29 January 2020
Counihan Gallery In Brunswick is set to reopen on February 8 in a new expanded gallery space with street access and extended open hours for visitors to enjoy the impressive offerings of the Moreland Art Collection.
The new gallery space will be used for special curated projects and for exhibiting work from Moreland Council’s extensive Moreland Art Collection.
Moreland Mayor, Cr Lambros Tapinos said arts and culture plays an important role in the fabric of life in Moreland, and Brunswick’s Counihan Gallery is at heart of it.
“The Counihan Gallery In Brunswick showcases some of the best contemporary local art on offer,” said Cr Tapinos.
“The reopening and expansion of the long-running Counihan Gallery is a fantastic opportunity to continue to increase local engagement with arts and culture and share the Moreland Art Collection – including over 350 works – with the community.”
The Mayor will officially open the gallery and the launch will include a Welcome to Country by a member of the Wurundjeri Council. Guests will also hear from Michael Counihan, of the Noel Counihan Estate, on the history of the gallery and enjoy a performance by Djirri Djirri, a Wurundjeri Women’s Dance Group.
The primary exhibition in the new gallery space f_OCUS, is a selection of new, recent and key acquisitions by women in the permanent collection.
“f_OCUS is presented in the new space alongside two striking contemporary exhibitions Histrionic and Screen Time, which examine and critique online and digital culture,” Gallery Curator Victor Griss said.
The gallery opened in 1999 and celebrated its 20th year of operation in 2019. It is a much-loved community asset and held in high regard by the visual arts community, known for its quality exhibitions.
The gallery focuses on free contemporary exhibitions which highlight innovation in the visual arts, and showcase a diversity of social, political and cultural themes.
Moreland Council received several donations of significant works to its collection in 2019, which will be exhibited throughout the year.
The gallery launch on Saturday 8 February from 2pm to 4pm is open to the community and free to attend. Artist floor talks will be held on Saturday 15 February 2pm to 3:30pm. The gallery is accessible by wheelchair and has accessible bathrooms.
