As miracles go this one was pretty good. A few weeks ago I received a 'Special Invitation' to attend Morning tea on the Queensland Terrace, at the State Library and I was actually in Brisbane and would be able to attend - now that is a miracle in my book! Wednesday 18 March, Arrivals from 10 am, announcement 10:30 am. What would the announcement be? I RSVPd right away and made sure I would be there on time for any light refreshments on offer (AKA Free Food) and also wondering if any friends of mine from art school at the QCA might be in attendance, as one had had a role at Artisan for quite a few years.
The Queensland Terrace which I could not quite ascertain the location of within the State Library building, part of the interconnected South Bank Cultural Precinct - due to the usual problems nearly any government-funded-body websites have - they all solicit your interest in booking space for your event - understandably... prioritising fundraising over the supply of useful information. No, I want to find the room not how many square meters, I've got an event to attend already! Oh to hell with the internet. I would just ask a librarian when I got there, on the off chance I did not bump into someone I knew who was also on their way.
 |
| The State Library is to the right of the original QAG building |
I alighted my bus right-at the cultural precinct and was immediately distracted with the business of making a hand help multi-frame panorama of the old, the original, South Bank Culture Bunker, the building and gallery I hold dear to my heart (and look at all those poles subdividing the image - irresistible!). The new library on the other hand I have not had much interaction with - I think the last time I attended something there (if indeed there) was a talk on the wonderful Australian landscape painter Fred Williams, which did not take place in the main art gallery building. Looking at this panorama as I write, I am amazed at how low-rise Robin Gibson's beautiful brutalist building now appears, contrasted against the high rise apartment buildings of South Brisbane, rising up, filling a horizon that until fairly recently was more or less open and clear.
Southbank, warm, humid, lush and green. I headed onwards to my destination (to the right - of above), entering the Library Complex by walking in under the funky 2006 modernist hoverbox by Donovan Hill and Peddle Thorp Architects - the redesign that doubled the library's useable space - stopping outside the entrance(s) to the main library, endeavouring to orient myself I turned around to see a whole bunch of people and there was my friend, chatting away with a group of them. We saw each other right way.
'Hello, what a coincidence'.
'No coincidence' I said 'I've an invite for the Artisan event. Is this it down here?'
The event was not 'down here'. The Queensland Room Terrace was on the next level up, and up the stairs we went. Names ticked at the door we walked into a large modern yet elegant room, open to outside, simple yet beautiful timber panelling, cleverly incorporating display cases, the room opening out at the southern end onto a mostly covered platform with a view back to the river and across to the QAG, the greenspace, the trees, making the whole room very much like an old Queenslander's verandah, and you can't get more Queensland than that!
There were urns of coffee and tea and juice on one side and a variety of one-handed baby croissants and other tasty pastries on the other - and you know what? It's impossible to eat and meet at the same time! So after being introduced by my friend to some very nice people and discussing how fabulous the space was, and it is - I excused myself away to taste what was on offer. After that I decided to see who else was here that was not so close to the official party. Striking up and enjoying an entertaining conversation with a local (Redcliff) artisanal woodworker. And then began the speeches.
Digging around on the internet I see that Artisan has been holding exhibitions at allied art spaces, I would hope that the new 'partnership' will include exhibitions space right there in the Cultural Precinct where tourists, collectors and buyers of craft and design congregate.
https://www.instagram.com/artisanqld
https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/visit/spaces
Telling Stories in Pictures all over..
