Three artists from Drysdale’s All Abilities Art have shared their creations at artX Regional 2024.
Stirling Brackley, Polly Munday and Bridget Gooda were proud to be included in almost 90 entries.
Bridget chose a cassowary as a subject, enjoying the opportunity to paint the bird’s piercing eyes, while Stirling decided to portray a book character to challenge himself with a new theme. Polly settled on one of her favourite subjects, houses, and said she enjoyed getting involved in the art initiative.
Coordinated by genU, artX Regional is now in its 16th year. Previously known as artX Geelong, the exhibition is an opportunity for artists who identify as living with disability or a history of mental illness to gain recognition for their creative efforts.
Bridget said being part of artX Regional gave her “motivation and encouragement to continue” doing art. In preparation for the exhibition, Bridget joined the other two artists at SpringDale Neighbourhood Centre every Friday for several weeks to work on their entries.
Art therapist and teacher Celia Adams said each artist had diverse individual styles and were committed to putting in the work to complete their entries.
Celia said artX Regional created a target for artists to work towards.
“It helps them go beyond just doing the art for themselves and a chance to show the broader community what artists of all abilities can create,” she said.
“We know that connecting artX Regional entrants to mainstream artists and audiences can improve self-esteem and further help to break down barriers that can exist between the mainstream and disability art communities.
“I encourage everyone to visit the exhibition to see the vibrancy and artistic flair on display and take the opportunity to buy an original piece.”
The exhibition is at Rachinger Galley at the Eastern Hub in Geelong.
