CrossXpollinatioN 2018 attracts record visitation
Published on 08 August 2018
A record crowd of 1164 people visited COPACC in July to share in the feast of fibre and textile art that was CrossXpollinatioN 2018.
Rave reviews came from visitors who travelled from all over Victoria and interstate, with attendees showering COPACC and our partners at the Red Rock Regional Theatre and Gallery with positive comments about the exhibition and the artists, organisers and volunteers involved.
COPACC Manager Tamzin McLennan said the feedback from this year’s exhibition was a testament to the growing unity, skill, endeavour and passion of the Colac Otway Shire’s arts community.
“CrossXpollinatioN has become an amazing partnership that brings together people who are dedicated to fostering the growth of the arts in our shire and region,” she said.
“COPACC is very thankful to everyone who contributed to the success of the exhibition including artists, sponsors, volunteers and partners.”
Glowing feedback about CrossXpollinatioN included this from one patron - “What a fabulous exhibition! Thoughtful, provocative, delightful, beautiful, surprising, wow!! A collective genius at work. Thanks so much for doing and sharing and showing. Colac needs a permanent gallery to showcase such brilliance and competence.”
And this from another: “A host of ‘collaborative masterpieces’ to formulate an amazing exhibition. Hours and hours of meaningful time gone into producing the best exhibition I have seen. Congratulations Colac, you should be so proud of yourselves”.
And this from a local primary school student: “I think that it was a real honour that the school let us go to this and in my opinion that it is some of the best things I have ever seen so that is a really cool thing.”
Among the 1164 registered attendees this year were more than 250 school students who spent hours poring over the pieces on show.
Another 500 primary and secondary students created artful textile birds to display in the COPACC foyer as an entrée to the main exhibition.
For the first time, CrossXpollinatioN incorporated several special artist talks and workshops honouring NAIDOC week with Aunty Vicki Couzens and Aunty Bronwyn Razem - two of Victoria’s pre-eminent Aboriginal artists.
Ms McLennan said planning was already underway for the 2019 exhibition, which would offer the theme ‘Connections’.
“Excitement is already building for next year when we plan to bring back another exciting showcase of fibre and textile art,” she said.
Ms McLennan sincerely thanked CrossXpollinatioN’s many contributors and supporters including the COPACC team, sponsors Tarndie, Irrewarra Sourdough and Star Printing; curators Carole Redlich and Andrew Delaney; our friends and partners at RRRTAG; judges Melissa Knothe-Tate and Marie-Therese Wisniowski; feature artists Melissa Knothe-Tate, Marie-Therese Wisniowski, Liz Powell, Dr Denise N Rall, Sue Ferrari, Barbara Rogers, Peter Day, Mary Preece and Vick Couzens; Veronica Phillips; Sue Ferrari and the South West TAFE student team; volunteer coordinator Sue Tate and all the people who generously volunteered their time; Lauris Jephcott and the Otway Districts Historical Society; and the partners involved in our Aboriginal art workshops including Aunty Bronwyn Razem, Katja Nedoluha, Corangamite CMA, the Gathering Place, Vicki Couzens and Council’s OPASS department.