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Thursday, December 17, 2015

Goldfields Printmakers in Bendigo


Goldfields Printmakers at Bendigo Art Gallery cafe last Saturday. From foreground, left: Loris Button, Penny Peckhan, 
Leonie Auhl, Josephine Walsh, Dianne Longley. From foreground, right: Jimmy Pasakos, Jackie Gorring,
Jan Palenthorpe, Diana Orinda Burns (not visible in this view) and Barbara Semler.

2015 has been a particularly significant year for the Goldfields Printmakers. In September, a folio of our work titled Not Born Digital traveled with GP founder Jimmy Pasakos to IMPACT9, the international printmaking conference at Hangzhou, China. During October-November, the same works were exhibited at Ararat Regional Art Gallery in Victoria. Jimmy Pasakos, David Frazer and I were also part of Parallel Prints, a group show/exchange portfolio. Curated by Jimmy and New Zealand artist Mark Graver, it was simultaneously exhibited at the Art Gallery of Ballarat and Wharepuke Print Studios, Kerikeri, New Zealand in early October. (To date, the Parallel Prints portfolio has been acquired by the Art Gallery of Ballarat, Federation University, Ballarat and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart). In late October-early November, two GP members, Dianne Longley and myself, were presenters at the inaugural Mildura BMW Print Triennial.

Last Saturday, December 12, a number of us met for a celebratory gathering in the elegant cafe at Bendigo Art Gallery (where, incidentally, they served the finest scones I've ever tasted).

In fact, our reason for meeting there was twofold. In early 2016 several of the group (myself included) will be part of the exhibition Elemental at Latrobe University Visual Arts Centre (VAC Gallery). It's conveniently located directly across the road, so this was a perfect opportunity for us to discuss the exhibition at length with curator Josephine Walsh and to familiarize ourselves with the gallery spaces. Elemental will run from 24 February-10 April, 2016. 

(Since Saturday's meeting, Josephine has received confirmation that Elemental will also be exhibited at Light Square Gallery in Adelaide between 9 May- 3 June, 2016).

With the Year of Print 2016 nearly upon us, the Goldfields Printmakers are ready and set for another productive year.