M*A*S*H is more than just a popular 1970s television series – here in Swan Hill it stands for Mallee Artists Swan Hill Inc, a friendly and supportive group for both professional and amateur artists from the Swan Hill region.
Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11, the group will hold a special Mother’s Day exhibition and Devonshire tea at the Grain Shed that will also be a fundraising event for cancer research.
Entry to the exhibition is free, with fundraising to be derived from the Devonshire tea, which has gluten-free options, as well as a raffle, and 10 per cent of all art sales will go towards cancer research charities.
The raffle prize is a watercolour painting of the Murray River by well-known Ballarat artist Jon Lam, valued at $450.
Six artists from the group will be displaying and selling their work during the exhibition.
MASH president Norma Anderson said the group had been around for more than 21 years and welcomed artists and budding artists at all levels.
“I’ve only been here about seven years and when I started I couldn’t even draw a straight line,” Ms Anderson said.
It will also be an opportunity for those wanting to give art a try to join in with the group as members conduct art demonstrations and feature a come-and-try table so everyone can have an opportunity to experience the pleasure of creating.
With 26 members, the group usually has an average of about 15 people attend the weekly meet-ups at Woorinen South Community Hall.
In addition they run regular skill-building workshops with local and visiting artists.
The group has been involved with many community events and activities over the years, including exhibitions at the Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery, the most recent of which celebrated 21 years of creativity by MASH members.
Another feature of the event will be the lucky door prizes drawn every hour during the two days.
The doors will open at 10am on both days at The Grain Shed, 2 King Street, Swan Hill, and will run until 4pm, with the group expecting a great turn-out.
