THROUGHOUT the month of March, Bendigo Art Gallery is celebrating the start of a new season with exhibitions and special events designed to capture the imagination.
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Suitable for visitors of varied interests and backgrounds, the gallery also actively provides programs for students, teachers and families, and aims to encourage a positive connection with the arts within the community.
This weekend is the final opportunity to see the incredible work on display by acclaimed Australian artist Ben Quilty.
Originally shown at the renowned Saatchi Gallery in London, these recent paintings and sculptural works by Quilty are well worth seeing in the flesh, with their abundantly layered impasto surfaces.
Visitors have been transfixed by the paintings, which have been rendered using a method of application based on the inkblot test (also called the Rorschach test). This free exhibition closes at 5pm tomorrow.
In the lead-up to International Women’s Day, the gallery is offering the opportunity to enjoy lunch with guest speaker director Karen Quinlan at noon on Thursday, March 5.
With catering provided by Renzo Panozzo and the Gallery Café, it’s sure to be an enjoyable and entertaining event. Bookings are essential; please contact the gallery directly. Lunch will be $40, or $35 for gallery members, and will include the meal, a glass of wine and the presentation.
Also connected to International Women’s Day will be a free tour of the collection at 11.30am on Saturday, March 7, titled "Women in Focus". Presented by Heather McNeill, one of our enthusiastic and informative volunteer guides, this tour will be a relaxed way to enjoy an insight into female artists represented in the gallery’s early permanent collection.
For the gallery’s free monthly guest speaker event, we’ll be welcoming Jennifer Kalionis, director of the Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum.
Jennifer will speak about her vision for the future for the Castlemaine Gallery and will reveal some of the highlights for the year ahead. This event is part of the Art & Tea program, presented by the Friends of Bendigo Art Gallery.
The event includes morning tea at 10am, followed by the talk at 10.30am (with hearing loop provided), and is held at the La Trobe Visual Arts Centre, opposite the gallery in View Street. Booking are preferred.
Later in March the Gallery is pleased to be able to support a performance by one of Australia’s most loved chamber ensembles, the Flinders Quartet. Scheduled for 5.30pm on Thursday, March 19, the Flinders Quartet will present Mozart’s String Quartet No. 17 in B flat major, The Hunt and a selection of works by Sibelius. Numbers are limited for this performance, so bookings are essential. Tickeets are $35 or $30 for gallery members.
And finally on Sunday, March 22, the gallery will be hosting a free Cultural Diversity Family Fun Day. From 11am to 1pm, bring the family and discover some of the creative arts of our closest neighbours, including Indonesia, China and Japan.
The day will include the opportunity to learn songs, try your hand at calligraphy and learn some other languages through art making. Our family days are popular, so bookings are preferred.
For a full list of exhibitions and events plus teacher PD and student opportunities, please go to www.bendigoartgallery.com.au We look forward to seeing you soon at the gallery.
Bendigo Art Gallery’s new opening hours are 10am to 5pm, Tuesdays to Sundays.