Inverell Art Gallery is welcoming some special guests in August.
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Edan Gallery in Durham, England is sending a parcel of artwork to Inverell and the local gallery is reciprocating with work from our artists.
A member of the Edan Gallery stopped in the Inverell Gallery while on holiday and the visit inspired them to reach out and suggest the exchange.
The two exhibitions will open simultaneously on August 24.
Dr Maggie Parker is curator of the show in England.
“Exhibitions of artists from different areas and other countries and cultures are a great boost to the area and have created many opportunities for national and international dialogue between artists,” she explained.
The theme of this exhibition is titled “Journey” and coincides with a special event happening in Durham right now; the temporary homecoming of the precious Lindisfarne Gospels.
Created around 700 AD, the Lindisfarne Gospels is a famous illuminated manuscript.
It is regarded as one of the highest creative achievements in medieval craftsmanship. After an order to dissolve all monasteries by Henry VIII in 1539, the gospels were seized from Durham and eventually ended up in London.
The Gospels usually reside at the British Library, but from July until September, they have returned to their ancestral region inspiring much celebration.
This journey from London to the northeast of England is where exhibition curators found the theme for this year’s exchange.
Though the exhibition was conceived here first, the curators in the UK thought the timing was felicitous.
Artists on both sides are submitting work in the form of scrolls.
The Australians are also including a biography and photo of themselves, and in some cases a description of their piece.
“It brings the artwork to life sometimes I think knowing that story,” Gallery supervisor Jo Williams said.
“The story gives them a real insight into who the person is and what their art’s about.”
Work comes mainly from the Inverell area, but artists from Lismore, Guyra and Armidale are also participating.
Though the work is all for sale, anything not sold during the exhibitions will be integrated into the gallery collections.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the Inverell Art Gallery to participate in the exchange. It’s something so historical,” Colleen Nancarrow, president of the Inverell Art Society, said.
The show opens Saturday, August 24 at the Inverell Art Gallery. The opening event will include a meal of hearty winter fare and the cost is $20. RSVP by August 23, 6722 4983.
