THERE has been strong interest shown by artists across regional Victoria for Kerang’s annual Easter art show, with more than 400 works expected to be on display.
The Rotary Club of Kerang’s three-day event, from April 7-9, at the Kerang Basketball Stadium was expected to feature an array of art forms from 100 artists.
Club president Gerardine Prendergast said the high standard of art was a credit to the talented artists.
She said Rotary was “merely providing the cultural experience for the public to view and the opportunity to make a purchase in a comfortable environment”.
“The art show will again showcase our local area artists and their many talents that are becoming well known in our region,” Ms Prendergast said.
There will also be demonstrations, displays and sales from local artisans in many fields.
The Good Friday opening night, from 7pm to 10pm, will incorporate the official opening of the art show by Rotary District 9780 District Governor Kathy Rivett, the Gannawarra Shire art acquisition award winner announcement by Mayor Charlie Gillingham, the inaugural Kerang District Health art acquisition award and the Kerang Progress Association art acquisition award.
The opening will also include judging results and critiques for other categories by judge, artist and tutor Thel Cardwell.
Admission is $25 and includes wine, light supper and admission for the following days of the show.
A feature this year will be an official book launch by former local artist Anne Prendergast.
The art show continues on Easter Saturday, 10am-6pm, and Easter Sunday, 10am-3pm, with a $7 entry fee.
Anne Prendergast attend on Saturday (10.30am-11.30am, 2pm-4pm) and Sunday (10.30am-11.30am, 1pm-3pm) for book sales and signings.
Ms Prendergast said the club was very pleased and appreciative of the level of sponsorship achieved this year, which again allowed Rotary to offer substantial prize money for category winners.
Council was again providing the $1500 art acquisition award, continuing the tradition that has existed over many years in the building of the Shire’s art collection.
“The Rotary Club appreciates this continued support for our art show in encouraging an increasing high standard of entries in anticipation of winning this prestigious award,” Ms Prendergast said.
“This year we are thrilled to include a $1500 acquisition award provided by Kerang District Health to add to previous acquirer Kerang Progress Association of $500 for an artwork depicting our Kerang area; a $500 prize for an Indigenous artwork sponsored by Mallee District Aboriginal Services; a $500 prize sponsored by Kerang Turf Club themed Country Racing Strong, and; a $400 prize for the Easter themed category of Faith sponsored by Kerang Combined Churches.
“The inclusion of these categories and prize monies complements the standard art show prizes and certainly give artists and patrons a feast of opportunities.”
A raffle will also be held, with tickets costing $2.50 each and available at the art show.
Proceeds from the art show and raffle will be used to support the many local community and international programs and projects of the Rotary Club.
Some of the projects that Rotary has been able to support previously included barbecue shelter and information boards, Atkinson Park improvements, memorial seat refurbishments, care packs and the recent installation of tables and seats along the Kerang Regional Park levee.
DOZENS of Anne Prendergast’s art works may hang on walls across the world, but her love for the Murray River region will never leave her.
The former Cohuna artist-turned-author is a watercolour artist who also writes poetry, prose and short stories which usually accompany her paintings and add to the rich personal feel of her work.
Born in Bendigo, Ms Prendergast completed her final years of school at Kerang before farming at Mead. She has since retired to Portarlington.
Being a wife and mother helping on the farm left little time for art until retirement, when she was able to take it up seriously.
As Ms Prendergast was self-taught, her paintings were highly individual in style and most of them recorded her love of nature in general, but mainly the unique scenery and the bird life of the Murray River region, the Gunbower redgum forest, the Gunbower Creek and the lakes and marshes of the Kerang area.
She has always painted the seaside, and as she was now living by the sea, hoped to be able to do more in this field.
Ms Prendergast’s love of flowers, including native flowers, was unmistakeably shown in her stunning flower paintings.
She spent the first few years of her artistic life working in oils, but due to the effect of the fumes on her husband, she took on the challenge of the watercolour medium.
Most of her work from then on was in the watercolour and gouache medium, but in addition she worked in pencil, pen and ink and mixed media.
Over the years, Ms Prendergast’s paintings have received awards at many Victorian and New South Wales art exhibitions, but her real aims were not only to show the beauty of the land, but to enable people from all walks of life to be able to purchase a painting at a reasonable price.
Despite being asked to hold exhibitions in various places in Australia, Ms Prendergast decided to hold her first major exhibition at Cohuna, which was attended by hundreds of people, and displayed 56 paintings in various styles and themes.
One hour after the sale time was announced, 50 paintings had been sold, the rest sold shortly after.
Her paintings now hang in England, New Guinea, New Zealand, America, Hong Kong, Ireland, Scotland, Finland, Norway, Austria and most areas of Europe.
She recently printed a book, Sunshine and Shadows, containing more than 100 of her paintings, plus prose, thoughts and the journey of her life and art career.
Following rave reviews, she decided to publish a second book featuring the Gannawarra region, as well as her life, art, poetry and prose.
