13 July – 03 August 2024
As well three new exhibitions opening at Shoalhaven Regional Gallery on Saturday 13 July, I have been reliably informed that a new Manager, Arts and Culture has been appointed by Shoalhaven City Council. Who it is, is yet to be publicly announced but my source assures me I am going to be ‘very excited’ when I find out. My curiosity is piqued. The person in the role of Manager, Arts and Culture is responsible for managing the gallery and directing its programs of exhibitions and public events, as well as developing the cultural arts in the Shoalhaven – big task.
In the meantime it is also changeover time for the exhibitions with three new shows to enjoy.
Creative Moments / Locally Inspired
Creative Moments is the annual joint exhibition and sale of works by the Shoalhaven Woodcraft Society, Nowra Spinners and Weavers and Shoalhaven Potters.
Talented makers from the three groups are back for another year to present unique and innovative contemporary craft and design under the theme Locally Inspired. I trust we will be treated to the wide range of diverse, fascinating and technically skilled items that Creative Moments has presented in previous years. The makers are known for inspired items reflecting the diversity and beauty of the area. Creative Moments can be relied on to present visitors with a visually rich and thought-provoking experience that celebrates the creativity of our local artisans.
Items on display in the exhibition are available to purchase at accessible prices, to be collected at the end of the show. Plus there is an opportunity to buy work and take it with you on the day from a selection of works presented in the North Gallery.
Demonstration Day Saturday 20 July from 11am
As always with the annual Creative Moments show and sale, there is a Demonstration Day when talented artisans show their skills spinning, weaving, woodworking, working on the potter’s wheel and hand-building.
It is always fascinating to see such skilled crafts people at work, often using traditional techniques and methods that are becoming rarer. Don’t miss the chance for this live experience.
Lissa de Sailles / Sensing the Sacred
Shoalhaven fibre artist Lissa de Sailles combines a love of botany and the natural world with age old basketry techniques. Her contemporary sculptures draw inspiration from the repetitive cycles of nature, and patterns she experiences in her beautiful garden in Nowra.
Lissa’s recent experience of flood and fire has prompted concerns about the changing environment in which she seeks solitude and quiet reflection; the changes to spaces where birds, animals, insects, reptiles and plants coexist in the face of encroaching urban development.
Inspired by Tony Hall’s book The Life and Death of the Australian Backyard and the writings of Australian philosopher Glenn Albrecht, Lissa’s exquisite vessels invite us to slow down, to notice the small things and sense the sacredness of life around us.
“Everything begins with a story, a thread in a needle, a skein of wool, natural fibres in dexterous hands making and creating for my family and friends.”
When you see Lissa’s baskets for yourself you’ll understand she approaches her art practice intuitively and effortlessly, as an embodied practice. Given the fluidity and rhythm of her hand-making that is present in the artworks, it will probably make perfect sense to you that Lissa initially trained as a dancer.
She learned traditional crafts such as knitting, sewing and crochet at an early age and these too inform her work. Lissa says of her practice, “Harvesting, processing and using natural materials attune me to ancient practices where respect for natural resources challenge me to tread lightly and constantly evaluate my role in a modern consumerist society.”
“Finding beauty and usefulness in discarded materials is challenging and rewarding. I never know where the work is going to take me and that is the exciting part of the journey.”
Find out more about Lissa and her art practice on her website and find her work on Instagram
Workshop with Lissa de Sailles Slow Stitched Basketry
Saturday 27 July 2024 10am – 1pm
This is a marvellous opportunity to join Lissa in an informal session to learn about making fibre art using age-old basketry techniques and up-cycled materials. Under Lissa’s guidance learn how to make a slow-stitched coiled basket from hand-spun cordage made from paper and cloth.
Find full information and how to register on the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery website
Simon Degroot / Soft Pressing
Soft Pressing is an exhibition by Brisbane based artist Simon Degroot known for the colourful and dynamic abstract paintings and large-scale murals he creates. Soft Pressing investigates our interactions with surfaces that comprise our everyday built environments.
Simon develops his paintings from the imprinted surfaces of buildings or other textured structures. He uses a process where paper is pressed to a wall, footpath or other surface and rubbed with graphite or charcoal, creating an imprint that records a connection to the places in which we live.
These traces are developed in the studio to make large-scale abstract paintings. Simon’s works consider how, together, we can transform places through collective touch and spontaneous mark making.
Simon was awarded his PhD from Queensland College of Art and Design, Griffith University in 2017 where he is currently a lecturer in visual art. He has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions around Australia and completed large-scale mural installations; his work is held in public and private collections.
