Local arts guru David ‘Wombat’ Lyons looks at three of the many art galleries West Gippsland has to offer.
Among the business districts of the towns and villages in Baw Baw Shire are many retailers selling items of art, craft and design. Among these are a number of commercial galleries selling some of the best art created by local artists as well as creative works from across Australia. Here is a review of just three of the many retailers of art, design and craft in our community.
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B’zarte of Jindivick
565 Main Jindivick Road, Jindivic.
My interests in the arts have taken me to this wonderful village many times, mostly for open studios of the many talented visual artists in the area; the most well known is no doubt Laurie Collins. When it’s not festival time, how do you get to see the works of these artists? B’zarte.
It calls itself a “gallery of fine things”, which is fitting as art and craft share the space with antiques and sometimes fashion. The use of an historic building adds interest as you move between a number of small rooms to view the eclectic collection of art.
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Open in the second half of the week, a visit to this gallery fits well with a visit to the rest of the town. Owner Faye Parke has put together a fantastic gallery, although she is not that regular on her Facebook page updates! The B’zarte Facebook page does however have a number of photos from 2010 that indicate some of the collection on display at B’zarte.
The Serigraph Gallery
157-161 Main Neerim Road, Neerim South.
Those who follow the local artists of Gippsland will pick many of the names you find on sale at this gallery, including those of Trav Hendrick and Phil Henshall.
The works on sale come from across Australia and display a wide range of fine art. Paintings and furniture make up most of the stock on sale, but it’s the art cards and postcards that I like most.
The gallery collection on my most recent visit was traditional and the top end of fine art, but the works are modern with most created in the last 3 years.
Like the Facebook page of the gallery before, the website hasn’t been kept up to date; again 2010 looks to be the most recent up-date date. It must have been a big year for the arts going online. The website is http://www.serigraphgallery.com.
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Town & Country Gallery
111 Princes Highway, Yarragon.
The last review is the award winning Town & Country Gallery.
I was surprised to read on the gallery’s website just how long it has been running.
With strong links to tourism and local arts, buying Australian made and supporting suitability in the workplace, I am not sure how the owners find the time to actually select the wide range of art on sale.
With my friends it’s the jewellery that’s the draw card, with my family it’s the huge range of glass works on sale, with me it’s the prints and furniture in the rear half of the store.
Children’s, art, craft and spiritual books also find a home in this gallery. To me, it’s the works of Lois Brown that feel most at home in this space.
The flower painting of Sara Paxton stands out among the wooden furniture. The regularly changing display of works in the window seem to draw the visitors in off the street, who walk around viewing the ceramics, glass and almost miss the sculpture of birds made from computer parts and dogs made of scrap metal at their feet.
Open 7 days a week and even on most public holidays, this gallery has both Facebook and a webpage, and both were up to date to the later part of last year. www.townandcountrygallery.com.au.
