A selection of works from some of Australia's leading artists are set to adorn the walls of Hazelhurst Arts Centre as part of an upcoming exhibition of some of the most prized works drawn from the collection held by the University of Wollongong.
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Highlights from the University of Wollongong Art Collection brings together 100 artworks by renowned Australian artists to Hazelhurst for the first major exhibition of the collection outside the university campus.
Curated by Hazelhurst from the university's extensive collection of more than 5000 individual works, the exhibition is set to showcase paintings, prints, sculptures, ceramics and textiles by celebrated Australian artists including Arthur Boyd, James Gleeson, Ben Quilty and Lindy Lee, Tracey Moffatt, and Emily Kame Kngwarreye.
An extension of the University's longstanding commitment to the visual arts, the University of Wollongong Art Collection was established more than five decades ago and features predominantly Australian artworks created from the 1960s onwards.
Across the decades, dedicated collection curators have acquired diverse and meaningful works that have become integrated into everyday campus life.
Although the university often loans works from the collection to public, national, state and regional galleries, this is the first time these works will be exhibited together under one roof.
Sutherland Shire Mayor Carmelo Pesce, says this partnership is another example of Hazelhurst working collaboratively with leading institutions to bring exceptional exhibitions to the area.
"Hazelhurst has such a strong reputation as a first-class destination for exhibiting artists, institutions and gallery visitors. We are so pleased to partner with the University of Wollongong to bring such a significant collection of Australian art to Sutherland Shire for our community to enjoy," he said.
University of Wollongong Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Patricia M. Davidson, says the university is delighted to partner with Hazelhurst to bring artworks that students and staff of the university have enjoyed for many years to Hazelhurst for the people of Sutherland Shire to enjoy.
"It is thrilling to now bring these artworks to a whole new group of people from Sutherland Shire so they are able to experience and enjoy them at this fabulous art centre," she said.
Sutherland Shire Council Manager Arts and Culture, Belinda Hanrahan says the exhibition exemplifies Hazelhurst's dedication to fostering opportunities to bring great art to our community.
"This exhibition is another example of Hazelhurst's commitment to a culturally rich community. We are delighted to share such a significant collection of Australian art with the community and grow our partnership with the University of Wollongong," she said.
In addition to exhibition-inspired workshops and a curator's talk, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the exhibition after dark at the upcoming Hazelhurst At Night event on May 26, with live music, artist demonstrations, exhibition tours and artmaking activities planned.
April 22-June 18.
A second exhibition, organised as a partnership between Hazelhurst and UOW's Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, is Vital Signs, an annual graduate show of UOW visual arts students, now in its eighth year. It will be hosted in the Broadhurst Gallery.
The oldest artwork in the Vision Splendid exhibition is Lloyd Rees' painting Illawarra Pastoral from 1957. The newest artwork is a 2018 piece, Redman Avenue Reflections, by Christopher Zanko, a rising star in the contemporary art world and a UOW visual arts graduate.
For this year's Vital Signs exhibition, 13 artworks by outstanding graduates were selected, presenting an array of contemporary painting, sculptural, ceramic, photographic, multimedia and textile forms.
Created during the first year out of heavy COVID restrictions, these artworks demonstrate the young artists' driving passion to persist, adapt and thrive in a new environment.
