New Exhibition is More than a Rich Tapestry

The 3rd Tamworth Textile Triennial will be opening Friday 16 November at Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery. The exhibition celebrates the diversity of contemporary textile art. Curator Glenn Barkley uses an Open House theme which embraces the collective as well as the solitary approach to art-making and includes more than 30 artists from all states in Australia.

The Tamworth Textile Triennial, held every three years, is a signature project of Tamworth Regional Gallery to showcase contemporary textile art and practice.

Open House introduces a group of artists who have not previously exhibited in the triennial. All are linked in some way to a sense of broader engagement with things outside of themselves and their studios. Many celebrate the process of belonging that comes from working with other artists, while others take on wide-ranging issues such as the landscape and the environment, and the artist’s place in a world beset by environmental, social and cultural upheaval.

Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery Co-ordinator Cath Fogarty said “The exhibition celebrates the diversity of textiles and explores the process of making where all ideas and responses are welcome.” To this effect the Gallery has partnered with Coramba based business Nesting Needles to run workshops with two of the exhibiting artists – Jeanette Stok and Meredith Woolnough as part of the exhibition’s public program.

Curator Glenn Barkley links the exhibition to our everyday lives, explaining that in recent years, there has been a global shift to hand-made.

“Paradoxically, it has happened at a time when the screen has come to dominate everyone’s lives; when ‘downtime’ is the time spent waiting while we download a movie from the internet. That precious interlude has become a place for making. While the internet can dull the mind, it also enables us to make – or at least to see how to make – virtually anything, with YouTube art tutorials available in the comfort of our own home. Instagram has made it possible for art and craft makers to survive in a global marketplace. Something made in Newcastle can now be premiered online instantaneously to audiences from Paris to Hong Kong. For artists, this has led to an increased awareness both of the hand-made and of the conceptual and social limits of craft production.”

The exhibition will be officially opened by curator Glenn Barkley and Tamworth Regional Gallery Director Bridget Guthrie on Friday 16 November, 2018 at 6pm.

Artist Talks and Workshops:

Come and join Curator Glenn Barkley, Tamworth Regional Gallery Director Bridget Guthrie and featured artist Jeanette Stok for a tour of the exhibition on Saturday, November 17, at 10.30am.

Or join Jeanette for a 2 day workshop on Saturday, November 17, from 12.30pm – 4.30pm and Sunday from 9.30am – 4.30pm. For more information and bookings go to Eventbrite-Workshop-jeanette-Stok

Meredith Woolnough will also host an artist tour of Open House on Saturday, January 19 2019, from 10.30am – 11.30am. Meredith will then proceed to Nesting Needles at Coramba where from 1.30pm – 4.30pm she will introduce the students to a workshop on Sculptural Embroidery.

On Sunday, January 20 2019, Meredith will host a full-day workshop with students from 9.30am – 4.30pm to help them create their own unique piece of sculptural embroidery. The cost for the 2 day workshops will be $145.00 per person. To book your ticket, please go to Eventbrite-Meredith-Woolnough

 Open House will be featured at the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery until 25 January 2019.