‘A Chain of Events’ – group exhibition

‘A Chain of Events’

15.11.16 – 3.12.16

Celebration drinks Saturday 19^th November 4-6pm.
Exhibition hours Wed – Sat 11-5pm

‘A Chain of Events’ celebrates the continuing persistence and dedication of artists and the creative process.  It brings together both contemporary jewellery artists and others working in different mediums.  Focusing on NSW creatives, this exhibition invites artists to explore the concept of the chain as a personal metaphor. The chain, an element often used in jewellery has many symbolic references: a system of links used to contain, restrict or protect, a bond, a series of elements, events, reactions.

Recent dispiriting events in the NSW arts sector, in particular, the defunding of tertiary arts programmes especially in jewellery and funding cuts to fundamental arts organisations, have been felt keenly at Studio20/17. In addition, the closure of the arts complex at 2 Danks Street (which has been home to Studio 20/17 for 8 years) is looming at the end of 2016. ‘A Chain of Events’ will  be one of the last exhibitions before the gallery vacates its space and residential developers move in.  It’s an unsettling time for Studio 20/17 as we look for new premises and ponder the implications of the devaluation of tertiary instruction in contemporary jewellery in Sydney. Rather than succumb to gloom, ‘A Chain of Events’ has been conceived by Bridget Kennedy in order to inspire a new energy and start a fresh chain of inspiration to carry Studio 20/17 forth to a new space and regeneration.

“It was uplifting to have such a positive response to my idea. Many of the participating artists have a long association with  Studio 20/17 and it’s wonderful to have talented new artists exhibiting with us for the first time. For this exhibition, I decided to focus primarily on artists based in NSW or artists who have had a long association with the NSW contemporary jewellery community. For me, this exhibition is about reinforcing this sense of kinship and linking people together. While I’m not personally participating in the exhibition, the show represents my own personal metaphor of the chain. With the terribly distressing situation of the arts at the moment in NSW, and ongoing defunding, I felt the need to create something positive, something to look forward to for the end of the year, a way to link people together to build something bigger and stronger than our individual voices.”

– Bridget Kennedy, co-director, Studio 20/17

Participating artists include Chris Li, Felix Gill, Karin Findeis, Kimberly Peel, Linda Blair, Margarita Sampson, Mel Young, Rhonda Pryor, Szilvia Gyorgy, Tanya da Silva, Erin Keys, Jenny Fahey, Judith Torzillo, Sian Edwards, Vernon Bowden, Rebecca Hinwood, Victoria Cleland and Zoe Brand.