The faces of Mandurah people will take centrestage during two exhibitions at Contemporary Art Spaces Mandurah (CASM) on show from this weekend.
The first exhibition, titled ‘Oh Gosh! Is that me?’, at the CASM gallery will feature portraits of local people, presented by artists from the Portrait Group of Mandurah. There will be an official launch for this collection of new works on Friday, February 19 at 6pm.
What's to see?
The lively collection will allow audiences to engage with all stages and forms of portraiture, from the quick 15-minute sketch to the studio completed artwork. As part of the exhibition, a series of creative, family friendly events and engaging activities is scheduled, including a book talk this Sunday (February 14) at 2pm by author Anne-Louse Willoughby on Nara Heysen: A Portrait, who was the first woman to win the esteemed Archibald Prize.
Are there other events?
Other events include a contemporary portraiture demonstration by Deb Zibah, two group demonstrations, and opportunities for audiences to try their hand at portraiture and complete the ‘Guess Who’ quiz on each day of the exhibition.
Who's behind it all?
The group, which meets weekly at CASM to share and enjoy the creative process of portrait painting, was founded in 2015 by internationally respected Plein Air artist Leon Holmes. Holmes will be presenting a traditional portraiture workshop in the final weeks of the exhibition.
Other group members include Aiveen O’Donovan, Carol Priest, Corrine Rapley, Dawn Flaherty, Deanne Milburn, Deborah Zibah, Fran Wildin, Maggie Clark, Martin Roddis and Sheila Monahan.
Of the creative process, Holmes said: “A facet of being a creative is to challenge one’s own limitations and knowledge and to explore new mediums and techniques”. “It is therefore no surprise to one week find an oil painter working with ink and coloured pencils on paper, or a watercolourist enjoying getting messy with charcoal,” he said.
The second exhibition, ‘Art On the Fence: Selfie’ will be displayed along the CASM car park fence. Local community members have shared a creative ‘selfie’ which will be judged at the end of the exhibition.
How do I find out more?
Both exhibitions will be on show at CASM from this Saturday (February 13) until March 14. For more information about the exhibitions and associated events, go to www.mandurah.wa.gov.au or the CASM Facebook page Bookings are essential for each event.
