Adair Dunsford, Art Gallery Board Member, Naracoorte Community News
The Naracoorte Regional Art Gallery estimates that volunteers contribute about 6000 hours annually towards keeping the gallery open for locals and visitors.
The vital role they play was highlighted at the recent annual meeting of the Art Gallery Board.
Gallery Secretary, Lesley Cook, told the meeting that volunteer efforts included installing and deinstalling exhibitions, repairs, catering, looking after the shop and gallery and the membership duties of the Board.
During the past year, the Gallery had hosted ten exhibitions, three of which were touring exhibitions, Australia Wide Quilts, Adolescent Wonderland by Naomi Hobson and Bee-Stung Lips by Barbara Hanrahan.
Ten workshops have been held including ceramics, watercolours, printing and resin art and they have catered for both children and adults.
The Gallery hosted a fundraising exhibition for the Naracoorte Red Cross branch and helped their members sell a very successful raffle.
Mrs Cook reported that four community groups use the gallery for regular meetings.
Working with the Wonambi Gallery in the Town Hall complex, the Art Gallery has loaned works out of the permanent collection for two exhibitions.
Visitor numbers have shown an impressive increase and are well up on the previous year. In 2023 there were 3,800 visitors compared to 2,918 the previous year.
There were a number of visitor groups from local primary schools, the Naracoorte High School, aged care homes and child care centres.
Jeanette Vine was re-elected as chairperson of the board. In her annual report she discussed the recently renamed and repainted Kay Hole Room located upstairs in the gallery building. The gallery has a big collection of art related books which will be available in the room to become a library, study and gallery.
Donations of vintage furniture and reading lamps have been welcomed.
In other highlights, Mrs Vine said the ABC Backroads program had filmed members of the Naracoorte migrant community in and around the gallery for a series on multiculturalism. This is due to be screened next year.
Mining company Australian Rare Earths Ltd had agreed to fund the restoration of a painting in the gallery’s collection. The French Edouard Cortes oil painting of a flower market in Paris has been cleaned and the frame restored by Artlab in Adelaide.
In the election of office bearers, Julie Earl accepted the position of vice chairperson, membership officer, Elizabeth Newell, and board members, Lisa Caon, Adair Dunsford, Ursula Smith, Alison Rowe, Anne Emerson and Deb Kloeden. The Naracoorte Lucindale Council representative on the board is Cr Monique Crossling.
This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.
