The members and committee of the Friends of Grafton Gallery (FoGG) financially support and sponsor the Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award (JADA) through membership fees and social activities such as the Annual Soup Day and special events.

There are also advantages of being a FoGG member such as advance notices for events and discount at the Gallery Shop. This is especially helpful when considering gift purchases for Christmas.

The next morning with guest speaker Graham Mackie will be on Wednesday November 16 at 10.30am. Graham Mackie graduated from the National Art School in 1972 and then completed a DipEd at Sydney Teachers College – he has taught in school, coached for Gold Coast District Cricket Club and is an accomplished landscape artist.  

In 2003 Graham purchased land on the Mann River 80kms west of Grafton and formed Coombadjha Art Studio with an Art Gallery and camping grounds for artists, campers and kayakers. In recent years Graham has started an art camp on his property embracing like-minded artists to enjoy the area and share their knowledge with others – it usually runs over the 2nd or 3rd weekend in September – all artists camp on the river.  Every year in October he has an exhibition of recent work at The Old Kirk Gallery in Yamba which this year will end on 20 November. As well as landscape painting Graham is a photographer and draws in a variety of mediums such as graphite, oil pastels, charcoal, and crayon. 

Be seen at Grafton Regional Gallery on November 16 and meet this very interesting artist. The Gallery will be open from 10am and refreshments will be available from Rubony’s café.  Bookings through Eventbrite are essential.

The Reverend Canon Camellia Flanagan