On 13 October the next exhibition in AGWA’s successful Culture Juice program will open. It’s called Beyond Bling! and it will celebrate the art, design and craft of jewellery, showcasing the best, the bizarre and the sophisticated jewels in AGWA’s historical, contemporary and Indigenous collections.
Some of our most loved works at the Gallery are to be found in our jewellery holdings. Indeed, we’ve got the most sensational array of historical, modern and contemporary rings, brooches, neckpieces, bracelets, as well as those strange semi-sculptural objects that are a little bit of all of those forms.
“While we’ve offered our audiences strong selections of jewellery in our Craft and Design Triennials, and in our solo displays of makers such as WA’s David Walker, and the late internationally renowned maker Mari Funaki, it’s an area that has not been seen as a big group in decades. Our happy antidote to this is a show called Beyond Bling! We’re all totally passionate about it. It will take visitors on a dazzling journey of this most intimate, most personal and sometimes most outrageous of art forms. And yes, preparing the show has been an amazing experience. Literally, so many riches!”
“Excitingly, our old favourites will be joined by numerous new acquisitions, acquisitions that we have been steadily making to continually address the developments in this field, locally, nationally and internationally. As incredible as these are, it’s our belief that we can go even further.”
There is a unique opportunity for audiences to contribute toward the acquisition of new jewellery pieces, for both the State Art Collection and display in the upcoming exhibition. As curator Robert Cook explains, “We can make an even bigger impact. We can set our collective sights on transforming this collection area with some new acquisitions that will make us the envy of design collections the world over. We have the platform to be truly amazing.” Those who contribute can visit AGWA in October to see the outcome of their support.
AGWA’s Director, Dr Stefano Carboni, reinforces the impact of philanthropy on what AGWA can achieve.
I believe that art matters, it is meaningful, and it should be shared so that we can all embrace it with imagination and passion. By collecting works of art for your Gallery, we are building a dynamic and continuously evolving collection for the benefit of all Western Australians, now and into the future.
“The piece pictured above by Dinosaur Designs was purchased through the AGWA Foundation in 2014. It holds a special place in the State Art Collection and provides a source of inspiration for visitors whenever it is on display, and so too will the new acquisitions that you can support. Together we can weave a stronger cultural fabric for all of WA.”
You can donate online now or for further information, you can call the AGWA Foundation on +61 8 9492 6761 or email foundation@artgallery.wa.gov.au.
