Curator and artist Patrick Hromas with some of the works from the new exhibition. Photo by Lou Handley.
The idea for an affordable and eclectic group art exhibition was inspired by a simple game of 'pick an exhibition name from a hat'.
One of the exhibiting artists, Patricia, picked the winning entry at a recent winter meeting of OIFCAA (One In Five Creative Arts Association) Springwood: happily Xpress conveyed the range of entered artists responses to both their chosen media (mosaics to assemblage) and modern to contemporary art movements (19th Century Romantic to Neo-Surrealism).
OIFCAA Springwood, familiar to some Lower Mountains inhabitants, will benefit from a new exhibition space in a new professional gallery/cafe run by the Blue Mountains City Church - Gallery 172.
The artists represented feature landscapist Terry Downer who has won the Westmead Hospital Art Award; introducing a young ex-Springwood resident/Queensland craftsman, Joshua Tempest; together with X-gen groundbreakers Andrew Norris and Ross Whymark; Simon Champ who is a vigorous, vocal campaigner for improving mental health nationwide; the 2011 Bent Art Prize entrant and Xpress curator, Patrick Hromas, BA (Visual) ANU 1996; NT and Nepalese works by Patricia and Colin Jennings who have worked tirelessly to inspire members by the successes of New Zealand self-promoting artists who, like almost all Xpress exhibitors, have been touched by ill mental health at various points in their lives.
So come and purchase some superb "buckled" art, sip fine coffee, join the artists and Robyn (phone 4720-6100) the gallery director on Saturday, August 18, 2pm at 172 Rusden Road, Mount Riverview.
The exhibition runs until September 15.