BLog
NEA members Mervyn Beamish, Tim Bowtell, John Holschier, Irene Korotkow, Mike Larkin, Cathy Pianta, Tanya Tabone, Sally Wallace and Mal Webster in action! Photographs: thanks to Annie Longmuir, Bev Lee, Rustik Cafe, Mal Webster
Window to Window Christmas Festival 2019
Do you like art? Want to be an artist-in-action? Why not decorate a window in Benalla's CBD on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th December? This is a great way to be part of the Benalla festive season as Benalla’s street will be filled with music, chalk art and street stalls around the town. At 6pm on Friday head over to the Ceramic Mural on Lake Benalla for some live music, a BBQ and drinks. Contact Jim Myconos 0448 817 006 Featuring artwork on shop windows by known artists, community groups and local schools, the Window to Window Festival is returning in 2019. Building on the success of the 2018 Window to Window event, businesses have agreed to participate in the event, paying a fee to contribute to the costs of the events which includes paint, painting supoplies, insurance and promotional materials.
NEA studio artists, exhibitors and members painted windows in 2018, with many already planning to participate again in 2019. A 'pro bono' contribution to the community by artists, last year proved to be a quite joyous happening, with people enjoying strolling between windows as artists worked on their windows, followed up by admiring glances over the pre Christmas shopping period. If you would like to participate, please contact Jim Myconos on 0448 817 006 or call in to see Jim at 'She's Arty' opposite NEA. Check out images of last year's festival - https://www.northeastartisans.org/news/window-to-window-2018-nea-and-other-artists-in-action-november-30 Photos - Annie Longmuir, Bev Lee, Simmon Tan; Cooinda, with more to be added.
NEA's Merv Beamish, Tim Bowtell, Janet Leith, Kirsty Maclean, Ruth Mollison and Cornelia Selover will be among 30+ artists painting murals with a Christmas icon somewhere in the picture on shop windows in Benalla from 11 am to 6 pm next Friday 30th November. Watch the artists working on Friday! Follow up visits over the festive season to see the finished works will make being in Benalla extra special over the festive season.
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- Home
- About
-
Artisans
- Gallery Shop
-
EXHIBITIONS
- Exhibitions
- Exhibitions News Blog
- Exhibition Program 2019
- Upcoming and Current Exhibitions
-
Past Shows
>
- Postcards to New York - Response Exhibition
- 'In Your Face' Portrait Prize 2019 >
- Postcards from New York's Hudson Valley 2019
- 'Another Brick in the Wall' April 2019
- 'The Source' - March 2019
- Our Backyard - November 2018
- Wisdom and Experience - October 2018
- Benalla Flexible Learning Centre 2017 - 2019
- Benalla Rural City 2018-19
- 'In Your Face' 2017 >
- Door of Hope Exhibition 2017
- 'Rite of Spring' 2016 >
- Exhibition Application Form
- Studios
- Workshops
- Cafe
-
Events
- News
- Calendar
- Contact