2024 PACKSADDLE EXHIBITION 25 OCTOBER-10 NOVEMBER

——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

SUCCESSFUL 2023 EXHIBITION FUNDS ACQUISITIONS

The success of Packsaddle 2023 enabled us to acquire two new works for the NERAM collection. As part of marking the 40-year anniversary of NERAM, Inspiration and Iterations was an exhibition of 40 works from the collections, and 40 contemporary works created by invited artists responding to those works. Two works were selected for acquisition:

 Looking Northwards; Isabelle Devos (Frances Keevil)

The Buckets after Gloucester Buckets       Stuart Boggs (Frances Keevil)

Packsaddle 2023 a fantastic success! 50% of works sold for near-record outcome

Packsaddle Art aims to try and expose the local community to as wide a range of artistic styles as possible. To achieve this, Artists must be invited to enter work by the Packsaddle committee and so we ask intending artists to forward images of works for consideration - see Information for Artists.

Please also note that given space constraints, a decision was made early on in our history to only exhibit artists from outside the local area. The only exception is those local artists who come to us through their representing galleries.

Adopt An Artwork

In 2015 NERAM launched a program to fund the conservation of its critical works. The Adopt an Artwork program enables members of the community to sponsor the conservation treatment of a specific artwork in the NERAM collection, thus ensuring the preservation of these amazing works.

Packsaddle has been a significant sponsor of the Adopt an Artwork program since its inception and we were delighted with the results of our inaugural sponsorship of Esther Paterson “The Yellow Gloves” and Nora Heysen “Eggs”. We have continued to support this program with the conservation of a number of additional works.

Recently the Packsaddle ladies were delighted to view two of the newly conserved artworks they have sponsored.  These paintings are part of Packsaddle’s ongoing committment to the Adopt an Artwork program which funds conservation of critical works at NERAM. 

On the left of the image is Fred Leist’s, London Coster Girl  and in the centre is H A Hanke’s, Equestrienne both looking sparkling.

Patricia Elkin OAM (Patron)

“Art is all around you, you have to acknowledge it. It's in the landscape. It's in the garden. It's in just one flower. It's all art.”
Words of wisdom from Patricia Elkin, awarded an Order of Australia Medal for service to the arts in the New England region.
Pat Elkin was a founding member of the Packsaddle Fund Raising Committee at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) 36 years ago and at 97 years of age she remains their Patron.
Congratulations Pat on a well deserved honour.

2021 ‘Celebrating Packsaddle’
- an exhibition of 36 years of acquired works

This year, due to COVID challenges our Packsaddlers will be hosting a special exhibition featuring works that they have acquired over the 36 years the exhibition has run. This will be a unique opportunity to explore works from Australian artists far and wide, and a taste of how contemporary art has evolved in Australia.

Join us for the special opening at NERAM on Friday 15 October from 6.00-8.00pm at NERAM (contact for bookings)
Best wishes from all the Packsaddlers

In 2021 Packsaddle celebrated 36 years of exhibiting artworks to our community.

We have received two wonderful tributes in recognition of our work from Barry Pearce and Philip Bacon.

Barry Pearce FUniSA, Emeritus Curator, Art Gallery of NSW writes:
”About fifteen years ago a profound collective anxiety arose amongst New England citizens when the local council intimated that a debt burden might lead to the closure of NERAM. This was a relatively young regional art museum; then housing the Hinton and Coventry collections, as it still does and much more.
However hovering in the background was the growing Packsaddle group, whose enthusiasm and belief somehow reassured one that the survival of NERAM would eventually break through, and the museum could proceed once more to build upon its rich core collections…”
(The full text of Barry’s tribute can be read on the website under What We Have Done)

Philip Bacon AM, Philip Bacon Gallery, Brisbane writes:
”Armidale generally and NERAM specifically were amongst Margaret Olley’s favourite places in Australia.  She loved coming to visit her relations, the Wright family, at their property “Wallamumbi”, and of course she adored the gallery in town, housing as it did the collection of her friend and mentor, Howard Hinton.  It was Olley who introduced me to the delights of NERAM, and I was always interested in what was going on there.  And there seemed to be a lot going on, both good and, occasionally, not so good.  Amongst the very good were the activities of that  amazing group of avid supporters, the Packsaddle group. The model they employed, an annual selling exhibition of works sourced from around Australia, was astonishingly successful, with the profits raised being channeled into various projects that the gallery needed support for.…”
(The full text of Philip’s tribute can be read on the website under What We Have Done)

Euan Macleod, Fine Arts, University of Christchurch, NZ writes:
”I’m sending a huge congratulations to Packsaddlers for what they’ve achieved over 35 years! Amazing work for a dedicated bunch of volunteers who I’ve had the pleasure of working with over some of their more recent years.  NERAM are blessed to have them raising funds for their Gallery but their passion for the visual arts and encouragement for others to become involved is truly inspiring.
Good luck with this year’s event under such difficult circumstances. Hopefully it’ll be a huge success and a huge thank you for all of your efforts on behalf of all the artists you’ve supported over the years. ”

Melissa Smith, Masters of Cultural Heritage, Deakin University, Melbourne, Printmaker writes:
”Through my involvement with the Packsaddle exhibition over the last five years I have felt embraced more as a family member than simply a contributing artist. Such is the ‘community' that surrounds this exhibition from the volunteers that are passionate about its creation each year to its supporting public. Both recognise and value what NERAM represents as a gallery and collection. The history behind this exhibition is to be admired and I feel privileged to have been part of the valuable contribution it makes. Hats off to all!”

With Grace & Gratitude

We are thrilled to reveal a significant donation to NERAM– Hydrangeas (1947) by esteemed Australian painter Grace Cossington Smith. Gifted by the Packsaddle Fundraisers, this work is an important and splendid addition to the NERAM collection. Packsaddle raise funds with the main aim to add to the collections held at NERAM and this is their most recent donation to the NERAM Collection. We are so grateful and so excited to display this work for the very first time!