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A local arts society has supported calls to establish a permanent gallery for Goulburn’s artists.
Former local man, artist and Goulburn City councillor Barry Cranston recently argued that they needed an outlet, besides the Regional Gallery, to showcase a wider variety of work.
Goulburn and District Art Society president Helen De Jonge regrets that one doesn’t already exist.
“There has been an art society under different names in Goulburn for most of the past 113 years,” she said.
“It has had numerous exhibitions during that time and has had some prominent artists as members, including Peter Constant and Alex Hall.
“Barry Cranston came to be an artist due to the Goulburn and District Art Society.”
Ms De Jonge said the group had existed in its present form since the 1950s.
“With such a long history of art in Goulburn it is sad that (we) don’t have a place we can call home,” she told The Post.
Ms De Jonge said this would not only provide a meeting place but a studio and outlet for rotating exhibitions. Further, it had to be in a central location to attract passersby.
“Of course the Art Society cannot afford to rent such a place, let alone buy one and would need public funding to enable it to do so,” she said.
The Society’s annual exhibition, incorporating an art prize, attracts more than 200 entries from Goulburn, the Southern Highlands, Sydney, the Act, Central and South coasts. The group is grateful for the space at the Workers Club and to the council and businesses for support.
It also holds the annual Rose Festival Art Exhibition at the Belmore Room.
Over the past few years the Society has shared a space with the Men’s Shed. But last week it moved into a “larger and better” location at the Railway Cafe building in Sloane Street. Members will have use of a room to work, meet and hold workshops.
“Members of the Goulburn and District Art Society, in their travels, have often envied artists in some other towns in Australia,” Ms De Jonge said.
“This happens when they see galleries set up by local government. One such gallery was purpose built for the art community in the small Western Australian town of Collie.
“Alex and Ekaterina Mortensen were absolutely amazed when they visited it and saw the facilities provided for the artists and were told it is run by the local art society. It has a large gallery plus very good studio space and office area. It is actually one of the featured tourist points in that town.”
Ms De Jonge said while Gallery on Track in Blackshaw Road was most suitable for craft work, the wall space was neither large enough nor suited to the Art Society’s needs.
“(Our) members live in hope that one day they will be provided with a permanent and suitable home where they can work, display and sell local art,” she said.
“Such a home would be another valuable tourist attraction for Goulburn.”
