Tweed is first to host a new exhibition of work by Sidney Nolan

The Tweed River Art Gallery will be the first regional gallery to host a new travelling exhibition from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra featuring 80 striking works by renowned artist Sidney Nolan, which provide new insights into Australia’s military history and identity.

The Australian artist spent 20 years working on a series of paintings inspired by the Gallipoli campaign and underpinned by personal tragedy.

Australian War Memorial Director Steve Gower said: “Sidney Nolan: the Gallipoli series constitutes a personal and public interpretation of a campaign that cost so many Australian lives.

“Nolan donated this collection to the Memorial in 1978 in memory of his soldier brother, who died in a tragic accident before the end of the Second World War.

“This travelling exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to view these striking and iconic works, displayed together for the first time in 30 years.”

One of Australia’s most complex, innovative and prolific artists, Nolan was born two years after the Gallipoli landing on 25 April 1915.

Nolan said the events of the First World War permeated his life as he grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne. However, it was not until he was living on the Greek island of Hydra in the mid-1950s that he started to explore the idea of a series of works with a military and heroic theme.

He made a one-day visit to Gallipoli and was profoundly moved by the place that had seen so much Australian blood shed.

The Director of Tweed River Art Gallery Susi Muddiman said: “the Tweed community should be proud that the Gallery was selected as the first regional gallery to host this significant and compelling exhibition.”

A number of public programs have been scheduled to coincide with this landmark exhibition.

Prior to the opening at 5.30pm on Friday 22 January, the curator of the exhibition, Lola Wilkins, from the Australian War Memorial, will present an exhibition floor talk. This talk will be repeated on Saturday 23 January at 2pm.

In a first for the Gallery, an exciting Bring in your memorabilia event has been scheduled for Thursday 11 February between 10.30am and 2pm (DST). Members of the public are invited to bring along any military heritage memorabilia in their collections.

A team of experts from the Australian War Memorial will be on hand to discuss your items of military heritage, and to assist individuals with the identification and preservation of items which may be in their care.

Firearms should not under any circumstance be brought to a BIYM event, and while comment may be made by staff on the relative rarity (or otherwise) of items, formal valuations will not be made.

Sidney Nolan: the Gallipoli series is on display at the Tweed River Art Gallery from 22 January to 14 March 2010, before travelling to other venues throughout Australia.

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1. Exhibition features work of SCU, TAFE students
2. Northern Rivers Community Gallery to hold Competitive Exhibition
3. Printmakers’ works on show at Tweed Gallery
4. The Year of the Apology Indigenous Art Exhibition
5. SCU art exhibition focuses on science and art

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Related posts:

1. Exhibition features work of SCU, TAFE students
2. Northern Rivers Community Gallery to hold Competitive Exhibition
3. Printmakers’ works on show at Tweed Gallery
4. The Year of the Apology Indigenous Art Exhibition
5. SCU art exhibition focuses on science and art