Art Sparks Nr 6- Wolveschildren Gallery, Humffray St Nth
Event Report [Click to download pdf]
The March Art Sparks program for 2014 was designed to spotlight the developing arts precinct that is forming in Humffray St Nth. It highlighted multiple venues: the new independent Wolveschildren Art Space, new mangagement at The Eastern (live music venue), and Babushka Bar’s ongoing dedication to the local music scene.
The event showcased a variety of local artists and community arts groups, highlighting the diversity of practice being undertaken in the local area. It was a moving feast with multiple activities happening simultaneously and created a great sense of community and creativity with up to 150 attendees over the day, across a broad range of ages and backgrounds. This special event supported local venues, and provided artists with professional development, commercial, networking, and showcasing opportunities, whilst providing a smorgasbord of artistry for the general 2 public to enjoy. Many have said it was the best Art Sparks yet. In its production, Art Sparks also continues to provide opportunities for those interested in marketing, graphic design, and event photography to gain valuable experience in their field.
By supporting the exhibition Miss-Print at Wolveschildren, BAA was able to support the new venture while maximising the number of artists to benefit from the Art Sparks event. Laura Day from local business Learn 2 Screenprint curated an exhibition of eight local female artists. They were also invited to sell their creative merchandise in a pop-up shop.
As part of the event, Learn 2 Screenprint gave live demos and local poet, actor and former arts lecturer, Barry Breen interviewed local artist Angela Robinson focussing on her upcoming residency in Manchester, UK in May 2014. While providing a short insight into Angela’s career as an artist, the talk was also designed to highlight the variety of residencies on offer around the world and the need for artists to carefully research what is actually supplied, and what costs they will need to fund themselves.
Meanwhile, the musicians were setting up at The Eastern as local yarn bombing and alternative craft group Stitch and Bitch were completing 6 weeks of work leading up to the event by ‘bombing’ or decorating the poles leading the way between the three venues, Wolveschildren Gallery, The Eastern and Babushka Bar to represent the unity between the ideals of the venues, while adding a touch of festivity and colour to the event. Stitch and Bitch are a group of female artists and designers who meet socially each Thursday evening while creating a range of small and bright knitted and crocheted samples that are then sewn together for yarn bombing, or non permanent ‘happy’ graffiti, to share with the local community.
The one and only Ballarat Ukelele Kollective played and guided the audience between venues over the evening. The Kollective is a social group of singing Ukelele lovers that meet weekly to learn new songs to perform 4 for the local community and they were a hit. BAA committee members and volunteers were hard at work signing up new members over the day, collecting the entry fee, and running a food stall with locally made produce including handmade sausages, felafels, chutneys and tzatziki, donated by BAA members in the hospitality industry.
After some announcements to thank the sponsors and update the crowd the musical element kicked off on stage with well known local singer and songwriter Lianna Skewes (Ballarat) supported on guitar by Lachlan Vellenoweth (Ballarat) belting out some rock music for the crowd. She was followed by the Virginia Slims featuring local songwriter and musician Angela Crebbin (Ballarat), playing with well known base player Andrew Fry (Ballarat) on double bass, adding some homegrown blues to the day. People were then treated to the premiere of a new group the Pan Vendors, who have been experimenting with steel drums and calypso music. The experiment, featuring Csaba B Karma (Gordon), Darryl Eastcott (Ballarat) and Gordon Ramsay (Melbourne). All musicians were paid for their time from money taken on the door, growing a culture of valuing artists for their
time and skills.
As the daylight waned local lighting artist Spektraflash (Pete Field) transformed The Eastern’s performance space and back beer garden with a range of vintage oil projectors throwing out colour form and light across the surfaces. The final act on the program was popular soul singer Geoffrey Williams (UK, now Daylesford) who delighted the crowd with his fabulously smooth vocals and playful use of electronic looping technology to create his own tapestry of overlaying word play. The audience was then invited to stay and watch the evening program of bands at The Eastern at a 50% discount for BAA members, or to progress to Babushka Bar where they would also receive a 50% discount discount on the evening program of music.
CoB Funds Allocation
$250 – Curator (Amy Tsilemanis)
$250 – Event Manager (Kiri Smart)
$300 – Wolveschildren (venue hire)
$100 – Angela Robinson (artist talk)
$100 – Spektrafkash (light show)
$1000 – TOTAL
5
Direct Outcomes
Artists involved:
Miss-PRINT Exhibition
Stitch ‘n’ Bitch art based yarn bombers
Ballarat Ukelele Kollective
Liana Skewes and Lachlan Vellenoweth
Virginia Slims
Pan Vendors
Geoffrey Williams
Spektraflash
Barry Breen
Angela Robinson (incl MissPRINT)
Total artists /performers – 38
Additional volunteers from the BAA committee and subcommittees were operating the door, membership and bbq. Including the two event organisers there were 10 BAA representatives working on the event during the day. Aldona Kmiec Photography documented the event throughout the day along with photography student Steph Lewis.
33 new BAA members were signed up, local art lovers that have been attracted to the organisation through the success of both the Art Sparks program and the ongoing networking opportunities provided by BAA’s Facebook page and Facebook Group forum that now has over 500 users.