Reframe the touring exhibition of the 2022 QRAA in Charleville – 28 March to 29 April 2023
On 28 March, Flying Arts Alliance Inc. (Flying Arts) was delighted to launch the Reframe exhibition at the Mulga Lands Gallery in Charleville which was on display until 29 April 2023.
Showcasing the winners of Flying Arts’ 2022 Queensland Regional Art Awards (QRAA), Reframe highlights the award-winning artworks and the diverse creative talent of artists from across regional Queensland. Charleville marked the exhibition’s first stop before continuing its regional tour to Longreach, which opens on 17 May before the exhibition continues its journey to Blackall, Moranbah and Cairns.
At the Charleville opening event, Flying Arts Executive Officer, Paul Thompson, was warmly welcomed to the Mulga Lands Gallery for official proceedings. Cr Robert Eckel, Murweh Shire Council, graciously opened the exhibition, and a supportive local community came out and enjoyed all the artworks from the amazing award-winning artists.
Image Credit: Jill Usher.
Above (left): Cr Robert Eckel, Murweh Shire Council. Image Credit: Flying Arts.
Above (middle): Attendees at the Reframe opening event of at Mulga Lands Gallery. Image Credit: Edward Niznik.
Above (right): Paul Thompson, Flying Arts Executive Officer. Image Credit: Jill Usher.
Creative Community Workshops with Rose Rigley – Saturday 22 April 2023
As part of the touring exhibition, Flying Arts presented two creative community workshops on Saturday 22 April delivered by award-winning exhibiting artist Rose Rigley. Rose’s artwork ‘Cataloguing Absence’ was the recipient of the 2022 QRAA ‘Art Educator Award’ thanks to award category sponsors the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University.
Flying Arts were grateful that artist Rose Rigley was able to travel from her hometown of Cairns to share her skills and knowledge with many eager workshop participants.
First up, in the morning ‘Contemplative Ink-Wash Objects’ was a workshop that looked at ways to accurately represent an object using charcoal and ink-wash layers. This was a great opportunity to be inspired by the exhibiting artwork in Reframe with the participants learning many of the artists’ tips and techniques to guide them through the process.
Following in the afternoon, ‘Clever Coptic Bookbinding’ allowed participants to gain an insight into how to make beautiful handmade A5 open-bound books suitable to use as art journals or sketchbooks. This workshop focused on open-bound single-needle Coptic stitch with cover variations that were outrageously different!
Above (left): ‘Contemplative Ink-wash objects’ workshop artwork by artist Rose Rigley.
Above (right): ‘Clever Coptic Bookbinding’ workshop with Coptic book samples by artist Rose Rigley.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Rose Rigley.
Flying Arts are delighted to share Rose Rigleys’ summary of her time in Charleville delivering these public engagement events as part of Reframe.
“In association with Queensland-based arts organisation Flying Arts Alliance Inc, I delivered two art workshops in the outback town of Charleville, a historic town in the flat, dusty, Mulga Lands of southwestern Queensland. It is a seven-hour drive to Toowoomba, the nearest major regional centre, or a bumpy, two-hour flight from Brisbane on the Rex (Regional Express Airlines) ‘rattler’. Charleville has purpose-built cultural facilities, including a gallery and individual workshop areas.
My workshop participants were part of this creative community – a group of wonderful locals with practical, no-nonsense, resourceful self-starters with generous and can-do attitudes. Facilitating workshops in an unknown environment is quite intimidating, but I never felt out of place amongst this welcoming group. Each member embraced the process, even my quirky icebreaker.
The first group challenged themselves with ink wash drawing of a special keepsake, working in companionable, contemplative quiet as they created realistic representations of their memory objects. The second workshop saw new and previous participants making sense of the world through the Coptic binding method of book construction. What a privilege it was to come together, to buy out the time for a little creative practice, and to be our authentic selves … in a quiet space, in a beautiful gallery, showing amazing work from across the regional centres of Queensland.
Thank you, Charleville, for your hospitality and helpfulness. But most importantly thank you to Flying Arts for continuing to support creative life in all corners of this vast state!!” Rose Rigley.
Above middle (left to right): Participants artworks as part of the ‘Contemplative Ink-wash objects’ workshop.
Above (left to right): Participants creating their books in the ‘Clever Coptic Bookbinding’ workshop.
Image Credits: Courtesy of Rose Rigley.
Coinciding with the exhibition, the Queensland Music Trails were also in town to deliver a swingin’ good time at The Big Base Party on the 19 and 20 April. As part of the Queensland Music Festival Program the Queensland Music Trails delivered a great line-up of big band swing, jazz and blues, thus, ensuring Charleville experienced a multi-arts experience for all the senses!
Reframe continues its tour across regional Queensland with its next stop the Longreach Library, opening on 17 May until 28 May 2023.
For further details on the exhibition with tour venues and dates, please visit here.
This project is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.