MEDIA RELEASE | GROUNDED EXHIBITION OPENS
Opening Event: Saturday, 22nd June
Grounded, a compelling exhibition showcasing new works by respected Indigenous artists Glennys Briggs, Glenda Nicholls, and Dr Treahna Hamm is set to open at Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA). The exhibition officially opens to the public on Saturday, 22nd June, with an Artist Talk commencing at 11.00am.
Grounded had its beginning in a collective residency where the artists discovered an 1880 photograph that each had a connection to. The resulting exhibition explores the intersection of ancestral knowledge and contemporary artistic expression, demonstrating how these practices have enriched and connected the artists throughout their lives. The artworks in Grounded highlight cultural practices passed down through generations, emphasising themes of knowledge, kinship, connection, comfort, and care that exist within families and nations now and prior to 1788.
The opening event will feature a conversation with the exhibition's curator, Andrea Briggs. This will be followed by the official unveiling of the artworks.
Andrea Briggs, curator of "Grounded," remarked,
"Curating this exhibition alongside these important, senior artists has been a profound privilege. It's an exploration of their rich heritage and individual creative spirits."
About the Artists:
Glennys Briggs is a Wiradjuri, Yorta Yorta, Taungwurrung visual artist based in Wodonga. Her work reflects her strong connection to land, culture, and history through the mediums of painting, sculpture, printmaking, installation and sound, wearable art, and possum skin cloak making.
Glenda Nicholls is a Waddi Waddi, Yorta Yorta, Ngarrindjeri artist from Swan Hill and is known as a master weaver, constructing elaborate sculptural works that connect the present with her ancestral past. She applies cultural weaving techniques acquired from her ancestors. to create works by weaving together fish nets and feather flowers, a craft that has been passed down through generations, originally made for adornment and later a source of income during the depression years.
Dr Treahna Hamm is a Yorta Yorta woman who lives near her ancestral lands of the Murray River, near Yarrawonga. Hamm’s artworks are composed with multi-layers of stories garnered from her Yorta Yorta experiences of living by the Murray River in Northern Victoria and southern NSW. Hamm works in printmaking, painting, photography, public art, sculpture, possum skin cloaks, murals, and highly individual fibre weaving. Hamm’s works offer a reclamation, revitalisation, and regeneration of South-Eastern Australian art, and the stories connecting Hamm to her culture and heritage.
The development of the works in Grounded was supported by the Australian Government Regional Arts Fund, which aims to foster artistic endeavours in regional and remote Australia.
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, 22nd June
Time: 11.00am
Venue: Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA), Albury, NSW
For more information and media inquiries, please contact:
Myranda Thomas Communications Officer, Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA) 0457224594 or myranda.thomas@alburycity.nsw.gov.au
About Murray Art Museum Albury
Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA) is a contemporary art museum in regional New South Wales in the heart of the Murray, on Wiradjuri Country.
The Museum has earned a reputation for original, innovative exhibitions that explore the depth regional institutions can offer, working with artists and the community to participate in global conversations and create local impact.
About the Australian Government Regional Arts Fund
The Regional Arts Fund is an initiative that supports sustainable cultural development in regional and remote Australia, fostering creativity, and preserving cultural heritage.