JADA feast for the eyes at gallery

By Tim Howard

North Coast art lovers will head to Grafton this weekend for the announcement of the winner of Australia’s richest drawing prize, the $35,000 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award.

Better known simply as the JADA, this year’s award has attracted 65 entries locally and from around the country.

In addition to the main prize there is also a $5000 early career prize to help promising artists kick off their career.

The 2024 JADA winners will be announced at the JADA Gala on Saturday night where president of the Friends of the Gallery, Fran McHugh and Mistress of Ceremonies, Nell Schofield, will present the prizes.

This Year’s JADA judge is the deputy director of Artspace, Sydney, Michelle Newton.

Grafton Regional Gallery director, Sarah Gurich said Ms Newton was eminently qualified for the role.

“She has been the deputy director at Artspace since 2012, and in this time has co-commissioned and co-curated significant projects with artists and in partnership with leading international institutions,” Ms Gurich said.

“She is also currently chair of Cementa, Inc. and on the board of Create NSW Visual Arts Artform Advisory Board.” Ms G.

The JADA excitement continues the following day when the winner gives a floor talk at the gallery from 11am.

In addition to the new JADA exhibits the gallery has an intriguing exhibition of previous JADA winners and acquisitions called A Line Going for a Walk.

The exhibition name riffs on a famous quote from the artist Paul Klee, “a line is a dot that went for a walk”.

Ms Gurich said the artists featured in this exhibition have used drawing to generate and communicate their ideas to others, demonstrate their curiosity about the world, and as an intellectually driven symbol to express their thoughts.

A Line Going for a Walk will be on show at Grafton Regional Gallery until Sunday December 8, alongside the 2024 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award.

The third part of the trifecta for art patrons is Marion Conrow’s Immersive Works 2007– 2024.

Conrow is an interdisciplinary artist based in Northern NSW.

Over her 40 year career, Conrow has developed a multifaceted artistic practice that integrates visual imagery, projection, sculpture, virtual reality, and cross-media installation. Her work explores themes of memory both real and imagined, particularly through the lens of her acquired mild traumatic brain injury sustained from an accident in 2007.
In this exhibition, Conrow presents four immersive projection sculptures that span her practice from the last two decades: Autumn Flower, Unravell Egg, and Museum of My Friends #1 and #2. These works merge visual, digital, and sculptural media to explore themes of memory and identity, healing processes, creative relationships, and storytelling.

Immersive Works will be on show at Grafton Regional Gallery until Sunday December 8.

Conrow will also run a Jacaranda VJ Workshop on Saturday October 26 from 10.30am.

Limited tickets to the JADA GALA are still available via Grafton Regional Gallery Humanitix.

Tickets to the Official Opening of A Line Going for a Walk, the 2024 JADA, and Marion Conrow’s Immersive Works 2007– 2024 and Marion Conrow’s Jacaranda VJ Workshop are available via Grafton Regional Gallery Humanitix.

Women Like Us Bring it Home!

Women Like Us is the stand up comedy sensation created by local comedians Mandy Nolan and Ellen Briggs.  With over  320 performances in cities and regional centres, big city theatres and dusty regional halls they are excited to dust off their heels for a gig at some local Halls – Rous Community Hall and Coorabell Hall with some of the proceeds going to Grandcarers Project for grandparents caring for their grandkids.

An anomaly in their industry – kickass comics AND middle-aged women – they realised that it didn’t matter how good they were, they were always going to be behind the 8 ball in an industry that favours under 30’s and is dominated by blokes. After years of performing for women’s luncheons and fundraisers to audiences that fangirled them like crazy, they both decided that there was an audience out there for them – they just had to go out there and find them. And so began Women Like Us.

Nearly a decade on, with sell out shows across the country  and a fan base that is now truly nationwide, Mandy reflects on the success of a show she thought might last a year.

The magic of the show is the combination of talents. The big, warm, outrageous Nolan and the laid back charisma of sharp shooting, natural born storyteller  Ellen Briggs.

‘We’ve had heaps of 5 star reviews from Australia’s premier comedy festivals’ says Ellen, ‘ but the reviews we take to heart are the ones we get from audiences show after show. They keep turning up, some coming back for the 4th and 5th time.’

Ellen Briggs is a nationally recognised headline comic, a RAW finalist, she’s featured on Hughesie We Have a Problem and is  regular on ABC radio. Mandy Nolan is a columnist for the Byron Shire Echo, a writer for Mamamia, and most recently took her Award winning show The Candidate about her tilt to Melbourne Town Hall for the Melbourne Comedy Festival.

Women Like Us is Stand up comedy  at its best. It’s about housework, chickens, love, feminism, small dogs, big butts, disappointment, resentment, sex when you’re drunk, fit bits, yoga farts and being a menopausal woman dealing with teenage angst. They’re overworked, overweight and over it…

Women Like Us bring the comedy love – Rous Mill Community Hall on 12 October and Coorabell Hall on November 30. Both shows at 7.30pm. Tickets are available here.

For more entertainment news, click here.

NORTHERN RIVERS YOUTH ORCHESTRA 2024

Calling all young musicians! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to join the Northern Rivers Youth Orchestra in Lismore this July.

Hosted by the esteemed Northern Rivers Conservatorium, this orchestra brings together talented young musicians from all over the region for a three-day-long intensive program of rehearsals, workshops, and performances. Led by inspiring guest conductors from associated regional conservatoriums, you’ll have the chance to work with some of the best music educators in the country and learn from their wealth of experience. As a member of the NRYO, you’ll be honing your skills, collaborating with other talented musicians, and getting to perform at the Whitebrook Theatre in a public grand finale concert!

Northern Rivers Youth Orchestra 2024

You’ll also make new friends and be part of a supportive and inspiring community of young musicians who share your passion for music. Northern Rivers Youth Orchestra participants can expect to learn a wide range of music from the high energy to the sublime, sourced from blockbuster movies, iconic bands and famous classical works, featuring many well-known composers both contemporary and historical.

Northern Rivers Youth Orchestra 2024

‘Speaking as someone who has done it every year since 2012, it is such an incredibly fun, rewarding and motivating experience… alumni from NRYO have gone on to be world-class soloists and ensemble performers,’ says Tilly Jones, local performer/composer and Northern Rivers Conservatorium librarian.
The Northern Rivers Youth Orchestra is comprised of full orchestras, concert bands, and string ensembles. The cost for seniors (AMEB 4+) is $190, and for juniors (AMEB 1–3) it is $170. An early bird discount of $20 applies until 3rd June. So why wait? Apply now for the Northern Rivers Youth Orchestra and join us for an unforgettable three days of music-making. Learning, and inspiration. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this amazing experience!

The Northern Rivers Youth Orchestra will be held 9–11 July, 2024.
ENROL HERE: https://enrol.nrcac.edu.au/enrol-workshops/
ENQUIRIES: nryo@nrcac.edu.au
SUBSCRIBE: subscribe.nrcac.edu.au