SMALL scale display spaces were on show at Coal Creek for Tuesday’s official launch of South Gippsland Shire’s trio of ArtCubes, with the converted shipping containers housing distinctly different exhibitions.
Ann-Maree Gentile’s vibrant waxed-dipped origami birds formed dazzling flocks, suspended from wire carousels and in one case from a bike wheel.
The avian mobiles were inspired by primary school memories.
“I love colour,” Foster’s Ann-Maree said.
Wood carver Olivia O’Connor of Berrys Creek created birds of a much different variety in her work ‘Where Eagles Soar’, using South Gippsland blackwood timber to fashion her lifelike raptors.
The third ArtCube’s display was a collaboration, harnessing Jasmine Susic’s dance, Kim McDonald’s drawing and printmaking installations and images captured by photographer Karli Duckett.
Jasmine of Inverloch described Kim’s printmaking installations as performative in nature, saying they call for someone to perform within them.
“I find there’s a lot of energy at Coal Creek, so it’s been great to activate that,” Jasmine said.
The ArtCube proved an ideal “studio laboratory” for the collaborative trio, with Kim, Jasmine and Karli working on a July Coal Creek exhibition that will adapt some of the creative ideas formed in the small space to a larger area.
Inverloch’s Diana Campbell and Amanda McMahon came to see how the ArtCubes were used, both having a keen interest in community art projects, with Amanda saying she was intrigued by the ArtCube concept and didn’t know what to expect.
Both ladies were pleased with what they found.
Vivian Williams, Lucinda Young and Ruth Rogan of Mirboo North also came for a look, with that town set to use the ArtCubes during its Winter Festival in the first week of August.
While South Gippsland Shire mayor Nathan Hersey is pleased the ArtCubes will visit towns such as Loch, Mirboo North and Fish Creek, all of which have strong creative communities, Korumburra artist Tony Parisi feels they have great potential for towns currently lacking art spaces.
Both those views tie in with the intention for the ArtCubes to provide accessible, visible and relocatable exhibition spaces to townships and other parts of South Gippsland Shire.
In contrast to his artist wife Lucy Hersey, the mayor again highlighted his lack of artistic skill, saying his three-year-old son Hugo recently admonished him for his substandard attempt at colouring-in.
Nathan expressed his appreciation of all those involved in the project, including council’s arts development officer Mary Sullivan who drove the ArtCube initiative working closely with architect Isley Sutherland to make it a reality.
Appreciation was also expressed for the $95,000 Outdoor Activation Grant provided by the Victorian Government.
Council contributed $85,000 through its Community Support Program.
The ArtCubes are lined inside like a gallery space, with internal and external lights, power points and rooftop solar panels.
“They’re designed to be completely transportable and adaptable, and the concept is to bring creativity to all corners of the shire,” Mary said.
That creativity may include art installations and small-scale live performances, with the potential to use the cubes for service spaces such as a bar, as was the case at the recent ‘Threads’ exhibition.
