Live in Newstead? Love our town? It’s Time to VOTE

Posted on September 3, 2018September 3, 2018 by Chris Johnston

Wasteland to Wellspring – A vibrant sculptural garden to inspire our community and the arts

Help fund our vision for a beautiful garden entry to the Newstead Railway Arts Hub precinct: the Station building and Goods Shed. Our project will improve parking and access, create spaces for: activities, celebrations, quiet spots to sit, sculptures, garden ‘galleries’ and more. Look at the garden design we want to implement through Pick My Project funding and then please VOTE!

The Pick My Project funding is based on the number of votes – see reverse side on how to vote for Wasteland to Wellspring. Voting closes Monday 17 September at 5pm. See How to Vote below – but if you need help come to our stall at the Community Market on Sat 15 Sept at Rotunda Park, to find out more about our project and vote on the spot!

HOW TO VOTE

Go to the Pick My Project website (https://pickmyproject.vic.gov.au) and register your name and contact details.
Select the local community you want to vote in – choose Newstead. You can vote in any local community. Pick My Project will show you projects within 50km. You can create a short list of between 3 and 6 projects. Wasteland to Wellspring is our project – please pick it!
You have three votes and you need to vote for three projects. You can’t give three votes to the one project. And each vote is equal.
When you vote, you will need to provide your mobile phone number and then submit the 4-digit number you receive via your mobile phone. This verifies that only Victorians can vote.
Once your vote is in you can’t change it, so take your time!
And then share who you have voted for via social media.

No internet, email or mobile phone? This is how you can vote.

Call the Pick My Project team (1800 797 818) and they will help you vote.
First you need to have decided that Newstead is your local community and picked your 3 favourite projects – include Wasteland to Wellspring.
Or if you have an email but no mobile phone you can register at Pick My Project, choose your three favourites and then call 1800 797 818 and they will complete the final verification step for you.

Share the love – get others to vote!

Invite your neighbours, friends and relatives to vote for our project. They can vote for projects in Newstead and surrounds no matter where they live in Victoria.

Need help? Call Geoff 0418 138 632 or Chris 5476 2457

Need to know more about the project, our funding submission etc? Check out our webpage

Wasteland to Wellspring … Pick our Project!

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Geoff Park

We need you to vote for our Newstead project. Funding will go to the projects that get the most votes. There are around 150 projects across our region seeking funding (and 2500 across the state), so there is a lot of competition! You can vote for three different projects. Voting closes at 5pm Monday 17 Sept 2018. Read our guide to voting below.

Background

Pick My Project is a new State government funding initiative. During June-July, Victorians were invited to propose a project that would benefit their community. Voting is now open on more than 2500 projects across Victoria.

The Newstead Railway Arts Hub project – Wasteland to Wellspring – proposes to create a vibrant sculptural garden at the Arts Hub to inspire our community and the arts. With the recent news from VicTrack and the Arts Salon on the restoration of the goods shed and conversion into arts-based workshops, this garden would convert the ‘wasteland’ around the station into a creative and beautiful entry to the precinct.

Now our community needs to vote to demonstrate that they are really behind the project. And, as we explain below, any Victorians over 16 can vote – so please ask your friends, relatives, colleagues – no matter where they live – to vote for our project.

Wasteland to Wellspring: a community art garden for Newstead’s Arts Hub

With VicTrack support, we now have a lovingly restored and well-used railway station building, but the surroundings remain an uninviting wasteland; muddy in winter, hot and unshaded in summer, inaccessible for wheelchairs and prams. Now, with lots of community input and working with the talented design team of Cassia and Anna Read, and a dedicated working group, we have created a garden design to inspire and connect our community. Funding through Pick My Project will enable us to realise our vision.

The design includes spaces for community celebration, cultural activities and quiet reflection. The garden will honour the many layers of our history – as Dja Dja Wurrung country through to today. And the garden will be a welcoming entry for locals and visitors alike into the evolving arts precinct at our railway station.

How to vote

The simple steps to voting are:

First register at https://pickmyproject.vic.gov.au – you’ll need to register your name and contact details.
Then, put your pin at the centre of Newstead, and look at the projects in our region. Wasteland to Wellspring is our project – please pick this one!
You can create a short list of up to 6 projects as you look around at the different projects in our region.
You need to vote for three projects, and you can’t give your three votes to the one project. Each vote is equal.
Then, when you are ready, you can vote for three projects. Once your vote is in you can’t change it, so take your time!

Invite your neighbours, friends and relative to vote for our project as well. They can vote for projects in Newstead and our region no matter where they live in Victoria.

And if you need help to register or vote, please let us know as we want to make sure everyone in our community can vote on this great project: Call Geoff on 0418 138 632 or Chris on 5476 2457 and we will help you lodge your vote in another way.

A wonderful launch of ‘Earthbody’

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Geoff Park

‘Earthbody’ was beautifully launched last Sunday at the Arts Hub with a large and appreciative crowd in attendance.

Here is a lovely note from Ros Hart about her response to the event and the works.

Congratulations on a wonderful, wonder-filled art exhibition and a very enjoyable launch yesterday. I think this my favourite of all art exhibitions I have been to at the Arts Hub. I loved Belinda Prest’s work especially (wish I had $$$ to spare). Her work took me right back to my younger self when I was a jillaroo, out all day in the highlands of Victoria, looking across beautiful vistas which mending fences and attending to livestock.

My favourite of your lyrical pieces, (Saide), is the weaving in the second room. I loved the flow of the white through the burnt oranges and browns, underscoring the delicate and minimalist placed pieces pf your beloved found vegetation.

Ann Berg’s room was stunning too – reminded me of aboriginal dreaming. I could feel Ann’s heart in her work. Warm and powerful. ….

I loved the floaty ethereal, otherworldliness, dreamy quality of Chrisanne Blennerhassett’s work. It was full of heart.

Please pass onto your fellow artists my thanks and gratitude for the hard and heartfelt work you all do to bring insight, reflection and beauty into our world. Thank you from Ros.

Note: This Exhibition, EarthBody, is open all weekends in August from 11am – 5pm. Viewers and visitors are most welcome.

If any of the Friends of Newstead Railway ArtsHub would like to spend some time during August weekends assisting with minding the ARtsHub or joining in Words in Winter events please feel free to find out more at

www.nwiw.blogspot.com

Or contact us by email:

wrencathedral@gmail.com

Or by phone

0419 543 667 text is fine.

EarthBody … coming in August to the Hub

Posted on July 16, 2018July 25, 2018 by Geoff Park

Five women artists with a deep concern for the environment, each bringing a unique expression of subtle ecological variation to the project.

Aiming to promote connection (social and environmental) the Newstead Arts Hub exhibition will reflect the landscape, its beauty, historical significance, and conservation. Environmental talks and workshops will stimulate ecological conversation and connection to place.

Collaboration with Words in Winter will diversify a unique community project highlighting a multiplicity of artistic mediums including assemblages of natural materials, painting, printmaking and sculpture.

Each artist expresses connection to place and the earth using nature as subject and medium.

Drawing and Painting at the ARTSHUB

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Geoff Park

Art Classes are being offered in July to September by well-known Newstead resident and recently retired Tafe teacher Julie Patey.

The intention of the class is to provide a relaxed and open atmosphere, conducive to the complex nature of the age group, while at the same time emphasising the learning of new skills.

Classes start Thursday 19^th July – September 13^th(10 -2 pm)

$80 per session (max 10 students)

Contact Julie 0408528536 pateymcg@gmail.com

Bookings through TRYBOOKING https://www.trybooking.com/WMZJ

PROGRAM

Drawing from Still Life Pencil Coffee Pots cups etc Combine with transfer image
Drawing with Coloured Pencil Illustration techniques with aquarelles on smooth thick paper/tea-towels
Drawing with Pastels How to blend/how to grind/ how to apply
Automatism and Mono-printing Exploring Surrealists
Portrait Painting with water colours
Small studies of old masters with acrylic paint/oil paint
Abstraction Colour Harmonies
Expressive line drawing Functional objects

Celebrate our second birthday

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Geoff Park

Braided Rag Rug workshop with Ilka White

Posted on May 16, 2017May 15, 2017 by sarahkoschak

A great way to recycle old clothes and fabric!

In our second workshop with visual artists Ilka White, we will learn to make fantastic rag rugs using an off-loom, spiral-woven braiding technique, in this one day workshop. We share an inspiring range of colour and design possibilities in these workshops, as well as covering cloth and fibre types.

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Date: Saturday 2nd Sept, 10am-4pm
Cost: $120 per person
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/279802
Places are limited to 12 people and bookings are open now – please share with friends who you think might be interested

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Beautiful and unique floor coverings are possible using contrasting colours, or you can blend patterned rags for a ‘carpet of flowers’. This braiding technique weaves in as we go so there is no stitching up required afterward.

Bring your own material to recycle and find out what riches can come from rags…

Most people’s work by the end of the class is about the size of a dinner plate. The completed size is up to you, and could range from a small mat to a room-sized rug. This workshop gives you all the skills you need to finish off the rug at home.

Other workshops Ilka will be holding at the Arts Hub:
Natural dyeing and tablet weaving
Date: August 12th & 13th from 9.30am – 4.30pm
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/279798

String vessel construction workshop
Date: Sunday 22nd Oct, 9.30am-4.40pm
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/279804

For more information:
Sarah Koschak 0419 322 681
Julie Patey 0408 528 536
newsteadartshub@gmail.com
http://www.ilkawhite.com.au

Newstead’s studios open their doors

Posted on March 9, 2017March 10, 2017 by sarahkoschak

During the Castlemaine State Festival eight studios will open their doors providing access to a diverse selection of passionately created artworks from 11 artists.

Open during the weekends of 18th & 19th and 25th & 26th March 2017 from 10-4pm with some studios open throughout the week. Please check the website for more details.

Download the map here: Newstead Open Studios map final

Brochures are available from various outlets in Newstead, Castlemaine and Maldon… or you can download the guide directly on your phone or tablet: Newstead Open Studios map final The artists are looking forward to sharing stories of their artistic journeys. They want to inspire visitors with their endeavours and hope guests appreciate the uniqueness of their artwork and support their efforts with a purchase that has an intriguing story attached.

Below is a small glimpse of what is waiting for you at the Newstead Open Studios

Chris Johnston’s medium is clay; sculptural and functional, which reflects her connection to place and the land.

Roger McKindley’s Antares Iron Art Garden is where broken and discarded objects morph together to live once again.

Brass and copper are manipulated by Trefor Prest to create intricate, organic and mechanical oddities – with a touch of Steampunk.

Sarah Koschak creates functional wheel thrown porcelain pottery for everyday use. Her pieces are simply elegant.

Sally Roadnight explores the landscape through the artistry of various found objects and media including drawing, sewing, printing, sculpture and basketry.

Printmaker Richard Sullivan is influenced by his environment which is reflected in the artist books, collage and altered books he creates.

Prue McAdam’s special love of abstraction and gestural marks is explored in her paintings. Prue paints using a variety of media.

Striving for the highest quality of woodwork of which his hands and mind are capable, Lachlan Park makes ‘things’ from wood.

Krissy Scherlies is currently allowing her imagination to take control as she paints colourful, contemporary canvases using paint and sand.

Julie Patey utilises printmaking and mixed media to explore the process of art making through the use of colour, shape and texture to echo her connection to the landscape of central Victoria.

Stunning nature photographs of the bush reserve surrounding the Old Walmer School are captured by photographer Bronwyn Silver.

Thanks to Kristin Scherlies.

Synergy – Creative photography exhibition

Posted on November 15, 2016November 15, 2016 by andrewskeoch

Through December 2016 and into the new year, we have an exhibition featuring the creative work of four central Victorian photographers: Rob Watson, Natalie Coombes, Nathan Segaloff and Aden Brown. Each have been exploring diverse photographic techniques and concepts, resulting in unique and impressive images.

The exhibition – entitled ‘Synergy‘ – will be opened by the Arts Hub’s own Julie Patey at 2pm on Saturday 10th December, and you are warmly invited.

The exhibition will be open 10am-5pm, Friday-Sunday from 10th December – 7th January, excluding the Sundays of Xmas Day and New Years Day.

MAG-nificent: Journeying with Maldon Art Group

Posted on November 6, 2016November 6, 2016 by sarahkoschak

Maldon Art Group – MAG – is an eclectic group of artists with wildly differing art experiences and practice. They meet weekly, without fail, throughout the year only having the Christmas week off.

Their gatherings are full of chat, laughter and food, with advice and feedback given when requested. A warm, supportive group.

This inaugural exhibition showcases their diverse styles and embraces their joy at being part of such a unique group.

The exhibition will run from 11th of November until the 4th of December, open 10am – 4pm Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays

Opening night is at 6pm on the 11th of November – all welcome.

MAG embraces a range of media including, oils, house paint, fabric, watercolour, acrylic, pencil and charcoal, reflecting their journey together. There is fantasy, realism and quirkiness in equal measure.

MAG hope that this will be an exhibition where people will come along and become lost in the work they offer and then return for another look, bringing a friend with them.