MEDIA RELEASE - REMINISCENCE - A TRIBUTE TO JUDITH WRIGHT
MEDIA RELEASE
Wed 11 November 2015
For immediate release
Celebrating 100 years of Australian visionary Judith Wright.
Reminiscence – A Festival of Judith Wright comes to the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, 420 Brunswick St., Fortitude Valley, on Saturday 5 December, starting at 1pm.
Reminiscence is a one day festival of ideas celebrating the centenary of Wright’s birth, and launches a month long exhibition of the same name. Presented by Flying Arts Alliance, the festival showcases visual art, performance and discussion in a series of free events at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts.
The day kicks off with a performance of Hearts Ablaze, a play inspired by Wright’s time living at her home ‘Calanthe’ in Mt Tamborine. Award-winning Brisbane based actor and director Jennifer Flowers will perform alongside a small cast.
The play is followed by a panel discussion where visitors will have the opportunity to discover more about Wright’s significance as an artist, activist and visionary thinker. Moderated by Dr. Janet McDonald, the expert panel speakers include art historian and academic Dr. Sally Butler; writer and academic Dr. Bronwyn Lea; environmental campaigner Gemma Plesman; and artist Judy Watson.
The day program culminates with the launch of the exhibition, Reminiscence, featuring paintings, works on paper and ceramics.
The exhibition will be officially opened by The Hon. Matt Foley, former Minister for the Arts.
The exhibition unveils a significant new body of work created by artists Fiona Rafferty and Frances Smith, inspired by Judith Wright’s life. Rafferty says, “The issues that Judith fought for—such as indigenous land rights and protecting the Great Barrier Reef—are issues that are still relevant today; through this exhibition we celebrate and continue her work in an effort to inspire the generations that proceed her.” “When I resided at ‘Calanthe’ I felt Judith Wright’s presence everywhere, and after further researching her work I was instantly inspired by her intelligence, compassion and strength” Rafferty says.
Reminiscence is part of the Flying Arts Alliance Inc. Curator Development Program, in which five emerging curators are selected to work under the banner of ‘Curators in Space’ to produce an exhibition and public program at the Judith Wright Centre.
The Judith Wright Centre is a fitting venue to celebrate the life of its visionary namesake where the exhibition will run from 5 December 2015 to 15 January 2016.
The exhibition will also tour regional galleries throughout Queensland. For more details about the festival program visit curatorsinspace.com ---ENDS---
For further information contact: Kerryanne Farrer T. 07 3216 1322 [email protected].au
Web-ready images available at curatorsinspace.com.
Print-ready images available by request.
Flying Arts Alliance Inc. 420 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley,
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
P: 07 3216 1322 E: [email protected] W: flyingarts.org.au
Flying Arts is a not-for-profit organisation providing arts and cultural development projects and services throughout regional and remote Queensland, with the assistance of the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, and with the generous support of the University of Southern Queensland as well as other partners and benefactors.