488 Works and Still Room for People!

Opening of a well attended and appreciated exhibition

Lots of people came to see the opening of A4Art Australia. Indeed work did come from all over Australia to form Herring Island's and Australia's "biggest yet" exhibition of A4 sized 2D and 3D art work.

words of thanks to the volunteers

Volunteers from the Contemporary Art Society spent a lot of time framing work that had been posted in - part of the innovative format of the exhibition. Then it was hung - a lot of it five deep in a dazzling array.

Cr Jami Klisaris from Stonnington Council
declaring the exhibition open

The A4Art exhibition is the final exhibition for the 2016 season and runs over Easter - Saturday 26, Sunday 27 and Monday 28 March and Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 April.

Opening Soon: A4Art Australia

You can also download a printable version of the invitation here.

Drift - the Basketmakers' exhibition on Herring Island

The Basketmakers work
in a range of natural and synthetic fibres

Councillor Ullin, Mayor of the City of Stonnington did the honours and opened the second exhibition in the Summer Arts Festival series. The gallery has been transformed with amazing works in fibre of all descriptions.

Thank you to Andrew Dilley for the fine images taken at the opening.

HISAF representatives, the Mayor of Stonnington and
President of the Basketmakers

Mercedes Wolfenden "Flow"

Cristen Jo Stone
"Dreaming"

Lesley Hall "Embers"

Festival Launch for 2016

As the planning progressed we ordered new banners and set them up a couple of weeks before launch date. You can see them from the coffee shop across the river, so a coffee before the punt starts operating at 11am is a real thing.

Then the sculpture was brought in - and for once the setup was accomplished in fine weather - no floods, fires, storms or other catastrophes.

the gathering for the launch of HISAF 2016 image courtesy Cetta Pilati

The big day dawned, the people came and Coucillor Claude Ullin, Mayor of the City of Stonnington launched the 2016 Herring Island Summer Arts Festival and opened the "Narrative" exhibition of work by members of the Association of Sculptors of Victoria.

Cr Ullin speaking at the launch of HISAF 2016
image courtesy Cetta Pilati

The show is open and welcomes visitors - remember only two more weekends to see this one. Then you can return to see the work of the Basketmakers of Victoria.

Fatih Semiz with his work
image courtesy Jackie Mackinnon

A4 Art Australia continues...

A4 Art Australia
An initiative of the Contemporary Art Society of Victoria Inc.

A National Exhibition of A4-sized contemporary art in an incredible range of styles and subjects - a delight to the eye and the imagination!

If you have not yet been to see our exhibiton A4 Art Australia, it continues this weekend (28, 29 March) and the Easter Holiday long-weekend (4, 5 & 6 April).

There are many beautiful and imaginitive artworks in our show of over 370 A4 sized artworks still awaiting a red sticker, so come along and snap up your favourite ones! Prices are quite affordable. All 2-dimensional artworks come complete with a stylish black frame (under glass). You don't need much wall space to hang one or two!

Access to Herring Island (located in the Yarra River, Melbourne, between Richmond and South Yarra) is by Parks Victoria Punt Service 11am-5pm (on the dates mentioned above) leaving from Como Landing South Yarra, and the Gallery is open from 11.30am to 4.30pm.

See the Mini Review of the official opening last Saturday (21 March) on our website with a photo gallery to give you an idea of what to expect.
Check out our website for more info.

They framed 362 works....

no wonder the president looks tired.....

A4Art is.... A4 sized....

hard to pick a favourite...

hanging is Friday 20th (beware the Ides of March) then the grand opening on 21st at 12 noon.....
See you there - see the invitation here

At Last the A4 Art Show!

Your invitation to
A4 Art Australia
An initiative of the Contemporary Art Society of Victoria Inc.

A National exhibition of A4-sized contemporary art in an incredible range of styles and subjects - a delight to the eye and the imagination!
OPENING: SATURDAY 21 MARCH 12 noon

The President and Committee of the Contemporary Art Society of Victoria warmly invites you to join us at the opening at the Herring Island Gallery in a little over a week's time. Our exhibition celebrates the diversity of contemporary art produced by over 140 artists from all across Australia.

A downloadable A4 invitation is available on our website HERE - please circulate the invitation to your friends, family and colleagues. Note: The invitation contains a list of all the artists in the show!
Help us spread the word by printing out the A4 invitation, (colour or B&W) giving to friends or put it up at your local library, shops or community notice boards. If you cannot come along because you live too far away, maybe you have some friends in Melbourne who might like to know about the show.Official opening and exhibition launch:
Saturday 21st MARCH, 12 noon to 2pm at the Herring Island Gallery on Herring Island in inner-city South Yarra, Melbourne.

Over 370 distinctive A4-sized artworks will be on show, covering almost every imaginable subject, and all for sale at very affordable prices! Created in a wide range of media including - acrylic, aquatint, bronze, ceramic, charcoal, clay, collage, crayon, digital print, enamel, etching, felting, giclee print, gouache, graphite, ink, linocut, mixed media, oil pastel, pastel, pen, pencil, photography, polymer, porcelain, textile & watercolour, our collection of A4 artworks is truly a feast for the eye!

Our A4AA exhibition runs: 21, 22, 28, 29 MARCH & 4, 5 & 6 APRIL 2015.

This exhibition is part of the Herring Island Summer Arts Festival.

Herring Island Gallery hours: 11.30 am to 4.30 pm

How to get there? Go to www.herringislandfestival.org.au for directions.

Herring Island really is an island - it's in the middle of the Yarra River! Access is only by boat or punt. Catch the Parks Victoria punt service from Como Landing (Melway Ref 2MC2) Punt fees are: $2 per person or $5 per family. Pensioners, unemployed and children under 12 travel free.

NOTE: All artworks exhibited in A4 Art Australia 2015 will also be displayed on the CAS website at the end of the exhibition.Check-out our website for more info.


Kind regards,

Robert Lee, President
Contemporary Art Society of Victoria Inc.
PO Box 283 Richmond Vic 3121
enquiries: phone: (03) 9428 0568
email: mail@contemporaryartsociety.org.au
web: www.contemporaryartsociety.org.au

And a great opening it was...

Contemporary by Nature is a great show - a wonderful diversity of media, styles and stories... and you only have one more weekend to see it. Here are some images from the opening to whet your apetite:

CAS President Robert Lee and Cr John McMorrow at
the opening of "Contemporary by Nature"

the crowd at the opening of "Contemporary by Nature"

Contemporary by Nature - Opening 28th February

On behalf of the President and Committee of the Contemporary Art Society of Victoria Inc, we would like to extend an invitation to you to visit our ninth Contemporary by Nature exhibition: An interpretation of the natural world, an art exhibition by CAS members, as part of the 2015 Herring Island Summer Arts Festival.

The exhibition will be officially opened by Councillor John McMorrow, City of Stonnington (East ward councillor)Do join us for refreshments at the OPENING of the art exhibition Saturday 28 February, 12 noon to 2pm, in the Herring Island Gallery.

If you can't make it to the opening, our show is open each weekend including Labour Day, Monday 9 March - Gallery open: 11.30am - 4.30pm.

Exhibition dates: 28th February, 1, 7, 8, 9, 14 & 15 March 2015.
In this exhibition, both established and emerging contemporary artists have explored the many aspects of nature, in a wide range of artistic media! Each day of the exhibition a different exhibiting artist will be "on duty" at the gallery. A great opportunity for you to ask questions about their artwork, and inspiration behind the work.

Contemporary by Nature 2015 will include sculptures in forged steel and painted timber, oil, acrylic & watercolour paintings on various surfaces, drawings and prints in numerous media, photographic and mixed media works, all interpreting aspects of nature in very different ways. Be it animal, vegetable or mineral, land or sea, storm or calm, night or day, light or shadow, there will be something to delight the eye, the senses, the imagination. Come and enjoy ....
More info....
Herring Island is in the middle of the Yarra River, just 3km from the city. The Herring Island Environmental Sculpture Park is a haven for nature and art lovers alike. The exhibition will be held in the gallery on the island. There are several permanent sculptures made from natural materials that reflect the island's tranquil setting. A free self-guided tour map of the island is available in the gallery. Toilet & BBQ facilities are also located on the island.

Access to Herring Island is by the Parks Victoria punt service from Como Landing, South Yarra (Melways ref Map 58, G2) and the service operates between 11am and 5pm. Punt charges: $2 per person or $5 per family, with pensioners, unemployed and children under 12 free. Car parking is available in Alexandra Ave.

All images from the exhibition will be on the the CAS website at the conclusion of the exhibition. And get updates about all shows on the Island from the Herring Island Summer Arts Festival website. The Herring Island Summer Arts Festival 2015 is proudly support by the City of Stonnington.

DRIFT is Open

Welcome

"The Journey - I always enjoy the journey that is involved in coming to this exhibition. The walk down to the river through the newly landscaped path. The trip across the Yarra in the punt. The walk from the river to the gallery along the winding trail of native plants. Then coming into the gallery and seeing the amazing collection of work presented by our members.

Before the opening

But this journey started long before this morning's trip. It started with the initial collection of potential materials. Some might think we are obsessive hoarders but we know everything has potential........Once we have our stash we then start to visualize how we can transform it into a thing of beauty, whether sculptural or functional using basketry techniques. This exhibition is the culmination of that very long journey. Basketry is a tactile process. The material must pass through our hands. It talks to us as we work and is expressed in the shaping of the work and the naming of the final piece e.g. Curv-vay-shus, Yanakie Dreaming etc. 

Sue Dilley with her work "Leaf Litter"

I hope you all enjoy the journey with us as you look at the work."

Sue Dilley President Basketmakers of Victoria

Edit Meaklim "Lost at Sea"  - find it on Herring Island

Basketmakers of Victoria exhibition opens Saturday 7th February

The Basketmakers of Victoria are about to set up their exhibition on Herring Island. You can see more about their work on this page of this website.

The show opens on 7th February at 12 noon.

If you wish to receive invitations for future exhibitions in the Herring Island Summer Arts Festival series you can subscribe here.

Australia Day 2015

Not too hot, not raining - just great to check out the skills of all the artists - and to experience the island.

Enjoy!

Sculptors launched and the Festival is on

Ready! The sculpture is set up....

Set! Cr Melina Sehr, Mayor of Stonnington Council opens the exhibiton and launches the festival
image courtesy Rob Anderson www.robanderson.com.au

Go! - visitors at leisure to view the work - the show is open!
image courtesy Behzad Mozaffari

Launching Herring Island Summer Arts Festival 2015

On 17th January 2015 Herring Island Gallery will re-awaken for the 2015 festival series of exhibitions. Councillor Melina Sehr, the Mayor of Stonnington City Council, will launch the festival and open the first exhibition in the series at midday.

The first exhibition will be "Narrative" - work from members of the Association of Sculptors of Victoria. You can find out more about this exhibition on this page or on the ASV website.

Access to Como Landing, where you can catch the Parks Victoria punt to Herring Island, has changed due to the landscaping works in the area. The path to the landing is there so do not despair we will be there to greet you in the gallery!

Small Format - Grand Opening

Robert Lee, President of the Contemporary Art Society of Victoria opened the inaugural A4 Art Australia exhibition.

 The exhibition was put together by a team of volunteers from the Contemporary Art Society of Victoria. In his opening comments Robert said "The idea is to give Australian artists the opportunity to exhibit their artwork, at low cost, and support metropolitan, rural and regional artists across our vast continent."

"Our committee has selected 286 contemporary artworks, representing 101 artists from across Australia in this National Showcase of A4 sized artworks. The range of media used is equally diverse: including acrylic, aquatint, bronze, canvas, ceramic, charcoal, clay, collage, crayon, cyanotype, digital print, enamel, etching, felted wool, giclee print, gouache, graphite, hahnemuhle rag paper, ink, lightwood, linocut, mixed media, oil pastel, pastel, pen, pencil, photography, polymer, porcelain, printers ink, rice-paper, textile and watercolours!

Pictures in an exhibition - the opening of A4 Art Australia

We believe this show demonstrates the range of talent and creativity of Australian artists! 

All works are for sale, and when you purchase one, you not only get a great artwork, you also show your support of Australian artists!"

A First for Herring Island

On Saturday 5th April we'll see the opening of A4 Art Australia an Australia wide collection of small format works in 2D and 3D.

You can download your own invitation here

and you can work out how to get to Herring Island here.

This exhibition is the last in the 2014 Summer Arts Festival. If you would like to join our email invitation list and be notified of future Festival events please sign up on our contact and subscribe page.

See you there!

Prize Winning Ceramics

Amanda Christians "Treading Water" black fired stone ware

Amanda Christians may have won the first prize amongst the ceramic works in the "Vessel" exhibition - but there are plenty more to take you fancy - go and see for yourself.... fast before this exhibition closes on 30th March.

Mirta Ouro "Icebergs" cast porcelain 

Ted Secombe. Metallic Lustre Bottle Set. 
Photo by Adrienne Gilligan

Welcome to Ceramics Victoria

Vessel - HISAF 2014. Official opening Sat 15 March 12noon - 2pm. ALL WELCOME!

The President and Committee are proud to present an invitation to the Members exhibition  Vessel Part of Herring Island Summer Arts Festival 2014 Click on the image above to view the invitation We are excited to be showcasing a diverse and distinctive range of work from our Members, exploring the title theme for this exhibition. Please join us for the official opening of Vessel on Saturday 15 March, 12noon - 2pm. Click here for details on how to get to Herring Island  All welcome! Light refreshments will be provided

Contemporary By Nature is Open!

A great show and all the glitter at the opening. The weather behaved - and if the approaches to Como Landing were a little primitive we look forward to better this coming weekend - we have a promise from the engineers at Stonnington Council!

Karen Foley with Bromiliad

We'll have more images from the opening soon - some of our photographers are perfectionists and won't let images out unless they are amazing...

Admiring Joy Lea's work

In the mean time prepare for the start of enjoyable autumn weather - 25° both days - the island will be a great place for a picnic!

Robert Lee's "Wandering Shrine"

A Mild Weekend.... and Next Exhibition

The Basketmakers finally had a full weekend to show their work - and wasn't it wonderful! So now you have another exhibition to visit! Here is the information from the Contemporary Art Society - and watch this space for images!

We would like to extend an invitation to you, and all art lovers, and lovers of nature, to visit our eighth Contemporary by Nature: An interpretation of the natural world, an art exhibition by members of Melbourne's own Contemporary Art Society of Victoria. It's part of the 2014 Herring Island Summer Arts Festival and opens Next Saturday!

Do join us for drinks at the opening of our art show THIS Saturday 22 February, 12 noon to 2pm, in the Herring Island Gallery. If you can't make it to the opening, our show is open each weekend till Labour Day, Monday 10 March - we'd love to see you, and we're sure you'll love this year's show! Gallery open: 11.30am - 4.30pm. Note: access to the island is from Como Landing South Yarra via the Parks Victoria Punt service (during gallery hours).Contemporary by Nature 2014 will include sculptures in forged steel and found objects, sculptures in precious metals and stones, oil and acrylic paintings on various surfaces, drawings and prints in numerous media, photographic and mixed media works, all interpreting aspects of nature in very different ways. Be it animal, vegetable or mineral, land or sea, storm or calm, night or day, light or shadow, there will be something to delight the eye, the senses, the imagination. Come and enjoy ....

More info....Herring Island is in the middle of the Yarra River, just 3km from the city. The Herring Island Park is a haven for nature and art lovers alike. The exhibition will be held in the gallery on the island. There are several permanent sculptures made from natural materials that reflect the island's tranquil setting.Access to Herring Island is by the Parks Victoria punt service from Como Landing (Melways ref Map 58, G2) and the service operates between 11am and 5pm. Punt charges: $2 per person or $5 per family, with pensioners, unemployed and children under 12 free. Car parking is available in Alexandra Ave.

In this exhibition, both established and emerging contemporary artists have explored aspects of nature, in a wide range of artistic media! Each day of the exhibition a different exhibiting artist will be "on duty" at the gallery. A great opportunity for you to ask questions about their artwork, and inspiration behind the work.

All images from the exhibition will be on the CAS website at the conclusion of the exhibition. And get updates about all shows on the Island from the Herring Island Summer Arts Festival website.