Unique: One of the hats designed by Melanie Ball, which is on display in the Benalla Art Gallery shop.
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A stylish new Gallery Shop exhibition hit Benalla Art Gallery in time for spring, with local artist Melanie Ball presenting Art aHead!
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The colourful exhibition celebrates Ms Ball’s range of artisan hats depicting flora, fauna, landscapes, and quirky scenes.
Ms Ball also runs upcycled fashion label Appliquez Moi.
“I rescue, mostly 100 per cent wool felt, hats from op shops and decorate them in a range of themes from abstract to Australiana, creating one-off wearable artworks,” Ms Ball said.
“I appliqué fabrics to the hats, and finish the edges with glue and paints.
“Every hat is unique, because every blank hat I rescue is different.
“I started upcycling jackets in the 1990s because I was bored with my then home of Melbourne’s obsession with basic black.
“I decorated my first hat as a gift and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Benalla Art Gallery director Eric Nash said the exhibition had an immediate impact.
“It’s a wonderful time of year in Benalla,” Mr Nash said.
“With the brighter and warmer weather and the beautiful colours of the gardens coming to life, it’s fitting for our guests to be greeted by a selection of locally made, cheerful hats on entry to the gallery.
“Melanie is a wonderful local artist.
Talented: An upcycled hat designed by Melanie Ball.
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“Following from a number of previous successful Gallery Shop exhibitions, this exhibition is further evidence of not just the depth, but the diversity of creative talent in our region, from painting, ceramics and sculpture, to photography, printmaking, jewellery and fashion.”
The gallery shop exhibition program is designed to better promote and support local and regional creative practices.
Ms Ball follows successful Gallery Shop exhibitions by Pauline Fraser, Maggie Hollins, Lorna Hobbs, Susie Buykx, Joan Mullarvey, the Border and North East Basketmakers Group, Liz Walker and Molly Herry-Carscallen.
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