The Footy Show: the opening…

Who said sport and art don’t mix – apart from all the artists who professed to be horrified when told about the show!? (Oh, but I don’t like sport, they simpered…)

We had to tell ‘em to man up and take one for the team – and the consequence is a very cool show that’s accessible and wonderfully inclusive. It’s got everything from a giant footy sock…

…to a jock-strap on steroids (Megsie did an Andy/Jeff/Damien and signed up Anna Senior as her gaffer)…

…to Erik’s fab Erect Poufs series…

We love it.

The highlight of the launch was the entrance, en masse, of the Bega Roosters…

…who came straight from training and proceeded to sing their team song as a segue into the speeches.

VIP speaker for the evening was the Honourable (former second rower) Dr Mike Kelly AM MP who was made welcome by (former hooker) Mayor Tony Allen. Jen Greenwood made a mountain of her famous footy pies and Megsie whacked together a tray or three of genteel franks and, voilà, the atmospherics were suitably complete.

What a hoot. Many thanks to the Roosters for venturing into the arty-farty zone, and to all who contributed to such an entertaining night.

Snaps of the scrum here.

[PS. We wish Mike Kelly all the best in the poll next weekend - though we confess we'll feel somewhat  conflicted when/if he regains his seat. He's too good a bloke (ethically) to be in politics, we suspect.  The Parliamentary Pit must be a truly excruciating experience for him. Nonetheless you've got our vote, Mike, for what it's worth. n(Ed)]

Catch of the day…

Ah, the joys of simple country living!  We had a call from Brian and Rosa this morning to say that they’d just caught some fish at Tathra and did we fancy rendezvous-ing for a drop off? Hell, yeah. 

Out of the water at 9am, pass the parcel at Towridgee Lane at noon…

…prepped by 12.30…

…on the barbeque by 12.35…

 

Perfeck. Thanks guys - it was delicious.

Postcard from Florida…

…from the Gang’s little bro (who’s shooting a movie down there.)  Gorgeous!!

Wish we was there…

Ranamok 2010…

As promised, here’s the good oil on A&NZ glass-night-of-nights, aka the Ranamok.

The Gang did an express fly-by, up and back in one swift hit, which was quite enough really. It was fabulous to catch up with so many peeps in one go, and to cop an eyeful of what chappies are up to these days…but it was overwhelmingly déja vu (as in, you know, total groundhog day.)

Mind you, it’s always a reliably entertaining night -  for every good piece there’s any number of shockers to provide plenty of comic relief. Suffice to say there was quite a field for the Woofer this year, but in the end it was narrowed down to a Victorian (no name no pack drill – and no, it’s not the one that looked like a menstrual clot in a jar, though that did come close.) We had the loveliest time doing the rounds with Mikey (but we both missed you Jas, where was ya?)

As for the winning piece, it was really rather sweet and was probably a fair choice all things considered.

Other stuff we liked was Liz Kelly’s work…

and Matt Curtis’s…

and even Michelle Donde’s piece…

We will, as usual, leave no hints apropos what we weren’t keen on – you’ll have to figure that out for yourselves. (You can check out the finalists online.)

The best aspect of the night is always the catch-up, of course. But our all-time highlight this year was Juan Davila (nothing to do with glass!!)…

and Geoffrey Edwards…

…what a great bloke.

For a peek at the thrills and spills, go here.

Nikki Main scoops the loot…

Wow!! Congratulations to Nikki Main, who just picked up the Waterhouse Prize.

How fabulous.

Ranamok 2010: and the winner is…

Noo Zellander Sue Hawker’s, Too much is never enough, pâte de verre
50 H x 25 W x 25 D cm

Very sweet, though a tad mawkish in the explanatory notes (see Ranamok website.)

In her build-up speech to the winning announcement, Maureen rabbited on about larrikinism (she seemingly felt the need to explain the condition…hello) but it was all rather peculiar because there’s nothing even faintly larrikin about the piece. Fresh and cute as a daisy, and deceptively naive? You betcha. But hardly ‘larrikin’, wethinks.

Anyhoo, the Gang belted up to the ‘Berra for the galah evening (we’re in the middle of a hang at the BVRG) and have only just arrived back at the Hideout (it’s now 2am, yoiks!)

We’ll bring you all the sights and blights tomorrow evening…promise.

She’s here!! Selma’s arrived…

Lene’s just sent word of the newest arrival to the glass family; a little sweetie by the name of Selma – 53cm and weighing in at 3620, she was born in the early hours of August 2nd.

Congratulations Lene and Rob, she’s a honey.

[We can hear that clucking kicking off around the traps already! n(Ed)]

Postcard from Myanmar: Sammy on bridge…

Just in from Sammy Jo, who’s recently signed on as hotel manager of The Road to Mandalay (serious Orient Express gorgeousness in old-skool-Burma)…

Looks like we’d all better hack a track to Myanmar. (The Gang’s planning to slip across at Xmas.)

Opening at Spiral…

The Gang was at Spiral Gallery in Bega on Friday night for the opening of Peter Otton and Liam Ryan’s exhibition…

Super show – which, of course, attracted a gathering of the seriously discerning local arts cognoscenti. We were amazed to discover that half the room studied in Wagga Wagga way back in the wild and woollie days of Trevor and Dinah – who’d have thought they’d all end up in Bega!

 

Exhibition’s up until 26th August.

Spotted in Bega…

Erik and Matt swung by the Bega Valley Regional Gallery on Friday to drop off Erik’s work for The Footy Show (opening next week) before fanging straight back to the ‘Berra to catch a plane to Melbourne for the Art Fair… it’s fast and furious in the arts biz we tells ya.