This is not Wende’s text….or is it?

Greetings travellers,

Last Friday night, the Mitcham Village Art & Crafts Assoc. Inc., (t/a Gallery One Mitcham) AGM took place amid zero fan-fare. It was a light-hearted affair and with very little ado, we managed to dispense with the business of the evening in a record 25mins.  Election of the 2020-2021 committee was achieved as per nominations:

Chair – David Milne

Treasurer – Gavin Denien

Secretary – Anna Maria Zupancic

Serving Committee – Helen Black, Wende Dahl, Dom Guarna, Marie Trebilcock, Anne Wilson, Robert Zunic

Reports from the Chair, the Treasurer and the Gallery Co-ordinator (Sanya Zunic) focussed on the impact of COVID19 on Gallery performance after the 7 week closure but stressed and reassured that financially, Gallery One remains in a viable position. In part, this has been achieved through a Federal Government assistance grant of $10,000 and on-going Job Keeper payments for Sanya as Co-Ordinator. Mitcham City Council has also provided some rental relief during this period. Sanya noted that David and Gavin, as experienced and senior former executives, very practiced in dealing with the quicksand of the public sector, fortuitously had the ideal skill-sets to guide us through this crisis.  It is certain that neither Sanya nor myself could have maintained the sang-froid exhibited by Gavin when dealing with the Australian Tax Office. We should have made a video of him and sold it!

 

 

As everyone will be aware, all classes have resumed and the calendar is full although some groups are still limited in terms of possible numbers. Life Drawing, for instance, can only comfortably accommodate 12 people in order to meet social distancing requirements. Additional numbers places those trying to draw from the back of the room at a considerable disadvantage and this seems unfair.

Fingers crossed, the Committee anticipates returning to a full exhibition calendar in 2021. This will improve our income potential and return some welcome colour to the walls and the Gallery’s social life. Exhibition openings not only introduce exhibiting artists to their public but also provide an opportunity for Gallery attendees to mix with other people who attend classes in the Gallery space and who they may not otherwise have the opportunity to meet. Openings are also occasions when your nearest and dearest can visit with you and familiarise themselves with the spaces where you learn and enjoy yourselves (without them).

We remain hopeful that the indigenous exhibition will be up and running early in the New Year. While exhibitions generate much needed income for the Gallery, the Committee is aware that economic times will be quite straightened during 2021 because of the on-going effects of the pandemic. Consequently, for 2021, income generated from holding exhibitions is not expected to meet former benchmarks.  In addition, we can only keep our fingers crossed and hope that South Australia does not experience a second wave COVID19 such as the one experienced by our Victorian neighbours.

 

The Book Worm

Michael Robotham character series featuring psychologist, Joe O’Loughlin

 

Bookworm Binge: a slightly different take on the bookworm this week. It’s holiday season and if you are travelling in SA you might want to take a few books for company or if you are enjoying your spring garden it could take your fancy to sit in the garden with a cup of tea or a glass of wine and indulge in a quiet read or two before it gets too hot. So, just like binge watching on TV, I know some of you like to binge-read authors. This week I have read two books in the Michael Robotham character series featuring psychologist, Joe O’Loughlin. This character provides an intelligent portrayal of a protagonist in a crime series. Joe’s a bit of a new-age sensitive type who admits to guilt, character deficits and other flaws and to sometimes being wrong. He likes to ask questions and understand people and, so far in the series, is devoted to his wife, Julieanne and daughter, Charlotte/Charlie. Physically, he is limited by the onset of Parkinson’s disease.

About the author: Michael Robotham (Thank you Wikipedia): Australian, has lived overseas but currently resides in Sydney environs, multi-award winner of significant writing prizes in various genres. Began his career as a journalist in Sydney and went on to ghost write many biographies as well as works of fiction. Now writes full-time. There are 9 books in the Joe O’Loughlin series which is set in the UK and he has written several stand-alone works of fiction as well as another character series. Some of his Joe O’Loughlin narratives have been turned into a TV series set in Hamburg.

Travellers, stay safe during the holidays, work hard on your art or craft/s. See you next term.

ps – note to self. Work on your art!

pps – I don’t know what’s happened to spring. It’s cold and wet and very grey outside. Now I’m going to curl up under the heating and continue reading Robotham’s, ‘Shatter’.  It is too cold to do house or garden work!

 

 

 

Video of the Week

Artist Robert Zunic demonstrating how to paint a portrait in the style of Expressionism

 

Play the video or watch on YouTube

Photo Credits

Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels Pink Flowers

Photo by fauxels from Pexels People at a meeting

Photo by Moose Photos from Pexels Man on the phone