Artwork is on display throughout Upper Hunter Country. Resident Artists, galleries and frequent workshops add to the allure of Murrurundi, a haven for artists escaping the frenzy of city life.
Enjoy a visit to the Muswellbrook Regional Art Gallery and admire the exhibitions on display from local and regional artists. Appreciate Australian art work at various art shows including the Norville Art Prize in Murrurundi and the Banool Art Prize in Scone.
The Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre presents traveling exhibitions, local exhibitions and art prizes (including the biennial Muswellbrook Open Art Prize), along with periodic selections from the Max Watters and Shire Collections.
The Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre manages a large permanent collection which was originally founded through the Art Prize in the late 1950s. Astute adjudication of the prize over the years has provided the local community with an excellent cross-section of mid 20th century Australian art. The Shire Collection was complemented during the early 1990s when local art collector Max Watters began to loan his collection of Australian art to the community.
The art gallery Michael Reid at Murrurundi strives to showcase the best in contemporary Australian and Aboriginal art. Over the last five years the gallery has exhibited solo exhibitions from Adam Cullen; Noel McKenna; Brian Robertson; Lucy Vader; Deborah Williams; Jasper Knight; Chris Langlois; Robert Jacks; Sally Gabori; David Bromley; Adam Lester; Crispin Akerman- to name but a few.
Michael Reid at Murrurundi has quite literally risen out of the ruins of an early 1840s convict barracks. Bobadil House and the early barracks (now Michael Reid at Murrurundi) were built between 1840 and 1842 from locally quarried sandstone for the A.A. Company surveyor Henry Dangar. Originally named the White Swan Inn, later known as the Woolpack Inn and then as the Mountain View Inn, my wife’s great-great grandfather purchased the property in the 1870s and renamed it Bobadil. Family lore has it that the barracks, reconfigured as horse stables some time in the late 19th century, were hit by lightning in 1948. The fragmented walls that remained were taken to the ground, the foundations re-dug, the stone cleaned and reassembled. The roof has been re-built from a design taken from early 20th century photographs of the stables and internally the sandstone flagstones have been re-laid.
Over the past 12 years David’s been on one hell of an adventure photographing dogs of all descriptions around the world. The journey has taken in the streets of New York, London, Tokyo and Rome, the jungles of Cambodia, the slums of India, to the very heart of Australia and back again. His goal has always been to photograph man’s best friend within the environments we share and to do it with dignity and respect. This has not always been an easy task. As a dog lover his heart has swollen with pride, been torn apart, then mended again with the things I have seen.
David hopes his photos can entertain, inspire and move people to love, care and help our four legged friends whenever and wherever possible.