THE photographers and videographers who captured the special moments of the ACRE21 festival have themselves become the artists.
Twenty three artists and musicians were involved in bringing “extraordinary” experiences to the northwest Victoria and southern New South Wales for the festival.
Mitchell Barkman, Meagan McGregor and Kim Deylen saw the festival through the lens’ of their cameras, and ACRE21 committee member, and manager of Swan Hill/Gannawarra for Regional Arts Victoria Loraine Little said the photographers were as creative as the artists who did the on-farm residences.
The photographers’ work, capturing the unique aspects of the festival, will be displayed at the Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery in one of their latest exhibitions.
Ms Little said the exhibition would allow people to see the range of opportunities that culminated in the festival.
“I’m so thrilled and grateful that we had that window of opportunity to be able to achieve,” she said.
“It also provides tiny and small communities with a very positive extraordinary experience.
“It’s been such a rare delight in this time.”
Ms Little said she believed ACRE (Australia’s Creative Rural Economy) worked well because it allowed for different events in each region.
“It’s not a cookie cutter template rolled out across each place,” she said.
“It’s something unique – in the challenges of its strengths and weaknesses – to the sense and uniqueness of the places.”
Ms Little said it was great to see the wellbeing outcomes of the project.
“We know that farming families and rural families in northwest Victoria and the Riverina do it tough,” she said.
Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery director and ACRE Project co-founder Ian Tully said the exhibition was an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the “remarkable” project.
“Not just because it was in-between two lockdowns, but because of the scale of the diversity of it,” he said.
“It has been more accessible because we opened it up to theatre, songwriters, musicians and visual artists.”
Mr Tully said the exhibition gave those involved to see what others that were part of the project had achieved.
“It gives a real sense of likeminded people coming together to celebrate the arts and rural and regional areas,” he said.
The exhibition includes videos and photographs.About the festival and exhibition:
This year’s festival included eight on-farm and school TWIGs (artist residences) and four Town TWIGs (“isolation smashing” concerts), across two states (NSW and Victoria) and four council areas over seven weeks.
Artist residencies were held at farms and schools in Woorinen, Lake Charm, Tragowel, Caldwell, Balranald, and at Nyah District Primary School and Wakool Burraboi Public School.
Concerts were held in Moulamein, Quambatook, Nyah and and Balranald.
The exhibition, held at Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery, captures key moments and works by: Archie Alderuccio, Mitchell Barkman, Kevin “KJ” Casey, Suzanne Connelly-Klidomitis, Josephine Duffy, Kutcha Edwards, Kerryn Finch, Christy Flaws, Trevor Flinn, Hannah French, Angela Frost, Freya Josephine Hollick , Benny Kennedy, Aunty Esther Kirby, Luke O’Connor, Clint O’Gradey, Vic McEwan, Margie Mackay, Cat Moser, Neil Murray, Shirley Pinchen, Jed Rowe and Kirstin Rule.
The exhibition runs until November 28 and an opening will be held on Friday November 5.
The ACRE program was developed around 10 years ago by Mr Tully and Ms Little’s predecessor Kim Bennett.
It is run by the artist network the ACRE Project, based in the Victorian and New South Wales border region, generating art interventions and dialogues in rural situations.
The event is supported by Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery, Regional Arts Victoria, South West Arts, Creative Victoria, Swan Hill Rural City Council, Balranald Shire Council, Murray River Council and Gannawarra Shire Council.
