New art exhibitions explore identity, humour and healing

Four new exhibitions exploring everything from the quirky personalities of cats to deeply personal stories of healing and connection will open at Gatakers Artspace in Maryborough this week.

Fraser Coast Regional Council Arts and Culture spokesperson Michelle Govers said the exhibitions offer something for everyone, from light-hearted fun to meaningful reflection.

“This is one of our most exciting exhibition seasons at Gatakers Artspace, with four very different shows that highlight the incredible creativity of our local artists,” Cr Govers said.

“There’s colour, texture, storytelling, and plenty of personality – whether you’re drawn to landscapes, cats, embroidery or mixed media, there’s something here that will connect with you.”

The exhibitions opening this Thursday night (17 April): are

• Identities – Elena Churilova (Gallery 1)
  A vibrant exhibition inspired by the places Elena has lived and travelled across Australia. Her paintings mix reality and imagination to capture the light, movement and mood of both city and country landscapes.
   
• Simply Stitches – Maryborough Heritage City Embroiderers (Gallery 2)
  A showcase of intricate hand-stitched works from a talented group of local embroiderers. Visitors can also catch them in action during live embroidery demonstrations on Saturday 26 April and 3 May from 9.30am to 11.30am.
   
• CATTITUDE – Wendy Talbot, Jo Williams, Sheena Walsh and Kerry Harrison (Gallery 3)
  A playful and often hilarious tribute to the charm, chaos and cattitude of feline friends. This group exhibition was inspired by a shared love (and frustration) of living with cats, told through painting, drawing and mixed media.
   
• Salt – Nora Hanasy and Jo Williams (Gallery 4)
  A powerful collaboration between two artists exploring themes of identity, loss, trauma and resilience. Their deeply personal works reflect their experiences and how nature and creativity helped them heal.

“Salt is raw and honest – it's about life’s hard moments, and how we grow through them,” Cr Govers said.

“CATTITUDE, on the other hand, brings lightness and laughter. It’s this mix of stories and styles that makes the launch of these exhibitions so special.”

The exhibitions' official opening will be from 6pm to 8pm on Thursday, 17 April at Gatakers Artspace in Maryborough. Visitors will have the chance to meet the artists and hear the stories behind the works.

To deepen the experience, visitors can also attend a series of free ‘Artist in Conversation’ sessions across the first weekend in May:

• Saturday 3 May
  • Embroidery demonstrations with the Maryborough Heritage City Embroidery group – 9.30am
  • Salt with Nora Hanasy & Jo Williams – 10am
  • CATTITUDE with all four artists – 12pm
     
• Sunday 4 May
  • Identities demo and talk with Elena Churilova – 11am

“Events like these are a great chance to hear directly from the artists about what inspires them and how their work comes together,” Cr Govers said. “It helps us connect with the art – and with each other – in a much more meaningful way.”

Gatakers Artspace is open Tuesday to Friday from 9.30am to 3.30pm and weekends from 9.30am to 2pm. Entry is free but registrations are required for the exhibition opening and Artist in Conversation events.

For more details and to register, visit:
https://gatakers.ourfrasercoast.com.au/what-s-on