YOU'RE INVITED: Official Opening

3pm, Saturday 11 May

Exhibitions to be officially opened by Hendrik Kolenberg

~ Lithography demonstration by Sam Sosnowski ~

~ Live music by Bek & Al feat. Loren ~

~ Friends of the Grafton Gallery Pay Bar ~

~ Complimentary Refreshments ~

A PRINTER'S PROOF: The Fred Genis Collection

During his forty-year career, master lithographer Fred Genis worked in the United States, Europe, and Australia, collaborating with leading artists from around the world. His working life spanned monumental eras in the 20th Century art including the American Abstract Expressionist movement of the 1960s and 1970s New York where he worked with artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Willem De Kooning, Sam Francis, John Cage, and James Rosenquist. After moving to Australia in 1979, Genis set up workshops in Sydney and the Northern Rivers, working as a printer, publisher, and teacher for three decades until his retirement in 2007. During this time, Genis worked with generations of Australian artists including John Olsen, Lloyd Rees, Tim Storrier, Judy Watson, Guan Wei, Brett Whiteley and many more. A Printer's Proof celebrates the art of lithography, the special bond formed between artist and printer, and the remarkable life and legacy of Fred Genis.

DORIS O'GRADY: Mushrooms

Doris and Gladys O'Grady - affectionately known as the O'Grady sisters - hold a special place in the Grafton Regional Gallery collection, with their botanical and ornithological drawings, paintings, and memorabilia collected and developed between the 1920s and 1970s in the Clarence Valley. Over many years, Doris O'Grady lovingly recorded mushrooms and fungi from places she visited and walked. In this exhibition, we see Doris' mushroom paintings and sketches from the Grafton Regional Gallery Collection on display for the first time in decades.

THE MUSH ROOM

An interactive family maker's space exploring the weird and wonderful world of mushrooms. Inspired by Doris O'Grady's mushrooms, and American composer John Cage's enchanting Mushroom Book featured in A Printer's Proof: The Fred Genis Collection, The Mush Room will delight visitors of all ages and inspire an appreciation of all things mycological. This project features specially commissioned soft sculptures by Antony Perring, design and education by Bush Fairy Art, art and craft activities, as well as animations from Clara Lagor (USA), and Emma Scarth (Canada), recently featured at the Fungi Film Festival.

Accessible parking available in Gallery carpark, access via side driveway from 158 Fitzroy St.

Image credit: Tim Storrier, Burning Horse, 1986. Reproduced with permission of the artist, Philip Bacon Galleries, and Australian Galleries.