Fellowship a win for region

Western Riverina-based artist Vic McEwan is the recipient of the inaugural NSW Fellowship for Regional Artists, valued at $30,000.

NSW Minister for the Arts, the Hon. George Souris MP, made the announcement at the Regional Arts NSW annual dinner on 16 April 2014.

Vic McEwan, the co-founder of The Cad Factory located in Birrego, was selected from “a robust field of 58 entrants with a strong showing from the Visual Arts,” said Mr Souris.

The Fellowship will extend over an 18-month period, during which time the artist will work with Clive Parkinson of Manchester Metropolitan University and complete a residency in 2015 at the Australian Museum.

"This opportunity will allow me to take three key areas of my practice that I have been developing in the past few years and to allow time for research and critical thinking in order to develop my practise further," said Mr McEwan.

Over the next 18 months Vic McEwan will be focusing on three goals:

• In 2015 he will be the Artist in Residence at the National Museum of Australia, working with Senior Curator George Main and the National Collection to create a new body of work. 
• McEwan will be working with The Cad Factory chairperson Renay Ringma to create a case study of the SunRice and Cad Factory Contemporary Arts Partnerships, which will look at the value contemporary artists can bring to business and communities. 
• In addition he will be making several visits to the United Kingdom conducting major research into Arts/Health and creating a number of large public outcomes in hospital environments. 

"I will be working with national and international institutions and art communities to develop new work and new ideas and all of these new skills and achievements will be brought back to the Riverina, to share with our local communities and to pass on through future projects that we deliver as The Cad Factory and in partnership with other artists and organisations," said Mr McEwan.

"This fellowship puts a spotlight on regional Australia and identifies that in a place far away from the perceived art centres, there is experimentation and creative art-making happening that is of a world standard."

"Regional Australia is a place full of inspiration, unique human stories and opportunities to develop new experimental work in collaboration with landscape and communities."

Western Riverina Arts is pleased the region has gained recognition through the Fellowship awarded to Vic McEwan and will continue to benefit from the work of The Cad Factory.

"This is a fantastic result for Vic," said Derek Motion, Regional Arts Development Officer. "We look forward to seeing his new work."