Canberra Visit

[Judy B]

Is there anything happening in Canberra during the last half of January that a visitor with stitchin fingers should know about?
I have been to Canberra before, and plan to revisit some of the 'Nationals' (Gallery, Portrait Gallery, War Memorial .... ) but am wondering about textiles in particular.

[sharonb]

What about a cuppa coffee in the city?

[Judy B]

Sharon,
Coffee in the city would be great!
I will be staying in the city for the first week, so it will also be easy too! We arrive on the 18th, and will send a message before I leave to give you a phone number, and make a date.
Notice to self..... pack some show and tell to stop his golf clubs rattling!
Judy B

[Iris]

Hi Judy,
You lucky girl. I always love to travel to the Eastern States. Always so much happening.
I was just looking through a textile magazine and found some info on exhibitions around the countrry and two articles caught my eye. Will you be travelling by car or flying in?
If you are driving from SA via the Grampians, particularly Ararat there is an exhibition at the Ararat Regional Art Gallery cellebrating its 40th anniversary and will be exhibiting approximately 1000 works from the 1970's to the present from its textile and fibre collection. Started December 4th and is running until January 26th.

There is also an article about the Majura Women's Project funded by Arts ACT. At the end of the article it states that there is a solo exhibit by one of the artists involved, Julie Ryder. It is being held at the Australian National Botanic Gardens running from 3rd December to 3rd May. It is called Generate. The article states that Julie is a textile artist who deals with a variety of techniques including digital printing technology, hand stitching and various forms of fabric marking and embellishing.

Both these exhibits sound as though they could be quite interesting.

Wish I could be there to join you and Sharon with that cuppa coffee.
Happy holiday.
Cheers, Iris

[Judy B]

Iris
Thank you for that, I will be going back to the Botanic Gardens too! (Not that I needed an excuse!)
Unfortunately, won't be going via Ararat, and though it will within reach on the way home, it will be too late.
As for the coffee, we could always meet half way between me and you one day! Look out for exhibitions at Mannum or Murray Bridge!

[Iris]

Judy,
Sounds like a great idea. Have a wonderful holiday. Hope it sparks off some new inspiration for you.
Cheers, Iris

[Christine McKenna]

Judy,
I've just returned from a lightning 3 day visit there. We took in the Darwin exhibit at the Museum of Australia (worth seeing) and Degas at the National, a bit dissappointing (sp?) I thought there should have been more paintings and less etchings ! but I spent some time in the Asian Gallery (at the National on the entry level) oggling the textiles esp. the embroidered panels. I was lucky to arrange a cuppa coffee with another web friend Doreen G. at very short notice and was fortunate to visit the Embroiderers' Guild rooms with her. DH had only booked a room the day before (typical man!) and we could only stay 3 days in our preferred hotel because of the Summer Nats. so not much time to arrange more visits. Perhaps when I go down again I'll be able to look up Sharon? I've been trying to catch the Rajah quilt on show in August at the National Gallery for the last 2 years but events keep conspiring against me!!
Hooroo,
Christine

[Judy B]

Christine,
Thank you for that, especially as the Museum wasn't on my list of 'must return' visits.
Last time I didn't go to any specific exhibitions in the national gallery, just toured the general exhibition spaces until I reached overload. This time will take in the special exhibitions.

[Judy B]

One more sleep to go!
Thank you for the pointers to 'must see' displays, and looking forward to a coffee date!

[sharonb]

Judy I hope I can catch you here with this I have been trying to phone you but you phone is always turned off - I have sent you an email in the hope you check your mail - if not in the email is my phone number
I am hoping to organise a get together with Doreen and Annie on Wednesday

[Judy B]

I am back home but not out of holiday mode yet!

One of the best high lights of the visit to Canberra was meeting Sharon , Doreen Gray and Annie Whitsed for coffee and a chat. It was a feast of crazy patchwork, band samplers and ATCs with lots of chat. I am sure someone put time on fast forward about the time we got together! I got to see Sharon and Annie's band samplers from end to end, and crazy blocks from Doreen and Sharon. Wonderful!

Thank you for the hints on what to see and do. Unfortunately I ran out of time due to wanting to spend some time with family, and energy due to the weather, which was cool compared to what it was here at home but still too hot for me!

The Changi Quilts in the War Memorial are worth a look, as the workmanship is beautiful, especially when the circumstances of their making is taken into consideration. There are several other smaller textiles in the Memorial too.

I noticed that there are at least a few textiles on display in most galleries I did get to see, pleasing to see!

Like Christine I spent time looking at the textiles in the Asian gallery at the National Gallery.

Christine also mentioned the Degas exhibition which I intended to see, but got as far as the special exhibition gift shop and was stunned to find not just books, postcards and bookmarks for sale, but also pencils, sharpeners and erasers, diaries and address books, tea towels, chocolates, T-Shirts, ballerina costumes in bright colours (unlike the ones in tha paintings which are much softer colours) and French knickers! I left and went to the portrait gallery which is a beautiful new building just perfect for showing art work of any sort at it's best.