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Bridges exhibition heads to Yamba
Grafton Regional Gallery’s exhibition The Bridges: The First Year is moving to its second venue and from Wednesday, February 8, will be on show at the Kirk, Yamba Museum.
The Bridges: The First Year presents artworks created by artists involved in the inaugural year of the Bridges, a project coordinated by the Grafton Regional Gallery in partnership with Roads and Maritime Services.
The Bridges was launched in July 2016 with a public call for artist expressions of interest to respond artistically and creatively to the construction and progress of the four Clarence Valley bridges set for delivery in the upcoming years – the Grafton, Harwood, Sportsmans Creek and Tabulam bridges.
The Bridges: The First Year artists are: Robyn Sweaney, Robyn Tychsen, John Van Der Kolk, Stacey Conridge, Malcolm King, Simon Hughes and Curt Edwards. Being the first year of the project, many of the artists have focused on recording and interpreting the existing bridges that span the Clarence River at Grafton, Harwood, and Tabulam, and Sportsmans Creek at Lawrence. Two of these bridges –Tabulam and Sportsmans Creek – are to be removed, and the Grafton and Harwood Bridges will soon have new bridges sitting beside them. Other works also importantly capture the houses that stood where the new Grafton Bridge and approaching areas are to be built.
Grafton Regional Gallery director, Jude McBean, said that after the exhibition’s display at the Grafton Regional Gallery from late last year, it was great the Yamba Museum was able to host the exhibition and bring the bridge artworks to the lower river community.
“The community’s response to The Bridges: The First Year while it was on show in Grafton was just fantastic,” she said.
“People really see the significance of the Clarence Valley’s bridges and the changes occurring as our region gets the four new bridges. It obviously has special significance given work on the Harwood Bridge is approaching.”
The Bridges project is coordinated by the Grafton Regional Gallery, a cultural service of the Clarence Valley Council, in partnership with Roads and Maritime Services and with the support of the Yulgilbar Foundation.
The Bridges: The First Year will be on show at The Kirk, Yamba Museum from February 8 – March 25, 2017.