One of Australia’s most talented and distinguished artists, Dr Julie Fragar, is coming to Warwick on 28 August to perform the official opening of a solo exhibition by one of her former students.
Dr Fragar, Program Director and senior lecturer at Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art (QCA) at Brisbane’s South Bank, has three times been short-listed for the prestigious Archibald Prize, including this year’s entry, Richard (2020), a compelling portrait of indigenous artist Richard Bell.
At the Warwick Art Gallery, she will officially open Proximities, a series of oil paintings, by Emu Vale artist, Amelia Willmer.
While Dr Fragar is in Warwick, she will have discussions with Southern Downs gallery directors with a view to fostering stronger links with the South Bank campus. She will outline opportunities for workshops, masterclasses, collaborative exhibitions and potential scholarships.
“Outside of big cities, there is great potential for art to flourish, as we see here at the Warwick and Stanthorpe galleries,” Dr Fragar said. “I grew up in country New South Wales and I understand the open-mindedness and tenacity that students from country areas bring to their art.
“The QCA provides scholarships and bursaries for regional and remote students, including support and assistance when they make the big move from the country down to Brisbane.
“Studying art is not just for school-leavers. Many students come to art school later in life. Their study equips them, as we see from Amelia’s Proximities exhibition, with skills and confidence to succeed as fully-fledged artists.”
Dr Fragar congratulated Southern Downs Mayor Cr Vic Pennisi on the significant cultural value which the Warwick and Stanthorpe galleries bring to the community.
“Regional galleries have a unique place in the visual arts ecology of the nation,” she said. “They are vital link in fostering local community and connecting communities with the broader national visual arts environment.”
