CHANGING PLACES: FOCUS ON TASMANIA
Friday 1 May - Sunday 21 June 2009
Curator: Ellie Ray
Artists: Ricky Maynard, Amanda Davies, Troy Ruffels, Denise Ava Robinson, Sally Rees and others from the Devonport City Council Permanent Collection
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| Changing Places: Focus on Tasmania exhibition
| Baby's Christening gown (back), Baby's Caps (front)
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| Child's Jacket
| Changing Places: Focus on Tasmania exhibition opening
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The Devonport Regional Gallery was first established in 1966 as The Little Gallery by Jean Thomas who collected work by emerging local artists, particularly those who exhibited in the Gallery. From the late 1960s until the late 1980s the Gallery collected cultural material with no specific focus, either in terms of media, region or period. Collecting activity was predominantly regional, but minor acquisitions in a range of media were also made from both interstate and international sources. The aim of the draft collection policy implemented by Jane Stewart in 2004 was to reflect the cultural diversity of the region by focussing on a high standard of contemporary Tasmanian art, craft and design and build on existing significant collections. Over the past three years Ellie Ray has been re-cataloguing the Collection in order to locate, identify and assess artworks and create a new database. With the generous assistance of the Gordon Darling Foundation, a majority of the Collection will be digitally recorded and placed on the Devonport Regional Gallery website over the next twelve months. Changing Places showcased works from the Gallery Collection that reflected the changes and recent trends in collecting for the City of Devonport. Selected acquisitions changed each fortnight, allowing the viewer to see a greater range of artworks. The exhibition was accompanied by public programs for the general public and school students with the view of enhancing an appreciation of visual art, craft and design. ‘Changing places’ suggests movement or relocation which is indicative of the way artworks travel to and from galleries, storage spaces, auction houses and private collections. It also represents a change in the processes of collecting and the often subtle, yet sometimes dramatic shifts in art careers and creativity. Ellie Ray’s floor talk looked at the history of the collection: how it has changed over time; how specific works and their maker’s careers have evolved; and the significance of building a strong collection of Tasmanian art, craft and design.
