While Bendigo Art Gallery undergoes a major redevelopment, residents and visitors are invited to experience The People's Gallery: Portraits from the collection, a striking presentation of enlarged portrait reproductions displayed across the hoarding on View Street.
While Bendigo Art Gallery undergoes a major redevelopment, residents and visitors are invited to experience The People's Gallery: Portraits from the collection, a striking presentation of enlarged portrait reproductions displayed across the hoarding on View Street.
Thirty-two works have been selected for the activation including Shirley Bourne's Marie (c1950), Mary Cecil Allen's Legend (Portrait of a Lady) (c1918), Edward William John Hopley's A Primrose from England (c1855), Thomas Sheard's The Arab Blacksmith (c1900) and newer works such as Scotty So's Rabbit God (2022) and Abdul Abdullah's A Little Push (2023). Bendigo artist Lauren Starr's award-winning work Midas' Daughter II - Golden Still Life (2022) also features.
The activation contributes to the vibrancy of the View Street arts precinct, inviting visitors and residents to engage with Bendigo Art Gallery's collection while shopping, dining, and strolling along View Street. For the full visual impact of the gallery, the artworks are best viewed from the footpath opposite Bendigo Art Gallery.
Established in 1887, Bendigo Art Gallery has built a wide-ranging collection encompassing landscapes, narrative paintings and a rich diversity of portrait styles.
Bendigo Art Gallery holds hundreds of portraits, ranging from delicate portrait brooches (jewellery with miniature portraits) from the 1800s to modern photographic self-portraits, and images of people spanning King George III by from Allan Ramsay (1761-1762) to Sidney Nolan's unknown soldier (1962).
Bendigo Art Gallery Director Jessica Bridgfoot said The People's Gallery offers an opportunity to reflect on the history and depth of the Gallery's significant collection.
"The artworks are as varied as the people they represent, and the portraits selected for the open-air gallery span 150 years, demonstrating the range and significance of the collection," Ms Bridgfoot said.
"The portraits honour well-known figures, share the stories of everyday people, and show how artistic styles and ideas have evolved over time.
"The Gallery's original motto was 'For the delight of the people through beautiful art'. This idea continues to guide us today.
"As Bendigo Art Gallery embarks upon this important redevelopment for central Victoria, this activation on View Street reflects the gallery's past and present, while also looking ahead to an exciting future as one of Australia's leading regional galleries.
"The open-air gallery featured on the temporary wall around the Gallery's building site also presents a visible reminder to residents and visitors that the Gallery is still active during this exciting redevelopment, and a way to spark curiosity about what is to come.
"This new activation complements View Street Amplified, a monthly live music event on the steps of The Capital with local and touring artists and Eat.Drink.Art, a program featuring 40 new artworks at 30 cafes, bars and retail stores along View Street."
