YOUNG and budding artists within the Gannawarra Shire have had their talents on display for the first time, as part of the Golden Rivers Artist Juniors Exhibition.
Entitled the Bear Hive exhibition, young people in the district showed off their artistic flair to their families and the wider community at Tuesday’s opening night.
Held at the Sir John Gorton Library in Kerang, artworks from five different young artists were displayed thanks to a $5000 grant from Gannawarra Shire Council.
Golden Rivers Artist president Danida Heitbaum-Ferres said the funding had helped dramatically, to be able to supply various materials for workshops and skill building, as well as allow the artwork to be on display for the public.
“It’s important to have an outlet for young people to continue being creative and we’re very thankful for the grant because I believe these skills will very much translate well into the future,” she said.
With no theme set in stone for the exhibition, their young minds were able to go into overdrive, with the end result a “stunning” exhibition.
Artist Emily English told the Gannawarra Times she enjoyed art because she finds creating art to be a relaxing experience.
“I really like to paint and test other materials, because I think it is a great way to calm down after a big day,” she said.
“I think I was born passionate about art, and would love to eventually become an art teacher.”
Teenager, Ruby O’Brien, also had her creative works on display and said she finds inspiration from her surroundings.
“Sometimes just seeing something in my surroundings can spark an idea and then I just want to create,” she said.
“I think it’s fun to learn new art techniques to be able to portray the ideas that spring to mind.”
With the art display taking six months to come to fruition, Gannawarra Shire Councillor Mark Arians said the quality of work produced was a strong indicator of the talent within the local community.
“When I travel around different districts, I love stopping by different regional galleries and seeing local work that has been created,” he said.
“What I find about regional galleries is that the local artists are incredibly talented, and this exhibition is no exception.
“It highlights that regional art is a tradition that is likely to continue for a long time, because there are some terrific works.
“It is very evident that we have such creative young people in our shire and we aspire to continue supporting great local talent.”
