New art acquisitions for Shoalhaven Arts centre

Nicole Kelly Woman with Green Thigh 2008 enamel & oil on canvas 130 x 141 cm

The Shoalhaven City Council will officially accept a series of new artworks into the City’s Art Collection on Saturday 13 November 12pm, at the Shoalhaven City Arts Centre.

Surf photographer, John Witzig and noted collector, artist and patron of the arts Max Dingle, will be present when the City accepts their donations into the City’s collection.

The Shoalhaven City Council’s current art collection is the result of both generous donations from the community and carefully considered acquisition purchases by the Shoalhaven Arts Board. The collection has been slowly growing and developing over many decades. Saturday 13th will see the City officially accept art acquisitions from the last twelve months.

In recognition of the reception that nationally significant photographer John Witzig received during his successful exhibition held at the Shoalhaven City Arts Centre in 2009, ‘Iconic Surfing Photographs from the 1960s and ‘70s’, he is generously donating ten of his mounted photographs to the City’s collection. These strong photographic works, encapsulate the beach culture attributed to the Shoalhaven and complement works in the collection by Max Dupain including ‘The Sunbather’ already held in the City’s collection.

The MG Dingle & GB Hughes Collection of over 100 artworks collected over a 40-year period, represents a major bequest to the Shoalhaven City Arts Centre and the city collection in 2008. This gift to the people of the city continues to grow with additions each year to enhance a major body of work, with a strong contemporary focus. New acquisitions to this bequest include contemporary abstracts and sketches from Nicole Kelly, winner of the Brett Whiteley Travelling Scholarship for 2010 and digital video and new media from Sean Lowry which will be on display.

The launch of the acquisitions is a great opportunity to meet these well-respected patrons and view some of the new works that will remain in the Shoalhaven collection.

What: Launch of City’s New Art Acquisitions, with donors John Witzig and Max Dingle.
Where: Shoalhaven City Arts Centre- 12 Berry Street Nowra
When: Saturday 13^th November 2010- 12pm-2pm