Decoding the Art of the Da Vinci Code
16 August 2005
Shepparton Art Gallery is delighted to offer the second lecture in the ‘Let’s Talk Art’ series on Wednesday 31st August.
Enormous public curiosity has been created around the art works featured in Dan Brown’s bestselling novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’. Dr Challis has spent over 10 years extensively researching Renaissance art in some of the greatest libraries and art galleries throughout Europe and America, including The Vatican.
Her interest in art history was fostered at an early age by her grandfather, Australia’s pre-eminent art historian Professor Emeritus Bernard Smith. Their shared passion for art and ideas still gives them many points of discussion and argument, including the now infamous Da Vinci code.
Dr Challis promises to take you on an adventure revealing facts about famous works of art, some not even featured in Dan Brown’s bestseller. Through analysis of the masterpieces and talking about the people in and behind their creation, Dr Challis will draw out some of the more puzzling questions left unanswered by Dan Brown. The lecture offers the opportunity for the audience to interact and ask questions about the art.
Dr Challis’ lecture begins at 7pm at the Eastbank Centre, Welsford St Shepparton. The cost is $15 with no concessions applying. Members of the Friends of the Gallery are invited to meet Dr Challis after the lecture.
EASTBANKFOOD will be open from 6.00pm, offering a delicious meal and a glass of wine before the lecture for an additional $15, for pre-booked meals only. Make your reservations for this special deal when reserving your place for the lecture. All bookings are to be made through Riverlinks Box Office on 5832 9511.
A Painted Woman: Works from the Howard Hinton Collection
15 August 2005
A Painted Woman: Works from the Howard Hinton Collection, a New England Regional Art Museum traveling exhibition, will soon be on display at the Shepparton Art Gallery.
The exhibition will show from 20th August until 18th September, 2005.
Drawn from the Howard Hinton Collection housed at the New England Regional Art Museum, this series of 59 works present ‘woman’ from the perspective of both male and female artists.
This exhibition shows ‘woman’ in all types of guises, portraits and contexts – as Madonna, whore, mother, grandmother, dancer, lover, singer, home-maker, temptress, musician, goddess and poser.
The women are the sole figures in the portraits. They sometimes meet the gaze of the viewer, other times they are depicted in the midst of a task, a conversation or a leisurely pursuit.
Artists include Tom Roberts, Rupert Bunny, Fred Leist, Arthur Murch, Mary Edwards, Harold Abbott, George Bell, Dorothea Johnston, Norman Lindsay and AH Hanke.
Included in the exhibition is Rupert Bunny’s work A Sunny Day (1922), pictured left. Rupert Bunny spent several years in Germany and Switzerland, gaining a cosmopolitan education and introduction to the European way of life. Despite his parents’ objections, he followed his passion for painting and is now remembered as one of Australia’s finest artists.
Also included in the exhibition are works by Tom Roberts. Roberts was one of the first Australian painters to travel to Europe to perfect his craft. He devoted himself to the expression of the Australian scene, camping in the bush near Melbourne to capture the landscape and figures in the landscape. His works in this exhibition include Rose of Persia (1900), The Paris Hat (1892) and The Pink Dress (1888).
This exhibition evokes reactions of surprise, familiarity and enjoyment from viewers. The women, whatever their social upbringing and circumstances, give audiences a flavour of female taste, attitudes and imagery of this particular period in Australian history.
Admission to the Shepparton Art Gallery is free and it is open seven days a week from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. The gallery is located in the Eastbank Centre, 70 Welsford Street, Shepparton, phone (03) 5832 9861.
“Bring Back Larry” Colouring Competition Winners
9 August 2005
The Greater Shepparton community is fighting back after a cowardly act of vandalism destroyed “Larry”. The sculpture, by Pamela Irving, took pride of place outside the Shepparton Art Gallery before being destroyed by fire in May this year.
The “Bring Back Larry Colouring Competition” was organised by the Shepparton Art Gallery to publicise the call for public donations to help rebuild Larry.
The campaign has proven a huge success, with over $7,000 raised in the public appeal and over 440 entries received for the colouring competition.
The winner of the colouring competition is 7 year old Elisa Rigoni from St Brendan’s Primary School. Elisa will be presented with her prize, a “Larry” puppy valued at $250, by artist Pamela Irving at 10.00 am on Friday 12th August at the Art Gallery.
The standard of entries for the competition was so high that the Art Gallery has decided to award a number of runner-up prizes.
Recipients of a $60 Riverlinks voucher are:
* William Keating, 12 years old, from Notre Dame College
* Emily Duncan, 12 years old, from Shepparton High School
Recipients of a complimentary place in an Art Gallery school holiday workshop are:
* Melody Goldsmith, 8 years old, from Bourchier St Primary School
* James Rigoni, 10 years old, from St Brendan’s Primary School
* Dylan Moor, 11 years old, from Mooroopna Primary School
* Shae Darveniza, 7 years old
All entries are on display in the Eastbank Centre foyer until the end of August.
Greater Shepparton to Showcase Free Concerts
3 August 2005
Greater Shepparton City Council and Orchestra Victoria will present two free concerts in Shepparton.
Conducted by Maestro Andrea Licata, the concerts will be held on Tuesday 9th August at 7.30 pm and Wednesday 10th August at 11 am at the Eastbank Centre, Welsford Street.
Each concert will feature the music of Mozart, Rossini and Smetana, Bizet’s much loved Carmen Suite No. 2 and Leopold Mozart’s Concerto for Alto Trombone.
Families, schools and community groups are encouraged to attend. While tickets are free, bookings are essential and can be made by contacting the Eastbank Centre on 5832 9511.