Art enthusiasts will have a few more pieces to ponder over as they wander through the Kyabram Town Hall Art Gallery, with the arrival of four new exhibitions this month.
The displays are being rolled out throughout August, so there has never been a better time to visit the gallery.
Art gallery volunteer and co-ordinator Anne Churches said the fresh exhibitions would bring something for everyone to enjoy.
The August exhibitions include ‘Sewn Together – 52 Years of Collaboration’ by Beth and Trevor Reid, ‘My Country’ by Dianne Nally, ‘The Blackout Poetry Paintings’ by Kristen Dyer, and ‘Industry and Invention’ by Splinter Contemporary Artists.
My Country will have an official opening on Saturday, August 10.
The Free Press caught up with Ms Nally before her opening, where she talked about her process, from inspiration to putting her paintbrush to a canvas.
Ms Nally has been in creative industries her entire life, from sketching portraits for petty cash to renovating houses and restoring Mustangs, but it took her 50 years to pick up her paint brush and begin seriously painting.
Last year, she began putting her creative mind to the test and started to create incredible landscapes of sweeping countrysides with thunderous clouds and detailed animals and farmhouses.
Ms Nally said inspiration often began with a photo.
“Whenever we’re travelling, and I see something like an interesting cloud system, or a big open field – I take a photo of it,” she said.
“I don’t have time to stop when we’re travelling about, but I take a photo and put it in a folder on my phone and come back to them when I’m looking for inspiration.”
She said one of her favourite things about her paintings were the little animal figures that popped out of the edges of the frames.
“The children love my paintings because they spot the animal popping its head out,” Ms Nally said.
She has been painting seriously for about a year, but said she was conscious nothing she did was perfect.
“When I was at school and did modelling and art, I got 99 out of 100, but I was told that I didn’t get 100 because I’m not perfect – and nobody’s perfect,” she said.
“That’s always stuck with me.”
Mrs Churches confirmed there was a lot to be excited about at the gallery, with the schedule for exhibitions in 2025 almost filled.
This year, the hall reaches the 10th anniversary of its reopening, and plans for celebration are in the works, Mrs Churches said.
August exhibitions
• Sewn Together by Beth and Trevor Reid will show off the textile work of the two artists.
Hailing from Canberra, the pair have exhibited their artwork nationally and internationally since they began professionally quilting in 1998.
Sewn Together is on display until October 4.
• The Blackout Poetry Paintings by Kristen Dyer displays her work of multimedia and the repurposing of art.
Ms Dyer takes a page of a book, and blacks out words on a page to create a poem.
It’s a fascinating reimagining of how artwork can be repurposed, and worth checking out if you are a fan of poetry or painting.
Ms Dyer will be holding a workshop on Blackout Poetry and Painting on Sunday, September 8 from 11am to 4pm.
• Industry and Invention by the Splinter Contemporary Artists explores the era of the industrial revolution through various media of art.
The Splinter Contemporary Artists are a group of exhibiting artists from across the Goulburn Valley that are a staple in the halls of the Kyabram Town Hall Art Gallery.
The group showcases different artwork, visualising topics that change with every exhibition.
Its new exhibition, Industry and Invention runs until November.
The Kyabram Town Hall Art Gallery is open 10am to 4pm from Monday to Saturday.