Dear Members,
It has been a long haul, but finally we are at the completion stage of the building works at Kedron. There are a number of minor things that have yet to be completed, but these are in the pipeline. We will meet onsite this week to determine the limit of what we can do in the gallery. The lease has been signed and the building will be handed over pending our agreement to comply with BCC’s maintenance program, insure the building to their valuation and secure a post office box, all of which are standard requirements for their leased properties. The maintenance program is a considerable sum of money and it will mean that we will have to review how we operate our workshop and gallery program and studio use. This could involve slight increases in fees to accommodate vast increases in overheads.
The move to Kalinga should take place in January. Plans for packing up Kalinga and unpacking at Kedron are currently underway. Pat Zuber is currently compiling a list of volunteers for the various tasks and phases of the move and the launch.
Plans for the launch and month of print are under preparation. The Lord Mayor will open the building and launch the studio and gallery on Feb 21st at 6pm and this will formally begin our formal operations at Kedron. We have compiled a rough program of events, beginning with the launch on 21 Feb that takes us through to the end of March (March will be the month of print). If you are interested in events management or helping out please email Pat Zuber and let her know what your area of expertise/interest is. We have people working on a media package.
It will also be an important time to put our prospectus on display and attract sponsorship from local businesses and corporations. If you have any ideas regarding possible sponsors or benefactors that could be approached, please send us your suggestions. We will need to bring in considerably more money than we have done over the past few years under reduced operations, so I encourage you to bring your suggestions or ideas on raising money or more efficient use of the facilities to the committee. What would you the members like to see included in the workshop and gallery program? We also would encourage you to be sparing with the materials we provide and discourage wastage or misuse.
There is still some work to be completed at the studio before the launch, the Kedron working committee will meet onsite with Melanie Tucker from BCC, the electrician and the lighting supplier on Wednesday afternoon. This meeting will enable us to establish exactly what the restrictions are regarding false walls in the gallery, heritage listing and the installation of the Gallery light tracking.
There will also be visits from two prominent American printmakers next year, one is Charles Cohan, Dean of arts at University of Hawaii, Manoa, who is included in the Vario Box and the Vie De Pacifique; the other is Richard Hricko, Head of the Tyler School of Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia. They are both bringing works to exhibit here and are keen on running workshops whilst they are here for both Impress and Griffith University and both are really well known in the international and American Printmaking scene. They are both really important contacts for Impress as they have a fantastic Printmaking and gallery facilities in both of their institutions and great opportunities for exchanges and exhibitions that we can tap into. I look forward to sharing our new home with you and any national and international visitors that come our way.
Impress welcomes all new members that have joined this year and thank all the ongoing members for their continuing support, without it we would not have this facility. We hope many new friendships are made and creative skills and ideas shared.
I take this opportunity on behalf of Impress to wish you and your families a very happy, fun-filled and safe holiday season.
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year,
Jenny Sanzaro-Nishimura
President
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