Sunday 20 March 2016

The Launch of the Expansion Exhibition

Yesterday, the dream was realised. Yesterday, the whole one hundred and fifty square metres of the East End Gallery was opened, officially, with the unveiling of the Expansion Exhibition. Thirty artists, one hundred and fifteen different displays with over one hundred and thirty different artworks.

Something for everyone. Prices from two dollars to seven and a half thousand dollars. The Gallery and the Giftshop. Michael's vision for the building is pretty much completed. The Forbes Building will always require repairs and maintenance. And love. Which we have given her from day one.

When Michael first plunged, torch in hand, into the disastrous space the building had been, I thought he had finally lost the plot. That he was biting off far more than he could chew in wanting to save her. I had to walk through six times over eighteen months before I could see a glimpse of her potential.

Michael saw the building as she is now. This has always been what has driven this project. The goal. An artist's precinct, providing a permanent home to Wheatbelt artists. Sitting here this afternoon, listening to Lawrence Jones on guitar with his extraordinary voice, we are quietly ecstatic.

To share that I am so proud of Michael is stating the obvious. And I am completely gobsmacked at my transformation into curator and front of house. How on earth did a short, round woman in jeans, joggers and a tee shirt turn into a short, round woman in a frock with some knowledge and tonnes of passion for our artists and the East End Gallery? If you had asked me that question ten years ago, I would have fallen off a chair laughing hysterically at the suggestion.

We have had a steady stream of guests all weekend. Sometimes that stream turned into a deluge, then petered out to a trickle for a while. At the moment, the gallery is almost empty and I am grabbing a chance to catch my breath and write a post online. We have sold two paintings, Michael's spiders, some felt and silk scarfs, jewellery and Mick's wood turned pieces. Wow.

We unwound, with Lawrence, in the Gallery after closing last night. Today, I am a bit tired...But the thrill and the adrenaline are carrying me through. Suddenly, we have four guests in the Gallery and I am talking again!

Winding down. We are off to Larissa and Brett's farm for sunset drinks after we close. Bliss.

And tomorrow, I have a day at home to tidy up the chaos before we start all over again for the Easter weekend.

We look forward to welcoming all our guests to the East End Gallery. Come up and see us sometime soon!


Sculptures by Len Zuks. Installation by Michael Sofoulis.


Billy Right and Cabilla (foreground)


Billy Left and Billy Right


Billy Right


Cabilla


Kangaroo


Live music by Lawrence Jones


Back of Giftshop. 


Len Zuks' artwork (right) with Christine Davis (top left) and Chris Shannon (bottom left)


East End Gallery with guest Peter near closing time


Thank you Lawrence Jones, for a great evening of music



End of night.


Delivery of a Scorpion by Wayne Doyle



Resident in the Gallery


The East End Gallery, Sunday 20 March.


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