2007 Media Releases
Thursday 04 October, 2007
La Trobe University art museum part of a major state-wide art event
On Sunday 28 October, 37 public galleries across the state will unite to offer Victorians free fun, adventure and inspiration during the second annual Get into Art! open day. From Melbourne to Mildura and Wangaratta to Horsham, galleries will provide free entry and a diverse range of special programs on what promises to be a day to remember.
Victoria has the oldest and richest network of public galleries in Australia. Get into Art! is a unique program that offers all Victorians the chance to experience the state’s treasures, diverse collections, quality exhibitions and world-class facilities.
Anton Vardy, the President of the Public Galleries Association of Victoria (PGAV) said, “Get into Art! gives you the chance to have a closer look into our network of public galleries by meeting the directors and staff, hearing from artists about their inspiration or taking a behind-the-scenes tour to discover what’s in the collection.”
La Trobe University Art Museum will open its doors from 11.00am to 4.00pm, hosting events for all ages.
At 12.30pm Vincent Alessi, curator of the exhibition KITE: Mike Brown and the Sydney twelve, will introduce the exhibition and present a floor-talk in the gallery. The talk will look at the works in the exhibition, the event that surrounded the making of Mike Brown’s work The Kite and discuss the contemporary relevance of the arguments presented by Brown in 1964.
Throughout the day kids can take part in Collage for Kids. Children, and parents, will have the opportunity to contribute to a large communal collage. They will also have the opportunity to create their own collages. For inspiration they can view, study and respond to the various works in the exhibition.
Helen Kaptein, the PGAV’s Program Manager said, “If you haven't visited your local gallery before, Get into Art! is the perfect introduction. If you are a regular visitor, you will want to make the most of the special programs occurring at galleries throughout Victoria on 28 October, designed to further connect visitors with the art on display.”
Last year’s Get into Art! day resulted in a 95% increase in attendances, compared to the previous Sunday statistics. Amongst 36% of the people surveyed on the day were also identified as first-time visitors.
Get into Art! is coordinated by the Public Galleries Association of Victoria with major funding support from Arts Victoria.
Further information
Vincent Alessi, Managing Curator
03 9479 21111
v.alessi@latrobe.edu.au
www.latrobe.edu.au/artmuseum