BY KARLENE BRUMMER
The eclectic Ferry Artists Gallery located in picturesque Wisemans Ferry will close its doors in August after more than 20 years in its current location within the main street shopping centre.
Started in 2000, the gallery was the vision of a small group of determined local women including doyenne and former local identity, Heather Winch (now living in Armidale), who had the foresight to create a safe and inviting hub for the many and varied artists living in the Forgotten Valley. Space in the Shopping Centre became available around 2005 and so they moved premises and have been ensconced in the bright and airy shopfront ever since.
New owners of the centre have plans that do not include the gallery and instead will use the space for a Real Estate Agency.
The Gallery has hosted many successful art exhibitions over the past two decades and is a popular spot for tourists and locals alike with its array of beautiful art works and gift wares all handcrafted by the talented artisans of the Valley and surrounding areas.
It has been a welcoming space for artists to showcase their works of all types of mediums from paintings, sculptures, metal work art, pottery, ceramics, jewellery, glass art, fibre art, textiles, photography and more and is entirely run by volunteers who have kept the doors open 7 days a week, rain hail and shine (flood times withstanding!)
It has been a great stepping stone for many emerging artists, from tentatively showcasing their work in the gallery to becoming part of the broader art community and some have gone on to international recognition.
The last exhibition ‘Spectrum’ will end in early August and then after this they will need to vacate the space. The committee has been in talks with local and federal politicians to try and secure alternative premises within the Valley – however with limited options currently available to them, it does not look like an easy task.
Ferry Artists President, Carol Gill says, “I am very grateful to all the artists and members of the Ferry Artists who have over the many years dedicated themselves to maintaining the cultural fabric of our region, and especially to our founding members who had such a wonderful vision many years ago.
Our community has consistently shown their support for the creative arts in Wisemans Ferry and is expressing their strong support for us to remain. The Ferry Artists committee is working hard to ensure a stable future for us in the years to come. We may be down, but we are not out…”
