Richard Muldoon, ACI President

Welcome to the new normal

As restrictions ease and we all start to adjust to what we can and can’t do safely, the Arts Connect Inc. Committee has started to lock in our schedule/rescheduling for 2020/2021.The first bit of good news is that Sculpture On The Edge will go ahead for 2020 and the exhibition will open Saturday October 31st.

We invite all artists to enter online now, giving you over 3 months to create a work for this annual site specific sculpture prize.

ENTER NOW AT: www.sculptureontheedge.com.au

The next bit of good news is that Open Studios Sunshine Coast has finalised dates for the event, and it will now be held in March 2021. Artists’ studios will be open in the Hinterland over the weekend of the 20th and 21st of March, followed by a week of workshops. Then the Coastal areas will open their studios on the weekend of 27th and 28th of March. Looking positively, this extra time will give us more far reaching marketing potential, as well as more promising sponsorship opportunities. This means more visitors to your studios, at no extra cost.

Also, workshops will be kicking off very shortly as we monitor the changes to indoor restrictions. Expect to see a raft of exciting workshop announcements very soon!

Exhibitions! Hopefully our planned exhibition at Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve will get the go ahead soon and we can announce new dates.

In the meantime we have created an opportunity to show your work to the public at low cost through an exhibition we are calling ReConnect! This exhibition is open to Arts Connect Inc. members and will feature up to 16 artists… painters/sculptors/printmakers/you name it. Hosted by The Zone Gallery Maleny, this group exhibition will showcase Arts Connect Inc. members’ latest work. Submissions will be called via the new website soon, and the exhibition will open September 10th and close a week later.

Finally and possibly most exciting is the launch of the new Arts Connect Inc. website. With a few delays due to COVID and the ‘time out’ approach some took to restrictions (me), we are finally ready to reveal what we think is a much improved website. Not only is the site easier to navigate, it’s far more informative, interactive, and truly represents and delivers on what we are trying to achieve at ACI. We feel it will connect us in a far more meaningful way, and that’s exciting.

To celebrate, we are inviting you to join us for the launch at The Zone Gallery Maleny on Friday 10th July at 5pm – 8pm.

Join us for a relaxing but very welcome chance to reconnect with fellow artists. You will see an email with all the info to book in coming days.

Phew! If this is the new normal, hold on to your seats!

Until next time,
Richard Muldoon