“Canberra Art Workshop is now welcoming new members of all ages to join our work groups in our studio in the M16 Workspace in Mildura Street,” the workshop’s president, Rick Cochrane, has told The Word.
The work groups run weekly. They are subject-specific, including experimental painting, portraiture, life drawing, printmaking, pastel and watercolour, in a studio equipped with easels and art equipment.
“Our work groups operate in the studio day and night, seven days a week from January to December … they’re self-organised by artists of all ages, including students, retirees and working people,” Rick said.
Members of Canberra Art Workshop normally work without a teacher in their studio sessions. They share ideas freely and learn from each others’ experiments and successful artworks. As well, the workshop periodically runs tuition and workshops with professional teachers and noted artists.
The members range from emerging artists to beginners. Half-year membership of the workshop will be offered from New Year’s Day as a $50 introductory fee (normally an $80 annual fee). “This has to be the best possible Christmas gift anyone can give to a Canberra artist,” Rick said.
New member inquiries are now welcome. Contact: Rick Cochrane, President (0411 759 838)
BACKGROUND – Canberra Art Workshop
Canberra Art Workshop is a lively, self-funded, not-for-profit, open-studio community art organisation with about 200 members.
It has helped shape Canberra’s contemporary art scene since it was formed by local artists more than 60 years ago – when it was called the Canberra Art Club.
It never had a permanent home, moving from one temporary studio to the next throughout its history – often only a step ahead of the bulldozers. In the 1950s the club’s studio was in disused fibro huts, where it hung 18 paintings from the prestigious Blake Prize, including now famous works by Donald Friend, Eric Smith, and Lawrence Daws. It also brought to Canberra teachers like John Coburn, Clifton Pugh, John Brack, Joshua Smith and Lloyd Rees.
The club was an active and successful driver both for a National Art Gallery and the Canberra School of Art (now part of the ANU).
