Ever entered a gallery, studio or other artistic endeavour in which the walls were suitably sparse, the front-of-house rather superior and the pieces terribly avant-garde, repetitive or just dull? (And expensive). We have too.
Plus, anybody judged by how they dress, what tattoos they display or the state of their coiffures could lead to an awful commercial epic fail. Remember that scene in "Pretty Woman" when our heroine Vivian was snubbed by those tacky women who earned the keep by commission and refused to serve her? Oops.
Quite a few years ago, a friend of mine visited from Melbourne. She was a somewhat eccentric type, enjoying a year-round "uniform" of cargo pants, a tee shirt and sneakers. She completed her look with a mane of long hair. She was also very wealthy. Snubbed due to her appearance by the Studio further up Vincent Street, she promptly dropped several hundred dollars into our laps instead...
We have been running this gig titled the East End Gallery for almost ten years. Oh my giddy aunt! Over the last decade we have learnt to "never judge a book by its cover", and to keep the Gallery very busy with a myriad of artworks. Our range covers cards to jewellery, pottery to wood turning, three dimensional sculpture to mosaics, fine art to ceramics, Coptic books to hyper-colourful fairy tales, photography to glass. Stuck for a gift for that special somebody or that notoriously irritable great-aunt? We can offer a huge variety of original artworks from five dollars (!) upwards.
Then they are the guests, supporters and locals who have supported us along this fantastical journey. Yesterday, one of Beverley's sons, a fairly tall gent named Rick wandered into the Gallery for a chat. We were in the middle of a conversation with David and Janet about one of Colin Southern's wonderful etched jarrah wall hangings. Given his height, I asked Rick to move another of Colin's hangings into the blank spot. Rick then joined in, suggesting that both of the wall hangings would be "just the ticket". David and Janet eventually departed with both of Colin's hangings and a wondrous photo by York artist Lee Francis. Rick, you are a star!
The missing spaces created by these sales led to a mini-reshuffle of some of our other pieces. Brian Aylward's breathtaking "Balanced Granite" is now in a much more visually pleasing location, Dorothee Geever's beautiful watercolour cards have been moved into more light, "Unhinged"'s angle has been changed so skinny people can get to both sides, the Gnomes are waiting to surprise our guests in various locations and we are delighted to welcome back Daryl Storer and his outstanding wood and resin pieces. Finally, the Gallery is once more swimming in oodles of scrunchies having been rescued by the colourful stitching of Lee Storer and Raine.ann Creations.
We are terribly sad by the impending closure of the Red Vault Cafe across the street from us. Owner and chef Debbie is exhausted and has needed to retire for quite some time. The Red Vault will cease to trade from next Sunday 15 September. Come on, people, there must be someone out there to buy this fabulous and inviting institution and keep the doors open. The sale is freehold, so a buyer receives the cafe, the building, the kitchen, the stock and room out the back for a caravan or tiny house until a larger establishment could be built in the future.
In the meantime, the East End Gallery will be offering beverages and cakes over the weekend to fill the breach. This will continue for as long as necessary. We would far prefer some enterprising individual, couple or family to stamp their own special touch on the Red Vault and enjoy reciprocal admiration and mutual good will with us. At the very least, visitors to Heavenly Beverley will be saved from my less-than-cordon-bleu-cooking. I strictly stick to the reliability of packet mixes!
At present, our Vincent Street neighbour and friend Jodie Edom Nolf is feeling rather under the weather, so her original and eclectic jewellery has now joined the Gallery for the time being. What has really given Jodie emotional support has been the endless loving messages from the Beverley community. We truly do live with caring and generous souls in this little town.
Back to more revelations of the East End Gallery. We have unpacked the entirety of Lily's ute and marvelled how much we crammed in, alongside the Bushman fridge and trundled all the way home. First of all, our latest fantastic fossicking collection was laid across Michael's work table so he could actually view every artifact. Then, he has begun placing the objects in his buckets and boxes and on his huge metal shelves.
Our "Delicates" have been put aside to prevent any further damage and their roles to be considered carefully for Michael's sculptures. He loves to highlight those pieces that have a special place in his heart and will surprise guests with the stories he weaves around them. For example, "Hooked" completed last summer, pays tribute to the blacksmiths and metal workers who were so integral to any settlement. The two blacksmith created items, the "hook" and the "eye", appear to float above the cast iron bottom. The recycled jarrah base finishes this deceptively simple, but incredibly tactile and beautiful artwork.
His head is currently swimming with ideas for sculpture after sculpture.His work table has to be clear for him to arrange his pieces that will form his latest work. He very rarely draws, preferring to play with the design until he is happy with the focus and path.
Unless, he is deep into a difficult or intricate task, guests are always welcome to step back into time, among Michael's outstanding collection and to see him creating magic with metal. Please be understanding if he is unable to allow guests into his workspace.
The spring weather is just starting to show, with blue skies, scooting clouds and increasing warmth. This weekend promises to be mild and sunny, perfect for a drive up to Beverley. The canola is at its brilliant yellow peak, the wheat incredibly green and the sheep who have been shorn are very white indeed.
County Peak/Quajibin is still an achievable climb during this spring days, with magnificent views from the summit, including Yenyening Lakes, the closest salt lake system to Perth. A frolic on a white beach seems slightly incongruous with the surrounding canola and wheat fields.
The wildflowers, including orchids are popping up here there and everywhere. Brooking Street bushland and Poison Hill reserve definitely have had splendid reports of wildflowers and I believe Deep Pool is also blooming.
Dead Finish Museum is open until its hiatus during summer on Sundays between 11am and 3pm. The Community markets are in full swing until December on the first Saturday morning of each month in the town hall. The Platform Theatre is beginning its programme of outdoor events. The Artist-in-Residence programme, co-ordinated by the enthusiastic and energetic Marylou Hutchinson of Beverley Station Arts, is currently booked out until the end of 2025. Drop in for a chat with the Artists-in-Residence and enjoy their work on display from Thursdays to Sundays 11am to 3pm. at the Station.
Mandy Evans continues her online and in person presence at her Art Garden or google mandyevansartist. Nex Dor, our garden gift shop and mini nursery continues to grow and delight locals and visitors most weekdays and Saturdays. "All Things" and the Beverley Op Shop have pre-loved treasures galore on Fridays and some Saturdays. "Lucky Find" the best frock shop in the Wheatbelt is back open on Saturday morning. Our post office, apart from being housed in a beautiful Federation building, also has gifts available, including our world famous "Beverley" pens. All these establishments are dotted along Vincent Street.
The Visitors Centre is open Monday-Friday, most Saturdays (rarely on Sundays) and is opposite the developing town square. When the Visitors Centre is closed or unable to open due to a lack of volunteers on Saturdays, we can provide visitors information all weekend, every weekend and on public holidays. I have lost track of the compliments I have received for my promotion of Beverley's tourism gems from inside the East End Gallery.
The pubs are open all weekend and the Bakery all week and on Saturdays. Sundays are their only days off. With the advent of the spring weather, sitting outside is a delightful option at any of these venues.
And don't forget to allocate plenty of time at the East End Gallery. We still have our touching plate and art table for kids. Some of the older kids and other big kids love spending time in Michael's workshop. We have comfortable seating and a library to peruse.
We also have two further events over the coming couple of months. We will be hosting a Sundowner on Saturday 21 September. You all know the drill -
- Sausage sizzle from around 5.30pm - all donations to St Mary's Anglican Church Beverley renovation
- Please bring a plate and bottle to share
- LIVE music from our fantastic bunch of volunteer musos until late
- If you have a voice or an instrument, please join us!
On Friday 29 November, we will be holding our second CELEBRATION for 2024. This is catered with a licensed bar from 5.30pk - 7pm. We will also have non-alcoholic options.
Please RSVP by Friday 15 November for catering purposes. The entry cost will be $10 for entry, canapes and your first glass of wine or a non-alcoholic alternative. We hope you can join us to CELEBRATE our first decade of the East End Gallery and wish us well for an extraordinary future.
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