Thanks to everyone who helped make our winter a little more colourful as part of the Clarence Valley Guerrilla Knitting Project a Grafton Regional Gallery community arts project. Here are just a few groovy things that appeared around the gallery courtyard as part of the project.

Paranormal Activity - The results are in!!!

Queensland Paranormal Research and Analysis Group ( QPRAG ) have reviewed the data collected during the investigation at the Grafton Regional Gallery and have concluded that there is in fact paranormal activity occurring at the gallery.

The group were fortunate to catch what they call Class 1 EVP's (actual unexplained voices) and a few other strange noises.

During a locked -off period equipment was set up upstairs in prentice house, 2 of devices activated at the same time indicating a presence. Also during this locked off period two of the investigators were sitting quietly downstairs and both heard and recorded a voice as well as other unexplained noises. A recording device set up on the stairs captured a voice and unexplained noises.

Footage captured on an infrared camera while focussed on a candle in the dining room shows the camera moving from air current but the candle itself did not flicker

The conclusion is the Gallery is rated a Category 2 (Paranormal Activity captured but no visual evidence).

For a full write up on what happen during the evening check out Dominic Zietsch's article in the Daily Examiner 8th February 2011 http://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/story/2011/02/08/who-you-gonna-call-ghost-hunting-cemetery/

A new public artwork by Cass Samms has been installed at Yamba at Turners Beach near the old quarry. Cass Samms Furcula 2011 is four stylised bronze wishbone pieces which interconnect with one another creating an interactive space. The sculpture which is approximately 1.6m wide, 2.7m long and 1m high sits on the edge of the rocks overlooking the beach and river crossing.

The Furcula or wish bones are inspired by the old tradition of pulling a wishbone with a friend to make a wish. These wishbones will bring luck for a safe crossing of the river.
I'm sure that a tradition of rubbing the sculpture for luck will be something my children grow up with - in fact I might start that tradition this weekend.
Thanks Cass for another beautiful sculpture.

Lesley Apps meets the Hon Julie Gillard at Grafton Shoppingworld

Lesley Apps, Member of the Grafton Regional Gallery's Advisory Committee, had the pleasure of meeting the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, at Grafton Shoppingworld when the PM was visiting the Clarence Valley to view the impact of the major flood in January 2011.

2010 JADA Acquisitions

The announcement of the $15,000 prize and $15,000 of acquisitions was made at the gala opening by the judge of the 2010 JADA Julie Ewington, Curatorial Manager, Australian Art at Queensland Art Gallery. General approval was given by the 130 guests who had gathered in the gallery for the event.

The acquisitions worth at least $15,000 in total were Anna Hoyle’s Lucky Prince and Pretty Princess, Lisa Jones’ Replicator and Miles Hall’s Baignade Rose (out of the dead land).

Anna Hoyle Lucky Prince and Pretty Princess

Lucky Prince and Pretty Princess by Anna Hoyle was the first of three drawings acquired from the JADA. This brassy, playful work aggregates images and media in a busy all over pattern found in wrapping paper or textiles to explore the flashy media driven world of consumer culture. Anna Hoyle, who lives and works in Brunswick in Melbourne, has been a finalist in the JADA since 2004.

Lisa Jones Replicator

The second acquisition, Replicator by Lisa Jones, is a carefully crafted drawing about networks, from internal structures of the human body to the social networks of cyberspace. Lisa, who has lived in Sydney since moving in 2002 from England, sees networks of all types as part of our evolving population.

Miles Hall Baignade Rose (out of the dead land)

Brisbane based artist, Miles Hall, took out the final acquisition with Baignade Rose (out of the dead land), a sensitive and evocative work. Inspired by T.S. Eliot’s poem Burnt Norton (Four Quartets), Baignade Rose or red bath or dip was first drawn in charcoal then dipped in pink acrylic to envelope the lower half of the image.

PETER ALWAST WINS 2010 JACARANDA ACQUISITIVE DRAWING AWARD and $15,000.

Peter Alwast has taken out the major prize of the $30,000 2010 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award as a first time finalist with his drawing entitled Trees, Waterfall, Back.

The artist is honoured and delighted to win this major drawing award. Peter indicated that the $15,000 winning prize which is sponsored by the Friends of the Gallery has come at a great time as he is about to commence a residency at Artspace in Sydney for six months.

The announcement of the $15,000 prize and $15,000 of acquisitions was made at the gala opening by the judge of the 2010 JADA Julie Ewington, Curatorial Manager, Australian Art at Queensland Art Gallery. General approval was given by the 130 guests who had gathered in the gallery for the event.

The acquisitions worth at least $15,000 in total were Anna Hoyle’s Lucky Prince and Pretty Princess, Lisa Jones’ Replicator and Miles Hall’s Baignade Rose (out of the dead land).

The winning work and three acquisitions will join the Grafton Regional Gallery JADA Collection which contains an impressive selection of contemporary Australian drawing.

2010 JADA Gala Opening 6pm Fri 29 Oct

Wear your sparkles and favourite kit to the gala opening of the 2010 JADA at 6pm Friday 29 October at the Grafton Regional Gallery.

Julie Ewington, Curatorial Manager of Australian Art at the Queensland Art Gallery, is the 2010 JADA judge. She will be announcing the $15,000 winnner of the JADA and the artists whose work has been acquired (Julie had $15,000 to spend on the acquisitions!).

John Macdonald, art writer and art critic for the Sydney Morning Herald, is our special guest speaker.

Fine wines, nibbles (includes cheese) and music round out this very traditional gallery opening.

$20 or $15 if you are a Friend of the Gallery (you can join then pay for the JADA) or if you take a punt that there is still space (unlikely) you pay $25 on the night. Limit of 150 people. Phone 02 6642 3177 to book in.