Friends of the Gallery Autumn Newsletter
4th March 2025
HAPPY NEW YEAR
This newsletter is all about planning; We hope it inspires you to plan your visits to the Gallery and take advantage of the wonderful seasonal program.
We have several trips and tours that we are working on which will take us to art galleries, exhibitions and places of interest including our annual Sydney excursion to view the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes and an exciting trip to Japan. We are excited to share some information around raising funds for an important acquisition the Gallery is planning to purchase. Or it may be time to plan a visit to the Gallery’s Café with friends and family.
Whatever your plans are we wish you a great year ahead.
FAREWELL & THANK YOU
At the close of 2024 we said farewell to some very special people who retired from The Friends of the Gallery committee.
Please join us in thanking each of them for their passion, knowledge and valuable contribution.
Karlene Polglase, Membership Manager, Honorary Treasurer and all-round IT expert, whose vision brought about the new technology that greatly benefits our administration processes.
Heather McLachlan, the Editor of Artifacts for many years, Honorary Secretary and a willing hand at all events.
Bronwyn Lewis, who after retiring last year came back onto the committee when our treasurer took ill and filled the very important role of Honorary Treasurer.
Vice President, Makala Schofield, a great business mind who brought a sense of professionalism to the workings of the Committee and its goals.
And finally, Shona Charters, whose wise and thoughtful contributions to our meetings will be greatly missed.
TOUR OF THE 11th ASIA PACIFIC TRIENNIAL OF CONTEMPORARY ART.
Join the Friends of the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre visiting Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) for a private tour of The 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art.
Date: Tuesday 18th February 2025
Time: The bus will depart from the Tweed Gallery @ 8:30 am and the main entrance of Club Banora @ 9am (NSW times)
Price: $38 per person. There are only 24 seats available so booking is essential.
To book follow this link: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1344108
AN OUTSTANDING SUMMER PROGRAM AT THE GALLERY AWAITS
Image: Zion Levy Stewart Noel Hart 2020 acrylic on canvas 76 x 60cm Image courtesy the artist © The artist
The Gallery has a lot to celebrate this season and will be hosting two opening events for the many exhibitions that are opening next month.
Opening celebrations for regional artists Dawn Walker, Zion Levy Stewart and Sydney-based artist Minghua Xiang will be on Friday 14 February at 6pm for 6.15pm speeches.
All three artists are presenting solo exhibitions that demonstrate their individual painting styles.
The opening for the Arts Northern Rivers touring exhibition Bulaan Buruugaa Ngali Exhibition will be held the following week on Saturday 22 February from 2 – 5pm. This important exhibition will showcase contemporary weaving artworks alongside ancestral woven objects on loan from the Australian Museum. There is a Curator’s floor-talk by the exhibition’s curator, Kylie Caldwell, as part of this opening for those who wish to learn more about the exhibition.
Both events are free and bookings are required via the Gallery’s website. https://gallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au/Home
There will be a new collection exhibition in the Withey Gallery from 7 February, The Comfort of Home, and the Margaret Olley Art Centre will present a beautiful exhibition Painting Life: Margaret Olley and works from the collection from 14 March. Be sure to check out the Gallery’s full program including all their events via the following link: Tweed Regional Gallery Autumn Program
ACQUISITION APPEAL
Ben Quilty, Margaret Olley 2011, oil on linen 170 × 150cm © The artist
Celebrated as Australia's most distinguished painter of still life, Margaret Olley was a generous philanthropist with an enormous capacity for friendship. In this 2011 Archibald Prize winning portrait, Ben Quilty captured his friend and mentor in the final months of her enduring career and remarkable life.
The Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation Ltd. is in the process of raising the remaining $195,000 needed to acquire this iconic portrait for the Tweed Regional Gallery collection. The Friends have committed $30,000 to this appeal and encourage others to contribute. All donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
To find out more and donate online visit https://gallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au/support/acquisition-appeal
or contact the Gallery Foundation:
Email: galleryfoundation@tweed.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 02 6670 2790
JAPANESE ART, GARDENS & CULTURE TOUR
9-24 MAY 2025 | $10,625 per person | 9 – 24 MAY 2025 | $10,625 per person
We are excited to be travelling to Japan in May and we hope you can join us. Organised and lead by Kim Woods Rabbidge, this exceptional Japanese Art, Gardens & Culture Tour sees us travel to Tokyo then Kawaguchiko, Takayama, Kanazawa then to Okayama and finally Kyoto. The itinerary is the perfect balance of time spent in beautiful gardens, visiting temples, cultural excursions and experiences and plenty of art galleries.
You can secure your place before bookings close January 31 by clicking on the link and download all the details including the itinerary and booking form. Download Brochure(PDF, 2MB)
2025 SYDNEY GALLERY TOUR | THE ART GALLERY OF NSW ARCHIBALD, WYNNE & SULMAN PRIZE | CHAU CHAK WING MUSEUM
Image courtesy of the CHAU CHAK WING MUSEUM
We are planning our annual visit to Sydney and the Gallery of NSW which will include a private tour of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2025.There will be ample time to explore the Gallery and the newly opened North Building, Naala Badu. We also plan to visit the Chau Chak Wing Museum. This purpose build, multi-level museum which opened in 2020 brings together the University of Sydney’s Art, Science History and Culture collections so there is so much to see and experience. Included is a visit to the S. H. Ervin Gallery and a private tour of the Salon des Refusés which is always interesting and raises much discussion. And to round off the trip we hope to visit the Brett Whitely Studio. Dates are being finalised for later this year, and we will update you all shortly.
YOUR TABLE AWAITS
Friends of the Gallery members are automatically entered into a monthly draw for a $50 voucher at Apex Dining Café. The winner will be contacted directly so please ensure your contact details are up to date.
In addition, every time you visit Apex Dining Café and show your membership app, you receive 10% off your bill. It’s another great reason to book a table and enjoy the delicious menu. If you haven’t already done so you can download the Friends’ membership app by using the following link: https://www.tweedgalleryfriends.com.au/app
THE SUMMER RAFFLE IS REALLY SOMETHING SPECIAL
Images courtesy of the Artist
Tickets are on sale now for this hand-formed vessel by Jo Norton. Based in the Northern Rivers based, she crafts pieces that resonate with the atmosphere of her Anagama kiln, which she built with local potters. This beautiful and functional vessel has been wood fired to stoneware using local Sally Wattle & Pine to create colours, patterns and textures that are rich and unique. Purchase your tickets when visiting the Gallery.
For more information about Jo and her work click the link here thrownbyjo.com
Enjoy all that this season’s program has to offer and however you plan to get involved thank you again for supporting the Friends of the Gallery and Happy New Year.
Janice Jones,
President, Friends of the Gallery
