Home

News

FAQs

History

V-tour

Traders

More info

WH&DL

Second Annual Easter Art Show Wrap-Up

2nd Annual Walhalla Easter Art Show - 2014

This year’s Art Show has certainly brought out the best in people when needed. My big “Thanks” go to Brian Brewer, Andrew Sestokas, Jim Hall and Brian’s mum, Lorraine, who stepped in at the last minute to help the boys. When President Harvey Hutchison went down ill, they collected and set up the heavy display boards from Tyers Primary School. This is a very strenuous job as the boards are not light; we need some younger helpers next year. John Buchecker set up the lights in the hall for us and Dion Schembri lent a hand with Ben & Andrew in hanging the signage on the building.

Best In Show prize-winner Laurel
Foenander with purchaser Mick Barton

Pauline Corrigan, who is still recovering from a big op and her family, assisted me in picking up artwork from Morwell and Moe. Bev Holmes and son Ben were again great stalwarts in helping, including the setting up of roadside signs from Traralgon through to Yarragon and all the way up the hill to Walhalla in the rain! Many people commented on how good the signs were.

Rae-Anne Vincent made herself available again to hang the artwork in between moving house and packing to go overseas for a few months; well done everyone.

Friday started off as a beautiful day, with Bev ensconced (but unfortunately without jam or cream) outside the Museum, selling her raffle tickets and myself, ready for the weather change, in the prime spot at the Mechanics Institute, so there are some advantages to being the organiser (sorry, Bev).

The Seear family who came on board as sponsors of the “Walhalla Award” this year, did their judging in the morning before opening, then they had a number of spritely young girls (granddaughters & friends) who swept through town on Friday selling some $200 worth of raffle tickets to the unsuspecting for Bev, most appreciated. Alison Seear also made herself available over the weekend to relieve me in the Mechanics.

Pauline and Tom Corrigan were priceless in their assistance all weekend so thank you both, Joy and Ken Mason travelled up from Melbourne for the day on Sunday to help out; Saturday Andrew and Ben put up a gazebo for the bands to play in in the gardens of the Old Post Office, then moved it to the back of the Mechanics Institute on Monday for the presentations; none of your hard work and dedication went unnoticed. Special thanks also to Norm & Rhonda for keeping up the coffees and supplying lunches at volunteer rates, it all goes to help make volunteering easier.

Saturday the Citroën Car Club was in town which was entertaining for some and I had organised the Warragul City Band to play in the gardens of the Old Post Office which was well received. On Sunday the weather improved and our visitation increased with many more through the doors and plenty of raffle tickets sold. Norm Cottrell and his little musical group entertained the crowds for a few hours after lunch at the Old Post Office, then Richard Henry, our “Lone Piper”, could be heard high on the hill to resounding applause.

Monday was a perfect day with another 100+ through the doors, with many of our entrants coming with their families for our presentation which was done by Vice President Brian Brewer, out the back of the Mechanics. We had the Mayor, Cr Murray Cook, Jane Coots, a Director of the Bendigo Bank, and many of our award winners present and they all seemed very happy with the presentation ceremony.

Brian Brewer and BBS Mayor Cr Murray
Cook flank Lois Brown, winner of the
“Best Depiction of Walhalla” award

A special thanks to the Walhalla Board of Management for their assistance; Bob McKee was most helpful in early preparations, especially regarding security, and John Buchecker was there to lend a hand with the setup -- most appreciated and good to see groups cooperating.

Tom Corrigan, Dion Schembri and John Baragwanath all pitched in to help packing up the show, loading the display boards onto Brian’s trailer ready for delivery back to Tyers on Tuesday morning.

There are still a few tweaks needed for next year if we are going to make this a permanent fund raiser for the League, but it seems to fit into the local “Arts Calendar” quite well. Preliminary takings are $810 on entry fees and more than $2000 in admission fees. Expenses are yet to be finalised but with commission on sales plus raffle proceeds, the Heritage and Development League would have made approximately $7,000 towards our research area project. Well done, everyone!

We all missed Harvey's and Pamella’s help and enthusiasm over the weekend and we wish Harvey well and hope he is up and active again very soon. I would like to also thank them for making their Walhalla home, “Dendy Cottage”, available for us to stay in; not having to travel up and down from Moe each day saves a lot of extra stress, and was greatly appreciated.

I could not do this job on my own so I must say a very special “Thank You” to my partner, John Aldersea, for his patience and understanding with my tunnel vision some days; without his support this event would not have taken place.

Neither could we do without the assistance of all the sponsors: Trafalgar & District Community Bank, from whom we received a $1,000 grant which went towards expenses and an award, GdF-Suez – Mitsui & Co Ltd donated $300 for “Best in Show” and others as listed in the winners list below, plus Gippsland Printers, who donated in other ways; West Gippsland Art Centre and Latrobe City Council who both printed catalogues for me, and Harvey who printed the entry forms and the “People’s Choice” Awards. To the few Walhalla businesses that came forward, a big “Thank You”; as the show grows so I hope will the value of the prizes and number of sponsors.

New this year were drop off points which proved very successful; Harvey at Warragul, Frame by Fame in Moe, and Morwell Art and Framing in Morwell, all acted as depots and many artists took up this option, so hopefully this will be available again next year.

Barbara Hood - Art Show Coordinator

Results: Painting Section: Best In Show: [GDF SUEZ & Mitsui & Co Ltd] - Laurel Foenander - “Forest Wrens” Best Oil: [Trafalgar & District Community Bank] - Laurel Foenander - “Midnight Feast” Best Watercolour: [Frame by Frame] - Ken Downs - “City Streets” Best Pastel: [T W Sands] - Val Connelly - “Tyers River” Best Acrylic: [Valhalla House B & B]- Violet Biram - “Station 'Ragtime'” Best Mixed Media: [WBoM Creek Cottage Voucher] - Halina Taig - “Vintage Lady” Peoples Choice Award: [Colli’s Hair Design Hamper] - Laurel Foenander- “Forest Wrens” Best Depiction of Walhalla: [Seear Family] 1st - Lois Brown - “Stringers Creek, Autumn 2013” 2nd - Violet Biram - “It’s a Real Cool Pool” Best Landscape: [Mountain Top Experience] - Ken Downs - “Quietly Grazing” Best Still Life: [Morwell Art & Framing] - Judith Viti - “Old Copper & Pomegranates” Best Animal/Bird: Kate Schofield - “Dog on Saddle” Highly Commended: Heather Voumard; Bob Pelchen; Robert Aldersea; Violet Biram; Julia Holliday; Kelly Just; Madeleine Chandler Photography Section: Best Colour: [W Hutchison & Son Plumbing] - Carol Griffiths Best Monochrome: Ruth Burleigh Best Visual Effects: Ben Holmes Highly Commended: Emily Burney; Carol Griffiths x 2 and Troy Longson.

(L. to R.) MC and Past WH&DL President Brian Brewer stands by as our own Ben
Holmes receives his award from the Mayor of Baw Baw Shire, Cr Murray Cook.

Fund Raiser “Special Effort” Raffle

A huge vote of thanks goes to all the League members who responded so generously to the raffle for Lois Brown's painting. I was delighted to have so many purchases through the mail. I understand how hard it is for many of our members to get to Walhalla, especially over the busy weekends.

The winners of the raffle were:

1st Prize [Lois Brown painting] Bella Cromb, Maffra Bella is married to a Walhalla descendant and was thrilled with her win. We will have to get them to join the League. 2nd Prize [Creek Cottage Voucher] Peter Dal Pra, Traralgon 3rd Prize [Family Ghost Tour Ticket] Judy McNulty, Yarrawonga 4th Prize [DVD’s on Walhalla & Railway history] Olwyn Balfour, Willow Grove 5th Prize [2 Adult Ghost Tour Tickets] Nolene Thomas, Great Western.

Thanks again to ticket purchasers and those who helped sell tickets. With Ben, Pauline & Barb, we sat at local shows and shopping centres trying to spread the League's story. The total amount raised was $3,700.