11 The Great Eastern Mail MARCH 2018 East Gippsland ArtGallery We are open to bold ideas, different ways of seeing and championing the visual arts and artists inourregion.Every monthwe have exhibition openings, artist talks, events and art workshops. We also cater for school and community groups with guided tours and activities inspired by current exhibitions. The Gallery Shop stocks fine arts and crafts produced 100% by local artists. Experience the ever-changing environment and amazing opportunities and experiences our gallery offers 2 Nicholson Street Bairnsdale VIC 3875 03 5153 1988 eastgippslandartgallery.org.au info@eastgippslandartgallery.org.au Tue to Fri 10am-4pm Sat 10am-2pm Free entry EAST Gippsland Art Gallery is proud to present Calling for Rain. A solo exhibition by Sydney based artist Sofie Dieu from 15 March until 14 ofApril 2018. Sofie is a French artist who for the past 9 years has called Australia home. In 2016, she was one of four artists who worked on the Camperdown Cemetery installation for the Sydney Biennale. She also co-curated Keeping the body AFTER more than a decade of living in England, Caroline Crunden returned to East Gippsland four years ago and in early 2016 she moved onto her parent’s property in Tambo Bay, Metung. Caroline has been painting and drawing for most of her life with her first inspiration being her mother, Val Crunden, a well-known and established artist who was generous with her knowledge and talent. After high school Caroline spent some time doing further studies in a Fine Arts course however it is only in recent years that more time has been made for practicing art on a regular basis. Initially working with oils due to a love of the medium for its depth of colour and subtleties of character, Caroline produced a body of work in early 2010 featuring her then local landscape of Devon and nearby Cornwall. These works were included in a group exhibition which was exhibited in cafés in England. Involvement with the Honiton Art Society in Devon provided Caroline with more opportunities to work and exhibit with artists. Following her return to Australia in 2014, Caroline became involved with the East Gippsland art scene. She participated in group exhibitions in Bairnsdale and further afield before collaborating with fellow artist Deb Jemmeson to hold a joint exhibition in 2016 at the East Gippsland Art Gallery. Three years ago Caroline attended local workshops to learn the art of printmaking which has become a passion. She also developed an interest in, and passion for, artist books and was inspired to join the local Paper Arts Gippsland East (PAGE) group after their 2014 exhibition at East Gippsland Art Gallery. The renovation of her home, a new studio and the acquisition of a printing press toward the end of last year, has given Caroline a dedicated space to practice art and she is becoming increasingly involved with local initiatives such as the FLOAT ART group at Lake Tyers. Re-establishing her connection with Australia and the beauty of East Gippsland has had a major influence on Caroline’s recent art. Whatever the weather, the colours in the trees, the water, the air and the local wildlife are always inspirational. Light inspires Caroline the most and she is very aware of what it is doing and the effect it has on her surroundings. But above all, these days Caroline’s art is about engaging with the environment and encouragingviewerstoconsider their negative and positive impact on the environment in which we live. Many people are making improvements to their surroundings which help to reverse some of the negative consequences of the impact of human beings on the landscape. With her art, Caroline hopes to encourage people to see the beauty, sacrifice and what is achievable of this in their own lives and challenge their perception of who is responsible for our landscape gong forward. Her latest exhibition “Surface Treatment” opens at Amegilla Gallery, Bruthen, on 6April and continues until 6 May. Gallery hours are Thursday to Sunday 9.30am to 3.30pm. in mind as part of The Big Anxiety Festival, in Sydney. In 2017, Sofie’s work was shown during Vivid Sydney. Last year, Sofie was successful in securing a Great Alpine Artist in Residence supported by East Gippsland Shire Council’sArts & Heritage Grants. As a result, she will showcase her work from the residency at the East Gippsland Art Gallery, in an exhibition titled Calling for Rain. This exhibition showcases a series of portraits of local farmers and residents as well as landscapes inspired by drought and the need for rain. With the support of the Great Alpine Gallery, Sofie has also run a series of free workshops with Swifts Creek P-12 School, Benambra, Omeo and the Tambo Valley communities. The workshop participants’ artworks will also be exhibited in the Gallery. Also showing is Bairnsdale Secondary College student, Lachlan Jemmeson’s paintings inspired by the work of John Olsen and the northern Australianlandscape.Lachlan’s work was in the Bairnsdale Secondary College VCE Art exhibition last year and so impressed East Gippsland Art Gallery Director, Crystal Stubbs she offered Lachlan an exhibition in the small Side- Show space at the Gallery. ‘Lachlan’s work portrays a vibrant birds eye view of the Northern Australian Landscape. His confident application of paint onto large raw canvas sheets shows a depth of skill far beyond his years.’ Both exhibitions run from 15 March until 14 April. Inspiredbyloveforenvironment ArtfromaFrenchConnection