EPHEMERAL ART PROJECT: 2015/16 Burra
The Visual Arts program of Country Arts SA has been refocused on achieving three key goals: promoting contemporary South Australian regional artists to a wider state and national audience, creating access and exchange between South Australia’s regional gallery spaces and artists and building audiences through increased accessibility via their Learning Connections program.
Through a regional residency and ephemeral art commission this project aims to engage regional communities with contemporary art and artists and to create long-lasting exchange between artists within the community and those visiting the area. This model was developed as a pilot project, with the aim to move the residency and ephemeral art commission around the state, visiting new communities on a bi-annual basis.
For the pilot project, Country Arts SA sought a community with a strong arts culture, an established gallery space and knowledge base and a supportive and enthusiastic community. Burra, meeting those criteria, was approached via the gallery and showed enthusiastic support for the project from the outset. A partnership has been formed between Country Arts SA, the Burra Regional Art Gallery and the Regional Council of Goyder to work together to bring the project to the local community.
This project is supported by Arts SA, through their Public Art Project Seed Funding program.
The project will be undertaken in two stages:
STAGE ONE: two artists will be in residence from Wednesday 22 July – Tuesday 28 July, 2015, and two from Wednesday 26 August – Tuesday 1 September, 2015. This will bookend SALA Festival 2015, and will be a registered SALA event.
STAGE TWO: installation of the ephemeral art works around the town of Burra installed by the artists on the final weekend, and as part of, the Adelaide Fringe Festival 2016.
Twenty five applications were received representing artists from many mediums and stages of their careers and four artists have been selected enabling a diverse representation of artistic practice and opportunities for community engagement at all levels.
As part of the residency each artist will facilitate a workshop, open to the general public, which explores one or more aspects of their practice. Workshops have been included in the project as a means of passing on valuable skills to the local community and to encourage engagement with the artist-in-residence.
While rounding up Country Cabinet earlier this year Premier Jay Weatherill MP announced additional funding for regional artists.
Representatives from each of the partners met on June 25, and selected four artists to take part in the residency supported as part of the additional funding from the State Government.
The successful artists are Lis Jones Ingman, Felicity Martin, Russell Philip and Lisa Smedley applying as group – Down to Earth. As part of their project, they will be running two free workshops, one each in Terowie and Burra.
22 – 28 July
Alex Bishop-Thorpe – photography
CYANOTYPE AND ANTHOTYPE WORKSHOP:
Saturday 25 July, 11am – 4pm at Shared Arts, 15 Chapel Street, Burra
An introduction to the concepts, techniques and materials of early photographic processes. This includes the camera and its creation, a broad introduction to materials and techniques that can be practiced at home and a hands-on, practical introduction to Cyanotype and Anthotype photographic processes.
COST $10
Gail Hocking – installation and sculpture
MOULD-MAKING WORKSHOP:
Thursday 23 July, 5.30 – 7.30pm in the Bence Room, Burra Regional Art Gallery
An introduction to mould-making. Participants will be working with alginate, (a skin safe material used in particular with life- casting) then casting in plaster. Bring a small object you would like to cast.
COST $10
26 August – 1 September
Henry Jock Walker – painting, installation & performance
PAINTING MACHINES AND ACTION PAINTING VIDEOS WORKSHOP:
Saturday 29 August, 9am – 4pm in the Bence Room and Burra Regional Art Gallery garden.
Participants will create paintings machines from local materials and then work together to create an action painting video using go pro cameras.
COST $10
Annabelle Collett – sculpture
NEW PURPOSE ART FROM RECYCLED PLASTICS WORKSHOP:
Thursday 27 August, 5.30 – 7.30pm at The Runcible Spoon Café, 11 Commercial Street Burra
Participants will be invited to bring their own recyclable plastics and to work with Annabelle to create sculptural art. Bring plastic water/soft drink bottles and any coloured plastics. Due to the use of power tools participants must be over the age of 12.
COST $5
DOWN TO EARTH WORKSHOP 1:
Sunday 26 July, 10am – 4pm at the Supper Room, then Pioneer Park, Main Street, Terowie
For local residents and visitors to Terowie, who like to walk around the place, looking and thinking … picking stuff up and taking it home, putting it on the shelf with all the other treasured bits and pieces…
Prior to the workshop, participants are asked to make a collection of their ‘findings’, such as metal, stone, glass and bits of china, leaves, twigs, grasses, seedpods, fallen branches, etc. On the day, we will add to, share and arrange our diverse collections, making patterns and designs on the ground or on card tables. Bring your lunch or purchase from a choice of nearby cafés. Kitchen facilities available.
COST FREE
DOWN TO EARTH WORKSHOP 2:
Sunday 30 August, 10am – 4pm at Shared Arts, 15 Chapel Street then Market Square, Burra
For local residents and visitors who love to traverse the paths and byways of Burra, down the creek, up the hill and all over the place, picking stuff up, adding to the collection of treasures on the shelf at home…
Prior to the workshop, participants are asked to make a collection of their ‘findings’, such as metal, stone, glass and bits of china, leaves, twigs, grasses, seedpods, fallen branches, etc. On the day, we will add to, share and arrange our diverse collections, making patterns and designs on the ground or on card tables. Bring your lunch or purchase from a choice of nearby cafés. Kitchen facilities available.
COST FREE
