What's On At The Gallery

Three exhibitions are on display at the Gympie Regional Gallery until 14 March that coincide with International Women’s Week.

To get a deeper understanding of these wonderful women, read each interview about them and the works they have created, then come and see their exhibitions at the Gallery.

Constellations by Donna Maree Robinson

“I am based between Mackay and Brisbane and primarily interested in site-specific projects including large scale video projections, public works, gallery exhibitions, filmmaking and festivals.”

“My work explores the poetic potential of an environment which I try to infuse with layers of meaning, imagination, memories and history.”

“My work has been shown in a number of national and international exhibitions, including New York, London, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, throughout Queensland and Iceland, where I attended a 2-month artist residency during the winter of 2013.”

“Constellations is an immersive digital installation based on the iconography of women who feature on our Australian bank notes.”

“With the use of altered footage, soundscapes and collaged photographic images, the video paints a portrait of these women in an imaginative, non-literal journey through interstellar landscapes of fact, fiction and the historical events of those who they inspired.”

“Celebrating International Women’s Week 2020, Constellations is a collaboration with spoken word artist Tiarn Florence and our aim is illustrating these stories, which are the warp and weft of the fabric of feminist history.”

This exhibition has been assisted by Regional Arts Development Fund, a partnership between the Queensland Government and Gympie Regional Council to support the development of local arts and culture.

Lace by Mary Elizabeth Barron

“I came to art later in life after raising my family but have always been creative.”

“I had my first solo exhibition, Rags to Riches, in late 2006 and continue to have both solo and group exhibitions including touring several solo exhibitions.”

“Over the same period, I have been a volunteer at the Logan Art Gallery, worked as a children’s art workshop facilitator and taught my own workshops.”

“In 2016, I undertook an artist residency in Thailand, working with ladies in the regional village of Sam Rit for two months to develop products made from local recycled materials.”

“I like to employ traditional craft techniques in unusual ways by working with recycled materials, particularly household waste materials.”

“Much of my work incorporates basketry, papermaking, bobbin lacemaking and sewing techniques using both traditional and recycled materials.”

“Bobbin lace has been made throughout Europe since the sixteenth century, each lacemaking region developed its own unique style which reflected the place and culture of the area in some way.”

“So I have designed and made lace reflecting the places where the exhibition will be shown. For the exhibitions at Gympie and Logan, I chose to base this on the rivers; Mary River in Gympie, and the Logan and Albert Rivers in Logan and will adorn the Gallery veranda.”

“Traditionally, lace is delicate and a women’s craft.”

“Now, a rarely practiced art form, it is often a treasured possession and made of the finest thread, taking both great skill and time to execute.”

Women United by Charmaine Lyons

“I am a photographic portrait artist best recognised for unique, artistic portrait work, haunting photographs that capture not only the image but the soul of the person in them.”

“I have exhibited both nationally and internationally; having group exhibitions in Orlando Florida and through a close association with the charity organisation Scar Stories, group exhibitions in Melbourne, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. My images of cancer survivors were published in the 2014 Scar Stories book and other publications throughout Australia.”

“With Women United, I present intimate portraits of 200 women embedded in their individual lifescapes.” “After witnessing the historic 2017 International Women's Day marches with hundreds of thousands collectively protesting for women's rights, the need to recognise and value the voice of women, I was moved to create this body of work.” “Witnessing the power, strength and determination of the many women united throughout this event, I was moved to stand in solidarity through my own medium by creating an enduring photographic march.”

“Travelling throughout rural, regional, and urban Australia for three years, I captured a diverse selection of women; women of all ages and walks of life, women who had answered the call to participate.”

“In capturing the essence, the voice of each woman in her own space, I've sought to challenge the viewer to reflect on and respond to the imbedded story of each photographic portrait.”

This exhibition is supported by Gympie & Districts Community Bank, Ilford Papers, Living Image Fine Art Printing and WINDO Inc.

Entry to the Gympie Regional Gallery at 39 Nash Street is free, with opening hours from 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Saturday.

For more information, or to make bookings for workshops and themed activities, visit www.gympie.qld.gov.au/gallery or call 5481 0733.