Dogwood Crossing Public Program
- 14 Mar 2018
Textile, mosaic and pottery workshops added value to the Dogwood Crossing Exhibition Program, engaging adults and children as participants.
What
Dogwood Crossing located in Miles, is home to a regional art gallery, library, IT centre and social history space. Workshops and events form an integral part of service delivery at Dogwood Crossing providing further participatory opportunities for visitors to be involved in tours, talks, events, activities, and workshops held throughout the year.
Funding from the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) supported a range of artist-led public programs for adults and children (through the Minimakers Program, an informal program for school-aged children) which coincided with selected exhibitions in the 2016 John Mullins Memorial Art Gallery.
Artists Kylie Bourne (exhibition: Our Place, Our Space), Cindy Jenkins (exhibition: Monochromatic Miles) and Karen Gaskell worked with both school-aged and adult participants through a series of workshops. These workshops involved a tour of the exhibition with the artist, providing an opportunity to discuss the artist’s motivations and techniques; and a workshop where participants were able to create their own work with support from the artist.
When
April to August 2016
Where
Dogwood Crossing, Miles
Key stats
- 6 workshops
- 3 local artists
- 51 participants
Investment
$2127– RADF
RADF is a partnership between the Queensland Government and the Western Downs Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.
Outcomes
- Workshop participants were able to develop new skills or enhance their present skill levels, and express their creative thoughts and ideas. The opportunity to try new art forms without the initial financial outlay was seen as positive for many participants. Feedback from the workshops has been positive:
"It was great. I did not know I could achieve what I did." – Participant, Textile Workshop
"Wonderful adventure... much easier than I thought." – Participant, Mosaic Workshop
- Some participants, who were not usual visitors to the gallery, but who were motivated to try a practical workshop, found themselves experiencing the work of the artist leading the workshop in the gallery setting.
- Involvement in workshops provided opportunities for participants to meet and connect with friends and like-minded people.
- A change in the program timetable from Wednesday afternoons to Saturdays saw young visitors who had previously not participated in the program attending workshops at the Gallery.
Learnings
Gallery staff noted the value public programs added to selected exhibitions on display during 2016 engaging the community both as attendees and active participants. For adults, the workshops have helped to develop a greater understanding of the artists’ practice as well as promoting participation in new art forms.
Artists delighted in the children’s perspective of their work and their reaction to different pieces. Artists also had the opportunity to develop a deeper connection to their audience which may inform future exhibition plans.
Tip for others
Artists are a valuable resource for public programs.
What next?
The public program was run again in 2017. Details can be found at the Dogwood Crossing website.
Find out more
Email: dogwood.crossing@wdrc.qld.gov.au
Website: http://www.dogwoodcrossing.com/
A pdf version (PDF) (338.73 KB) of this case study is available.