Thursday 28 April 2016

Masterclasses at the Griffith Regional Art Gallery





Renowned US Musician and Writer to appear in Griffith

U.S musician and writer Kristin Hersh is appearing in conversation Monday 9 May at the Bidgee Studio Griffith. Many will know Kristin’s work through her bands The Throwing Muses and 50ft Wave and her extensive solo career. From her debut solo album – which featured the classic Your Ghost performed with Michael Stipe from R.E.M – to her latest solo album Crooked. 



Kristin Hersh will be performing in the region as one of The Cad Factory’s 2016 artists-in-residence, and while here Western Riverina Arts are taking the opportunity to bring her to Griffith. Kristin will present a relaxed Q&A session, talking about the books she has written, her career as a musician, and playing a couple of acoustic songs.

Kristin Hersh’s memoir Rat Girl was widely praised from the New York Times to Rolling Stone which named it one of the top ten rock memoirs ever written. Don’t Suck, Don’t Die – Giving Up Vic Chesnutt is her latest book, a memoir of her good friend, US singer/songwriter Vic Chesnutt who sadly took his own life in 2009.

Western Riverina Arts Regional Arts Development Officer Derek Motion says it’s an opportunity not-to-be-missed. ‘We’re pleased to be able to bring an artist of Kristin Hersh’s calibre to Griffith for this one-off appearance at the Bidgee Studio. It’s a free event, and should be of interest fans of music and literature alike.’

In Conversation and Q+A with Kristin Hersh
Griffith: 5.30pm, Monday 9 May, Bidgee Studios, 1434 Bridge Rd, Griffith 


Friday 1 April 2016

Millinery workshop in Narrandera


Goodbye from Jason

G'day, this is Jason.

I'm also known as ShowcaseJase and Bassling, or at least that's how I'd like to be known as I blog under those names and use them for Twitter and music. There are a lot of names I answer to but more often it's Justin.

Anyway, I've been a PACO at Western Riverina Arts since August 2013 until today. That stands for Projects and Communications Officer. It was a part-time role, so it's pleasing to see 117 pieces in the media clippings folder. That's about one a week!

My involvement with Western Riverina Arts began before the organisation was formed, as I attended the public meetings in 2010 when Leeton Shire Council first developed the idea of establishing a regional arts board.

I wrote a letter to support the idea and I, in my role as Corporate Communications Manager at Council, remember suggesting the tagline "Connecting Creative Communities" from the words that Lyn Williams had selected. It's pleasing to see how many other regional arts boards now use something similar.

In 2012, after I'd left Council, I was employed to run workshops on behalf of Western Riverina Arts at Leeton and Narrandera libraries. I later ran similar workshops again at these venues in this role during 2015.

In 2013 I joined the Reimagining The Murrumbidgee project that was funded by the CMA as an artist creating a soundtrack. Then after I began working here, was given the opportunity to design the exhibition catalogue.



I also contributed to the development of government-funded projects, such as proposing an upcoming Laptop Orchestra project supported through FRRR and suggesting the oral history project that became For Prosperity's Sake -- one of a few pilot creative-ageing projects in NSW.

Another contribution to the activities of Western Riverina Arts was a photography competition in Leeton that was run in 2014 and 2015, which attracted dozens of entries. Sadly we decided to discontinue this in 2016 after Council started their own competition that would've made promotion confusing.

One more thing I've enjoyed in this role was talking to the audience at Dream Big in 2014. You can hear my tips for promoting creativity in this video.



Finally, I'd like to say what a joy it's been to promote local artists. There are many people creating stimulating work in our region and it's been a pleasure to learn about them.

I've had some success getting stories out to a wider audience, such as this profile of Mel Ifield that was seen in Canberra and this piece on Sarah McEwan's Her Riot project. More recently a piece on the upcoming Griffith Sculptural Symposium was used by Regional Arts NSW.

Working for Western Riverina Arts has opened new opportunities for me. I'm now working as a curator at Pioneer Park Museum and am taking what I learned from Derek about Instagram for use there.

I've also learned how to apply for funding and will be delivering a CASP project in June there. These opportunities have made me realise that my focus has shifted from working here and, as a result, I need to move on.

So, so long and thanks. Hopefully another will be able to benefit as I have.