Slipping into September, the arts scene in Regional Victoria is full of wonder to discover this month.
From First Nations exhibitions to an educational, visual display of the evolution of the guitar, galleries across Victoria are bursting with visual arts delights.
Here is a guide to the must-see exhibitions in regional Victoria for September.
Stay up to date with what’s happening within the region’s art scene here.
The Fire Within
Lowell Hunter, also known as The Salty One, is a Geelong-based artist who tells stories of family, connection and identity by carving stories into sand using foot movements driven by traditional dance, before using drone photography to capture images. Embers of Connection: A Journey through Fire, Sand and Country is his new artwork that will run alongside digital production The Earth Above: A Deep Time View of Australia’s Epic History.
Where: Waterfront Gallery (Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library), Geelong
When: Until 27 Sep
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Contemplation
Life, in the words of Rocky Balboa, ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. Few among us have been free from periods, short or lengthy, where all seems lost. Contemplation is an exhibition by those impacted by mental illness, either personally or as friends, family or colleagues. By showcasing their interpretation of ‘contemplation’, it invites the viewer to share in the artist’s journey where art is used as both an expression and aid in recovery.
Where: Aah Art & Healing, Aireys Inlet
When: From 5 – 19 Oct
Medieval to Metal: The Art and Evolution of the Guitar
From Slash’s desert guitar solo in ‘November Rain’ to the night Hendrix set fire to his beloved guitar to B.B. King’s ‘Lucille’ and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s ‘Lenny’, the guitar is king in the wide world of instruments. Here, 40 guitars are on loan from the National Guitar Museum (US), alongside a host of photographs, paintings, drawings, illustrative designs and objects honouring the almighty instrument.
Where: Art Gallery of Ballarat
When: 12 Oct – 2 Feb 2025
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Len Fox Painting Award
The biannual acquisitive painting award honouring the life and work of Emanuel Phillips Fox (1865-1915) returns. An impressionist painter known for his landscape, portrait and figurative paintings, Fox travelled to Paris to study in 1886 and remained in Europe until 1892 before returning to Melbourne to lead what is considered to be the second phase of the impressionist movement, Heidelberg School. The winning work will become part of the Museum’s Art Collection.
Where: Castlemaine Art Museum
When: 27 Sep – 2 Mar 2025
The Power of Colour
Naturally occurring ochres, clay and charcoal have long been used as artistic materials by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Around five decades ago, during the contemporary Aboriginal art movement, acrylic paint became a popular choice. In this exhibition, colour and patterns come together to tell stories, beliefs and cultural knowledge. Highlights include the first presentation of a recent acquisition by renowned Yolngu painter Dhambit Ruypu Munungurr.
Where: Bendigo Art Gallery
When: Until 13 Oct
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A Fish Out of Water
As Tears for Fears sing in their song of the exhibition’s title, “Go swim in the tide today, fish out of water. You’re dreaming your life away, fish out of water.” Here you will find friends Sarah Doyle and Kirsten Dunkley and their love of the sea. From cheeky fish to seascapes and flashing tails in ceramic and wire form, it’s so fishy it could be a good idea to throw a rod in your car.
Where: Arts Inc Gallery, Apollo Bay
When: 20 – 30 Sep
The Good
Rural living and the experience and drama of everyday life are at the heart of The Good, the latest exhibition from Anna Louise Richardson. Going deeper, Richardson, who works primarily in charcoal and graphite, explores intergenerational exchange, the relationship between humans and the natural world, parenthood and identity based on living and working on a multi-generational beef cattle farm. The exhibition includes a charcoal drawing class and a conversation between Richardson and Serena Wong on 26 September.
Where: WAG
When: Until 27 Oct
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Out of This World
Oh, the places the imagination can roam. To the intergalactic, the fantastical and the other-worldly. To the wondrous lands beyond. Hosted by the Geelong Illustrators, Out of This World is an unearthly exhibition that’s about more than outer space, although alien life forms may well be present. Pack your bags, say goodbye to reality and take a timeless flight towards fantasy, alternative realities and unexplored worlds.
Where: Geelong Illustrators Studio Gallery
When: 13 Sep – 26 Oct
Be sure to see the exhibitions while they are on!
