Hunter's Best

Gift of appreciation for gallery

Source: Newcastle City Council

Artist Margaret Olley has announced she will purchase three paintings by artist Robert Barnes for the Newcastle Region Art Gallery collection.

On Wednesday night Robert Barnes along with Margaret Olley and Barry Pierce, Head Curator of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of NSW, spoke to a crowded gallery of art enthusiasts.

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William Bowmore: A tribute

Source: Newcastle City Council

An exhibition featuring works bestowed by one of the Newcastle Region Art Gallery's most generous benefactors, William Bowmore AO, OBE, will be on display at the Gallery from today. The exhibition will culminate in a tribute to Dr Bowmore on Monday 7 April at 11.30am.

Gallery Director RON RAMSEY says Dr Bowmore's contribution to the arts in Newcastle has been significant, with more than $7million of paintings, sculptures and drawings added to the gallery's collection over several years.

Rural Reflections reflects Hunter history

Source: Newcastle City Council

An original double bill titled ‘Rural Reflections’ will premier at the Civic Playhouse from Wednesday 29 August. Produced by local resident Anne Frost’s award winning theatre company Shakespeare et al, these plays reflect the influence, good and bad, past and present of growing up in the country and should appeal to many people.

The double bill features two one act plays, ‘Grace’ and ‘Lost Property’, both set in Stroud, the picturesque small country town north of Newcastle which was once a thriving milk producing area. The production has been written, directed, and produced by the Stroud born and bred resident Anne Frost.

Flip side of new business to have playful art experience

A new and sophisticated entertainment venue that doubles as a space for local business has been launched into the Newcastle market.

Developed by local business women, Jaime Turney and Michelle Williams, The Jaffa Group has introduced a new and innovative way for women to be entertained.

The decision to create Raw Jaffa came from their own experiences in trying to find a place that offered a fun yet sophisticated alternative. The Raw Jaffa concept, although not new to many parts of the world and now in Sydney and Melbourne, is the first of its type in the region.

Raw Jaffa is a place for a group of women to work with resident artists to learn the finer points of sketching ‘in live’. The group is then taught in a two and a half hour session to sketch a naked male through a series of poses.

Raw Jaffa will be a new offering for the pre-bridal celebration market, birthday parties and social gatherings. Raw Jaffa will be available to the public from Friday evenings through to Sunday evenings each week.

Art gallery budget reinstated

Source: ABC Online

The Newcastle Regional Art Gallery in New South Wales' Hunter region has had its operating budget reinstated, but the city council may have to tighten its purse strings to meet the cost.

Residents packed the council chambers last night concerned about a recent decision to cut $200,000 from the gallery's annual budget.

But councillors last night agreed to reinstate the funding.

Newcastle Lord Mayor John Tate says council now has to work out how to find the extra money. "We'll find it through efficiency gains. In the budget management plan for the coming financial year we gave a clear indication that we would be striving for improved efficiency gains, that's an ongoing program and out of that I expect we can fund it," he said.