A vibrant display of contemporary art will be on show at the Caloundra Regional Gallery in an exciting joint exhibition—Latest & Greatest: Sunshine Coast Art Collection recent acquisitions and Contemporary Wood-Carved Netsuke.
The exhibition opens 12 February and will be on show until 14 March and celebrates both the latest and greatest acquisitions into the Sunshine Coast Art Collection from the last two years and an innovative exhibition of Japanese craft.
Caloundra Regional Gallery is the first gallery in Queensland to host the Netsuke exhibition, which presents works by contemporary carvers and artisans of the netsuke - a traditional Japanese toggle used to secure small personal items such as money pouches and inro (medicine containers), which were worn suspended from the obi (a sash worn with the traditional Japanese clothing kimono).
What began as functional pieces when the kimono culture flourished during the Edo period (1603 -1868), the netsuke gained international acclaim for their remarkably detailed carvings.
Latest and Greatest: Sunshine Coast Art Collection recent acquisitions exhibition showcases a diverse range of contemporary Australian art comprising watercolour sketches, paintings, new media and photography, prints and ceramics.
Sunshine Coast Art Collection curator Nina Shadforth said the exhibition highlighted the importance of philanthropy in the arts by artists, collectors, local enterprises and Sunshine Coast Council, who all generously supported the arts in our region.
"Over the last two years, we've received into the collection some outstanding artworks by the likes of Joe Furlonger, Diena Georgetti, Natalya Hughes, Elizabeth Willing, Bianca Beetson and the late Michael Nelson (Kumantye) Jagamara," Ms Shadforth said.
"A large body of ceramic works from the 1960s through to the present day has also recently been gifted to the collection by a Brisbane-based art collector and includes some of Australia's most renowned potters – Garry Bish, Johanna DeMaine, Rowley Drysdale, Carl McConnell, Harry Memmott and Milton Moon to name a few."
Arts portfolio Councillor Rick Baberowski said the Sunshine Coast Art Collection had grown considerably since the Caloundra Regional Gallery's nationally recognised Sunshine Coast Art Prize (SCAP) was introduced in 2006.
"We are very fortunate that subsequent donations made by awarded artists from the Sunshine Coast Art Prize, along with generous donations by private collectors and exhibiting artists at the gallery, have all become a vital source in the acquisition of contemporary Australian art for the Collection," Cr Baberowski said.
"The most exciting thing for me about this collection is how it helps capture and track the ever changing visual culture and values of the Sunshine Coast over time, making this such a valuable cultural asset."
About the Sunshine Coast Art Collection
The Sunshine Coast Art Collection was formed in 2008 following the amalgamation of two diverse art collections from the former Caloundra City and Maroochy Shire councils, and it now holds more than 500 artworks by leading local and national artists. It includes ceramics, drawings, paintings, photography, printmaking, sculpture and textile works.
To ensure the region has an art collection that current and future generations can enjoy, Sunshine Coast Council will continue to build the profile and holdings of the Sunshine Coast Art Collection and expand its reach through increased external loans, outreach programs and touring exhibition opportunities, as well as an improved online art collection catalogue, supported by an ongoing conservation and preservation program.
