Benalla Art Gallery deepens relationship with Arts Project Australia

Arts Project Australia’s Collingwood Yards gallery will host the exhibition from October 21 to November 25.

Tones of Home draws together artists from Arts Project Australia, Melbourne, Benalla, and North Queensland to present works inspired by domestic and urban spaces.

Mr Nash said the exhibition extends beyond these settings to consider what makes a place a home?

“It touched on notions of family, community, belonging, connection, love, comfort, safety, and personal histories,” Mr Nash said.

“(It) presented an opportunity to not only work with Arts Project’s incredible artists but to also increase recognition of our region’s artistic talent among Melbourne audiences.”

The exhibition features the work of more than 16 Arts Project Australia artists.

From December, Benalla Art Gallery will reimagine its on-site partnership with Arts Project Australia with the activation of a new dedicated display space.

“Beginning this summer, we’ll launch a new seasonal display highlighting the practice of one of Arts Project Australia’s wonderful artists,” Mr Nash said.

“The first Arts Project Australia artist featured will be Chris O’Brien, with the new display space to sit alongside the incredibly popular monthly gallery shop exhibitions, which have celebrated artists of our region since January 2022.”

Chris O’Brien is a multi-disciplinary artist who works in painting, printmaking, sculpture, video and artist zines.

He is interested in representing domestic dwellings that feature him, his friends and TV personalities living there.

His work focuses on creating vibrant soft sculpture houses with humorous titles and narratives.

Mr O’Brien has worked at Arts Project since 2002 and presented his first solo in 2007.

For more information about the gallery’s exhibitions or programs, call 5760 2619 or email gallery@benalla.vic.gov.au.