As part of the upcoming Kyneton Contemporary Art Triennial, artist Steven Rhall will exhibit new work at the iconic Bolton Hall on Epping Street.
The Hall was once a private schoolhouse owned by Miss Ray Begg, who bequeathed it and the surrounding land to establish homes for ‘the aged’.
The building itself is a living monument to the value of education, of caring for the elderly and the vision of a pioneering woman.
Betty McClure, keeper of local historical knowledge, says Miss Begg was a woman of vision.
“She understood that aged care was going to be a growing concern for society. And providing the dignity of having somewhere safe and comfortable to live in later years was an important service to the community.”
For local arts organisation, Kyneton Contemporary, the old school hall is an ideal venue to exhibit the work of Steven Rhall, a Taungurung man who is exploring the responsibilities and pressures of receiving and carrying forward cultural knowledge.
Through his five-channel video installation, Rhall considers quitting art all together that so he can attend to this learning.
The artist says his work is a response to his Taungurung heritage and potential for connection to Taungurung Country.
For Kyneton Contemporary, facilitating connections to place is a key reason for commissioning artists to research, develop and present their artwork in Kyneton.
The event is designed to celebrate the community’s histories and its lived experiences while allowing artists an opportunity to experiment.
“As a site for education and as a resource for caring, the building is a monument to Miss Ray Begg – a woman with a powerful community spirit whose impact and influence on people’s wellbeing continues to this day,” Kyneton Contemporary’s Kent Wilson said.
With ten other projects across the town, at venues like the Kyneton Mechanics Institute, the Botanic Gardens, Scout Hall, Freemasons Hall and Watts Pavilion at the showgrounds, the Kyneton Contemporary Art Triennial offers a smorgasbord of interesting art and interesting insights into the history, the environment and the communities of regional Victoria.
Artists from Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, New Mexico and Melbourne, join local artists Ravi Avasti and Adam Lee for this multi-site exhibition across the town of Kyneton.
See the website www.kynetoncontemporary.com for more information and to purchase your ticket now. Children are free, concessions available.
