NEW: MAHMOUD SALAMEH SHOW IN MELBOURNE

RISE: REFUGEES, SURVIVORS AND EX-DETAINEES

Presents the work of 

Mahmoud Salameh

Thurs 19 - Sun 22 May

314 Queen Street, Melbourne CBD - access via Guildford Lane

Hours:   FRI   20 MAY    4 - 7 pm

              SAT  21 MAY   12 - 4 pm

              SUN 22 MAY   12 - 4 pm

              ENTRY BY DONATION

NEWS: BRONWYN RAZEM IS EVERYWHERE

BRONWYN RAZEM

at

Festival of Pacific Arts Guam, May-June 2016 

Bronwyn Razem, Georgia Maguire, Deanne Gilson and Glenda Nicholls

are

Ngardang Girri Kalat Mimini

Mother Aunty Sister Woman

"Ngardang Girri Kalat Mimini was established as a collaborative network of Indigenous women artists. They are committed to promoting the unique art practices of Indigenous women in Victoria, Australia and aim to support each other professionally, culturally and spiritually.

A key focus of Ngardang Girri Kalat Mimini is the continuation of traditional cultural practices in a contemporary art space, through engaging in collaborative projects, such as exhibitions and workshops.

Ngardang Girri Kalat Mimini's representatives attending the Festival of Pacific Arts 2016 are four of Victoria's most prominent Indigenous female artists, all of whom are multi-skilled in a variety of cultural craft techniques."

On her return Bronwyn Razem will be at Craft Victoria and Geelong Gallery in between workshops at Ballarat and Scienceworks.
BRAVO BRONWYN!

Last year Bronwyn collaborated with Brigit Heller in a WINDOWSPACE window performance, 'weaving in the window'.

Bronwyn and Brigit at WINDOWSPACE-BEEAC 2015

COMMENT: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE ROLE OF ARTS - DISMAL

In March WSB held off 'publishing' comment about the Turnbull government's response to the arts sector - it now seems timely to do so.
Few expected the Turnbull Government to be worse for the arts than the Abbott one, but it is. The effect of its first mid-year budget update and its new efficiency dividends for the next four years will cripple the federally funded cultural institutions. Such cuts are not sustainable and operations and functions of the national cultural institutions stand to be affected, in some cases irreversibly.

The Conversation, 4 March 2016

Read more (The Conversation, 4 March 2016)

• Friday essay: Silver-tongued Turnbull fails to woo the arts vote

  theconversation.com/friday-essay-silver-tongued-turnbull-fails-to-woo-t...
  

  
  
  

  15 hours ago - The arts sector is in crisis and while many hoped the TurnbullGovernment would mark a new, enlightened beginning, this has not happened.

Below is today's email from the National Association for the Visual Arts.

View this email in your browser Dear Members, subscribers, and colleagues, Please see below NAVA's media release which was sent out this morning. You may have seen today's article in The Age/Sydney Morning Herald. We will send out further communication to you shortly and we thank you for your continued support. Your sincerely, National Association for the Visual Arts MEDIA RELEASE 13 May 2016 Changed outlook for NAVA The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) is facing one of its toughest challenges in the 33 year history of the organisation. This week the Australia Council for the Arts, the federal funding agency notified NAVA that it will not continue to fund its core operations as decided in this key organisational funding round. NAVA, the peak body for Australian visual and media arts, craft and design sector, like many other arts organisations is bearing the brunt of the cuts to the Australia Council and changes to the arts funding environment. Tamara Winikoff OAM, NAVA’s Executive Director said today, “I suppose what is most disappointing is that we have worked really hard to protect arts funding in general and the Australia Council in particular. However NAVA will do its best to continue as an essential advocate for artists’ rights, professional development service provider, grant administrator and leader in establishing and implementing best practice standards. This is something that is needed now more than ever, not just for NAVA’s 17,000 members and subscribers who gain direct benefit from its services, but also a record number of organisations which have been defunded by these decisions and the unfolding damage this will cause to the Australian arts ecology.” Internationally recognised artist and NAVA Board member, Sally Smart said today, “NAVA has proved itself to be an agile and adaptable key infrastructure organisation. It has been proud to achieve improved opportunities and working conditions for artists, art organisations and other art professionals and is committed to supporting risk taking, innovation and invention in contemporary art practice. This will not change.” In the coming months NAVA will adapt its business model to these new circumstances. As with every other challenge, NAVA’s board and staff will make their best effort to ensure that the Australian visual arts sector can continue to enjoy a firm grounding of industry support. Highly acclaimed Australian artist and NAVA Board member Michael Zavros said today, ”The withdrawal of key organisational funding to our national advocacy body is a huge blow to the Australian art world. NAVA is well known as the respected advocate and voice on behalf of its constituents. The organisation has been instrumental in securing a series of important rights for artists including moral rights, resale royalty, an income tax ruling, the national arts curriculum for schools and the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy which has substantially increased the level of funding to the sector. It’s really hard to understand the logic of this decision.” Over the last year NAVA has worked across the political spectrum to call for the development of a coherent vision and evidence based policy framework to guide the initiatives and allocation of resources by governments. To strengthen the support base, NAVA itself has been responsible for establishing other bodies including Viscopy, the Australian visual arts rights management organisation, National Visual Arts and Craft Network, the Australian Design Alliance and ArtsPeak, the confederation of national peak arts organisations. It also has advocated in partnership with others including the National Advocates for Arts Education, Coalition for an Australian Resale Royalty and the Australian Coalition for Cultural Diversity. Winikoff commented, “One thing is sure; that NAVA will continue to engage with and be strongly supported by its loyal constituents and the arts sector well into the future. We know we are essential to the wellbeing of Australia’s cultural creators. We call on all our members and supporters to let their feelings be known to the Australia Council and the Government.” Copyright © 2016 National Association for the Visual Arts, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for NAVA updates, including NAVA Art Wires, via NAVA's website or you are a NAVA member. Our mailing address is: National Association for the Visual Arts PO Box 60 Potts Point, NSW 1335 Australia Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

2016 - 4 LEE MULLEN - MAY 2016

2016 - 4    LEE MULLEN 

AW 

WINDOWSPACE-BEEAC  MAY 2016

'Lee is an Australian visual artist whose site integrative, multi disciplinary practice seeks to challenge contemporary urban idealism whilst exploring narratives of utopia and abstraction, temporal and spatial anxieties, social tensions, visual language and knowledge.' (Artist notes)

Mullen's work AW is a site specific response to the the Beeac area and its volcanic plains, craters, saline lakes and their associated flora and fauna. It also references the immediate vicinity of the WINDOWSPACE window.

In the artist's words, AW - is:

a two way display; an impermanent propositional placard for banded stilts and a lifestyle invitation to humans  ... A visible discourse blending entwined notions of migration, environment, lifestyle, tourism and home, whilst reflecting on the homogeneity of the desired contemporary interior and contemporary art’s role in this coveted sameness ...

AW toys with the extraordinary travels of the banded stilt as metaphor for what we do and don't want, or need, and how we make this our 'destination', how we perceive location and how it guides us.

WSB welcomes Lee Mullen's critically evaluative approach which acknowledges the intricacies of location and subtly responds in sensitively chosen media.