A press release from Maitland City Council crossed our desk during the week that caught our eye.
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It informed us Maitland Regional Art Gallery will celebrate its 500,000th visitor this weekend, an outstanding achievement considering the gallery is less than nine years old.
As Mayor Loretta Baker put it: “This is one of the finest of all regional NSW public galleries. It is a civic icon that has become a brightly coloured feather in Maitland’s cap and as a Council we are very proud to stand behind it.”
It will coincide with a huge weekend for the gallery – no less than six new exhibitions are opening, along with live performance and a series of art workshops.
To give you an idea of the breadth and scope of offerings, there will be Friday twilight ‘Sip and Sketch’ – a casual drawing class run, along with live music and cool drinks.
Then there’s the Maitland International Salon of Photography exhibition, and Spaniard-at-heart Lionel Lindsay’s Lionel’s Place exhibition. To get you into the swing of it, one of Spain’s most accomplished guitarists and now Maitland resident, Paco Lara will perform live on Saturday with Paterson bred flamenco dancer Deya Miranda.
Oh, and on Sunday there will be a free art workshop for families.
MRAG curator Brigette Uren proudly says her gallery is much more than pictures on walls.
“The Gallery’s role is to serve the Maitland community by connecting them to ideas and stories in those pictures, and half a million visitors would suggest they appreciate the service being provided,” she said.
The bumper weekend comes on the back of another gallery, Studio Amsterdam, opening its doors in High Street in January.
With Morpeth Gallery continuing to showcase many of the finest artists in Australia, it is clear Maitland has never been better served artistically.
And on another front, council tells us the always popular Lonnie Lee is coming to town again as part of Seniors Week celebrations.
If people would like to go into the ballot for tickets they must register with Council by close of business today, or by calling 4934 9700.
The ticket ballot is drawn on Monday.
If you want more information, go to council’s website or NSW Seniors Festival’s website.