Exhibition Review: MSWPS - Group Exhibition at La Trobe's Cottage, South Yarra.2018
EXHIBITION REVIEW:
MSWPS – Group Exhibition at La Trobe’s Cottage, South Yarra
During the autumn of 2018, the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors (MSWPS) exhibited as a group, showcasing thirty-five small, framed, ready-for-sale pictures. The exhibition was theme-based and held at La Trobe’s Cottage, Birdwood Drive, South Yarra.
The pictures were displayed in the outbuildings known as the Kitchen Block, which is now a pleasantly restored and modified reception area. This area is used by members of the La Trobe Society to engage in tourism, offering tours of the cottage, history talks, and the sale of booklets about the history of C.J. La Trobe, the First Governor of Victoria. You may wish to visit their website to learn more about this remarkable gentleman, his family, and the lasting legacy of his tenure.
This art exhibition was made possible by our MSWPS member, Jo Reitze, who opened the show and delivered an engaging talk on the history of MSWPS for all present on the glorious autumn Sunday of March 18, 2018, as part of the celebration of the 217th Birthday of C.J. La Trobe. Jo is extremely talented at bringing like-minded people together.
The painters—our active members—Angela Abbott, Celia Beeton, Jocelyn Bell, Beryl Black, Helen Carter, Marion Chapman, Louise Foletta, Margaret Gurney, Patricia Hunt, Annee Kelly, Carmel O’Connor, Carole Milton, Robyn Pridham, and Jo Reitze—rallied to produce their pictures in a very short time.
The ability of these artists to embrace the theme and deliver works of the required size on time, framed and ready for sale, was impressive. These women were well-organized and enthusiastic. All thirty-five works produced by the artists named above displayed a distinct style pertinent to each artist, confidence in their chosen medium, and a strong sense of design in each composition. The works were priced for sale between fifty and four hundred and fifty dollars, with twelve pictures sold.
Please consider visiting the MSWPS Annual Exhibition later this year in October 2018, to be held at the Victorian Artists Society Gallery, Albert Street, Melbourne. For confirmation of dates and times, please visit our website at mswps.com.au. Most importantly, click on "Meet our Members" to discover more about the MSWPS painters mentioned above.
Thank you.
— Carmel O’Connor, April 2018