Borderline Regional Arts Association Exhibit at the Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery

 I grew up in the Granite country along the border of NSW and Qld, and we are very fortunate to have a wonderfully active musical and arts community, comprised of keen amateurs and professionals alike, attracted to the spectacular landscapes and a peculiarly beautiful quality of light that is hard to describe without an accompanying image. Luckily the Borderline Regional Arts Association regularly supply a variety of artworks with which to experience the landscapes and ecosystems from each of their unique perspectives. They currently have an exhibition in the Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, titled Flat Out Like a Lizard Drinking, that opened on May 9th.

I had twenty minutes to spare yesterday, and it was a gloriously blustery autumn day, so I sought refuge in the Stanthorpe Regional Arts Gallery. Its fairly recent refurbishment has been the subject of much public discussion, which I won't touch on, other than to say I greatly enjoyed the vigorous debates as one of the more entertaining parts of life in a small community. The Art Gallery itself is a little more exciting than your regular rural Art Gallery, having a bi-annual Art prize with very robust prize money, and an extensive collection of art ranging from local artists to more illustrious names like Margaret Olley. It is a tribute to the hard work and creative pursuits of the community, not to mention the many financial members and donors supporting the Gallery over the years. 

I had been wanting to catch the current exhibition, as quite a few friends had pieces on display, and it is always lovely to see your friends' work celebrated. I greatly enjoyed the wander through; as I expected a broad range of media was on display, from pottery to textile arts, mixed media, and more traditional acrylic and oil paintings. Each shows the unique perspective of the artist, a little snapshot of their life on never ceded Kambuwal country, and interaction with this unique place as well as the times we are in.

 Nothing too controversial; we are in the conservative country after all, and so no overt political or revolutionary statements. But for some of us, surviving and having enough energy and time left to make art is a revolutionary act in itself, and knowing many of these artists personally, I enjoyed reflecting on this. The expectation that minority groups and disadvantaged people spend their lives being professional activists, revolutionaries and change makers as society's requirement for their survival is unjust and unfair. I greatly enjoy watching my friends thrive, make art, and exhibit it, even more so because I know how hard has been to carve out a little bit of peace for themselves. If you get the chance to visit this exhibition,  it closes on July 6th 2025, and many of the pieces are very reasonably priced and worth collecting.