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Sunday, October 13, 2013

A Letter a Week opens!

Saturday was a great day at Cooroy Butter Factory - quite a lot of folk gathered to celebrate the opening of A Letter a Week - Artistic Travels Through the Alphabet.

The exhibition has been a while in the making and our house looked very much like a Post Office over the past few months with parcels arriving and piling up. We delivered them all to Cooroy on Tuesday, and it wasn't until I walked through the door on Saturday morning and saw the exhibition in place for the first time that I really realised that we'd done it!

It was quite surreal in a way, to have lots of friends around smiling and happy to see their work together with artists from interstate and overseas. Best of all I think was seeing the works in the flesh - we have all watched their development on the blogs over the course of the past three years; but to actually see them and in some instances hold them, is an experience beyond belief.

Here area a few of the ALaW artists still there at the end - we missed Helen Irving in the shot which was sad. Elaine on the far right had travelled from Sydney with her husband Nick just to see it! L to R: Barry, Jo,Kim, moi, Christine and Elaine


Many of the works are hung; and many are displayed on plinths and a selection is available for handling and holding with gloves.  It was amazing to observe how intently people engaged with the books they could hold; how much they marvelled and how much they turned to others (often strangers) and spoke about how beautiful they were.  I was thrilled that so many people said they wanted to come back and that it would take them hours to fully explore the works.


That gives me hope for my Artist Talk on Friday 25th October.  I will be talking about the project, what I love about it and as many of the pieces as I can. I feel like the works are part of my family in a way and love to share and promote them!

If you are nearby it really is a beautiful exhibition for lovers of letters; but I think most folk will find something to enjoy. I have tried to grab a shot (not a professional one at all) of each of the overseas and interstate artist's work - at least one piece - so that they know they are here!  I think in the mad rush of it all I didn't get them all, but I will on later visits! I will be sending all the individual artists proper photos later on and also hope to make a Blurb book catalogue in the new year...fingers crossed.

I must thank all the artists for the patience and forbearance as I continued to email them and ask multiple questions and request extra information; but the end result has really been worth it. Patricia Stahl from Maleny Library also spoke beautifully about community, books, words, letters and collaboration which captured the essence of the blog and all it does.

Sue from South Africa

Laurence from France (and a snippet of Lyndell)

Linda from Sydney

 Lisa from Italy

 Lyndell from Canberra

Annik from France

Gemma from Tasmania

Julie and Anna from the US

Barry's Birds in Flight and Ken who is in France

 Marie-Helen's from France

Jeanette from Armidale and Jenny from Sydney - you are hanging on the left...

Valerie from Sydney

Terrie from the US

Deb from Adelaide

Eithna from Ireland, Meg from Sydney, and Jane from the US your work is here I promise!


And local artists - Susan, Noela, Mieke, Christine, Kim, Jo, Barry, Helen (and Eileen you're an honorary local today), you have seen or will see your work there at some point! And I know I saw mine somewhere...

18 comments:

  1. Fiona, congratulations to you and all your cohorts. What a stunning exhibition! I've enjoyed seeing your letters, and Barry's, but I had no idea how much variety and skill was happening around the world. I can really imagine that it would take ages to look at everything, and then maybe go back for another look. Wonderful!

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    1. Thanks so much Carol - it was a delight and an honour to pull it all together. It was beyond belief magical to see some of these works face to face. Go well!

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  2. Congratulations Fiona, looks absolutely wonderful! I hope I will get to see an exhibit of yours one day, and even better, perhaps exhibit with you! :) x

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    1. Hi louise and thanks! The show does look great and it feels like it was all worth it. One day the Universe may align the planets...go well.

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  3. How wonderful! Congratulations to all. Only wish I could see the exhibition in person.

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    1. Hi J - that would be great! I shall do my best to share it properly over the next wee while...

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  4. Fiona, congratulations on bringing all this together. How I wish I could get there on the 25th to hear you talk about it all. Have you thought about having it videoed? That way all of us who can't fly to you can see and hear about the passion you all have for letters - I would love it!

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    1. Thanks heaps Lesley - it would be great to get a video of the artist talk; I'll see what's possible in the short time between now and then! I would really love to share the works wider than just photos...

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  5. Fiona,
    What a great job you've done!
    Curating/placing these works is not an easy task, and you have created a superb exhibit.
    I wish I were there, seeing from close by all the amazing works I recognize from the blog at the time of their creation...
    Thank you for all the hours you've dedicated to this, the effort, the sparkle of inspiration you've given across the globe.
    xoxox

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    1. Hi Anna - wish you could have made it over! The show does look really good and it is fun recognising the pieces again and re-familiarising yourself with them isn't it? It was a long haul, but really worth it in the end.

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  6. Fantastic job Fiona, I am beginning to realise the amount of time and effort that goes in to facilitating an exhibition like this and congratulate you on your ongoing commitment and tenacity for the project. It is a wonderful thing for all the artists involved to have their efforts put on display in such a professional and caring way. I'm really hoping to get up there and see the exhibition. What time is the artist talk on the 25th?

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    1. Ah Robyn - we could chat about that for sure! I think we would have a lot in common! The talk includes morning tea and starts at 10am. It would be lovely to catch up up if we could; if not, I still hope you get to see it.

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  7. Congratulations Fiona and thank you for all the hours, commitment and dedication you poured into to make the exhibition happen, the show is truly divine!

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    1. Thanks Kim - it all looks so good all together I think; a really complementary show and everybody shines in their own way. A big effort, but worth it to see it all together and people loving it.

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  8. Thanks to you Fiona it is a raging success. It was a great opening with artists and visitors oooh-ing and aaah-ing at all the exquisite work. You did a wonderful job.

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    1. Thank you Jo! It was a great buzz wasn't it and folk were really spending lots of time with the pieces; as you say lots of ooh-ing and ahh-ing which is always a good sign i think!

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  9. Hi Fiona,
    How wonderful to see the exhibition, if only through this post. It looks wonderful, well done and thank you for organising it and all your hard work. I am honoured to be amongst such beautiful work.
    Eithna

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  10. What a fabulous exhibition, you've certainly given us a flavour of the high standard of work, thankyou Fiona and congratulations!

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I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.