Artist John Millington and Jan O’Connor at the opening of his ‘Big River to Coast’ exhibition at Yamba’s Old Kirk. Image: Contributed

A gathering of in excess of fifty art enthusiasts turned up for the champagne opening of Palmer’s Island artist John Millington’s major exhibition ‘Big River to Coast’ at Yamba’s Old Kirk Gallery and Museum last Sunday afternoon. Keen patrons snapped up nine works in various mediums during the afternoon, making it a particularly successful opening in a currently tough period for arts sales throughout the country. Resident Queensland and former West Australian painter and sculptor Mal Leckie gave the crowd an amusing and informative view into the life of the artist he has known since 1974, when they taught art together at the Gold Coast’s The Southport School. Several patrons travelled from the Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Ballina for the event and were prominent among the buyers. Dr. Barry Arnison, former headmaster of the Gold Coast’s Somerset College purchased a large work and declared that he’d been to every Millington exhibition from Brisbane to Yamba since 1979 and never left without an artwork; a fact that hadn’t even registered on the artist. Light up The Darkness, a local organisation supporting work in Mental Health in our area are raffling a Millington painting at $2 per ticket, to be drawn on December 10 at the closure of the exhibition. A representative of the organisation will be in attendance on each day of the show for ticket sales. Enquiries at 6646 7754.