Art Month this March

Art Month returns this March, inviting you to meander through its galleries and into the flux and flurry of Sydney’s art conversations.

Under the artistic directorship of curator Glenn Barkley, 2015 brings a new and exciting program with a passion for connecting and collaborating with living artists to the theme ‘Where Art Happens’.

This direct and to the point mantra sets the scene for an illuminating month, with Sydney-based artists and their respective galleries taking centre stage.

“The relationship between artists, their creative processes and the galleries that support them is the focus for this year’s festival, and over 100 galleries will participate in a wide variety of ways that will allow artists and their stories to really come to life,” says Barkley.

A highlight of Art Month is its annual exhibition, Collector’s Space, a welcome invitation to the public into diverse and unique private collections. This year Barkley has organised a foray into two ‘collector couples’ collections; artist Nell and restaurateur Kylie Kwong, and Max and Gabrielle Germanos, as well as the individual collections of media personality Sue Cato, IT professional Clinton Bradley and celebrated artist Noel McKenna.

To budding collectors, be sure to attend the Collector’s Space series of public programs, which focus on breaking down barriers and facilitating discussions on matters such as ‘Who’s in Charge Here? Collecting Couples in Conversation’, ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane: International Art in an Australian Context’, and ‘Gotta Have it: Art in the Home’.

As dusk settles and the city lights up, make a date with Art at Night. Three of Sydney’s prominent art neighbourhoods open their doors from 6–8pm, culminating in an Art Bar from 8–10pm. Start with the galleries of East Sydney on Thursday 12 March, then the Chippendale/Redfern precinct Thursday 19 March, and finish in Paddington Thursday 26 March. This twilight event never ceases to impress with its showcase of the emerging and established talent that is scattered through Sydney’s streets.

Key events in the program include the insightful Talks series that cover a range of contemporary topics from the controversial ‘You Can’t Put That There! Public Art in Sydney’, to the dominating ‘Slip Slop Slap: Painting as the Centre of the Universe’ and the innovative ‘Burn Baby Burn: New Approaches to Ceramics’.

With more than 100 galleries involved in Art Month, directing you through the city will be a program of tours, either walking, cycling, bus tours and even the Buy Art Walking Tours. One not to miss is the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with the artists themselves in the Artist-led Walking Tours.

A program that lights up Sydney’s vibrant art community, Art Month has something in store for the newcomer or the experienced art-goer. Look forward to a showcase of the talent and trends set to charge in 2015.

FESTIVAL
Art Month Sydney
6–29 March 2015
#artmonth