27 February 2006

The Shepparton Art Gallery will be a hive of activity during the SheppARTon Festival, with several exhibitions and art classes set to take place.

The “VCE Art 2005” exhibition, which opened on Wednesday 15 February, will continue during the festival. In its tenth year, the exhibition features the works of students in their final years of VCE and is a collaboration between the Shepparton Art Gallery and local art teachers.

Leanne Willis, Director of the Shepparton Art Gallery, says that the exhibition showcases a diverse use of media and artistic concerns.

“For many of these artists, it is their first time exhibition in a gallery or even having their work on public display,” says Ms Willis.

“The exhibition illustrates young people’s engagement in social issues, a keenness to embrace new media technologies, the influence of prominent Australian artists and their own intimate and personal expressions,” says Ms Willis.

“The exhibition aims to encourage, recognise and value the talents of the young people of our region and the artworks that are generated present facets of their imaginations, as well as their concerns and views of the world,” says Ms Willis.

The launch of the Kate Durham Exhibition will take place at 4.00pm on Saturday 4 March. Kate, a Melbourne-based artist practising in jewellery, sculpture and drawing, travelled to Nauru in 2002 and provided the first images of Australia’s Pacific Solution. Kate will open this exhibition together with some of Shepparton’s newest residents with first hand experience of the asylum seeker’s story.

Ceramics lovers will delight at the exhibition of 39 artworks on display as part of the Sidney Myer Fund International Ceramics Award. The exhibition showcases artwork from 11 countries, including Australia, Japan, Canada, United States of America, United Kingdom and New Zealand.