The Art of Byron Writers Festival

Byron Writers Festival has partnered with Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre as well as local visual arts organisations Byron School of Art and c.a.s.e. inc to present a compelling series of satellite events during the Festival. These include three exhibitions – two by renowned Australian artist Joshua Yeldham at Tweed Regional Gallery; an exhibition of Artists’ Books at Lone Goat Gallery in Byron Bay; Art in the Pub (Mullumbimby) with author and Boston Globe art critic Sebastian Smee; and a workshop with celebrated Indian artist Venkat Shyam at Byron School of Art.

“Painters and writers have been intertwined for centuries,” said Festival Director Edwina Johnson. “Partnering with local organisations that excel in their field of practice makes perfect sense. It gives our patrons a chance to experience some of the wonderful work our kindred creatives are doing in the region.”

Artists’ Books Exhibition Opening: The Image Unbound

Artists’ books are individual works of art that use the bound form or concept of the book. Meredith Cusack and Christine Willcocks of Byron School of Art have curated a group exhibition of Artists’ Books by local artists Karla Dickens, Christian Morrow, Sabine Brosche, Dr Jan Davis, Fiona Fraser, Helle Jorgensen, Dr Glen Skein and Dr Gali Weiss.

“Artists Books are a particular genre not known to many outside of the art world. This exhibition provides an introduction to an exciting art-form that takes its premise from books,” said Christine Willcocks, Byron School of Art. “We are very proud to introduce this exhibition to the community as well as the Byron Writers Festival audience.”

The Image Unbound 28 July – 9 Aug, Lone Goat Gallery. Event Partner: Byron School of Art. Cost: Free.

Art in the Pub: Sebastian Smee on The Art of Rivalry

Sebastian Smee is the author of The Art of Rivalry and the art critic for The Boston Globe. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2011. He has written for The Atlantic, The Daily Telegraph (UK), The Guardian, Prospect, The Spectator, The Australian and the Sydney Morning Herald. He teaches non-fiction writing at Wellesley College, Massachusetts.

“Art in the Pub has been running since 2013 at the Courthouse Hotel in Mullumbimby and has gone from strength to strength. It brings together a community of artists and art lovers to explore individual artists’ practice through their personal stories,” said Christine Willcocks, Byron School of Art.

“It is very exciting to be hosting Sebastian Smee as part of Art in the Pub and hear him speak about the relationship between two giants of British art – Lucian Freud and Frances Bacon,” said Carolyn, of c.a.s.e inc. “His book The Art of Rivalry is a fantastic read.”

Art in the Pub with Sebastian Smee Sunday 6 August, 6pm

Courthouse Hotel, Mullumbimby Event Partners: Byron School of Art and c.a.s.e inc. Cost: Free.

The A to Z of Gond Art: A workshop by Venkat Raman Singh Shyam

As an indigenous Indian Gond artist tracing his roots to the cave art and bounteous nature of Central India, Venkat will demonstrate how this ancient art has moved from the sacred and ritual realms to court a new, secular public.

“I met Venkat on my recent trip to India with the Australia Council and knew immediately I wanted to invite him to the Festival,” said Edwina Johnson. “His work is breathtaking as is his memoir Finding My Way, told through his art with words by S. Anand.”

A workshop by Venkat Raman Singh Shyam, Thursday 3 August, 10am.
Byron School of Arts, Mullumbimby. Cost: $140 / $120

Joshua Yeldham Exhibitions: Endurance & Surrender

Drawing from a reverential love of nature and deep spiritual affiliation with the land, Joshua Yeldham creates intricately rendered works that oscillate between narrative and myth, imagination and real experience. During the Byron Writers Festival he will have two concurrent exhibitions at Tweed Regional Gallery – Surrender and Endurance.

Join artist Joshua Yeldham for a floor-talk on his exhibition Surrender, followed by an opening preview of Endurance in the Friends Gallery, created during his time in the Gallery’s Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio.

“I consider the Gallery’s ongoing partnership with Byron Writers Festival to be one of synergy, offering engaging experiences for our visitors, and vice versa! The extension of the Festival to include the visual arts is a wonderful opportunity for Festival-goers, our visitors and the artists involved,” said Tweed Regional Gallery Director, Susi Mudiman.

“Joshua Yeldham is one of Australia’s leading artists and it is an honour for the Gallery to be able to present his work in conjunction with the Festival. His new exhibition, titled Endurance, presents a new body of strong artworks, which reflect Joshua’s powerful connection to the landscape. His residency at the Gallery provided him with inspiration and material to create works in direct response to our captivating region.”

Joshua Yeldham Exhibition Opening Endurance. Friday 4 August, 4pm. Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre. Cost: Free

For details of all Feature Events, Workshops and Full Festival Program for Byron Writers Festival (4-6 August) visit www.byronwritersfestival.com or call (02) 6685 5115