An historic first for the Northern Rivers
ConVerge: a touring ceramic exhibition is the culmination of three years of planning and preparation by artist/curators, Geoff Crispin and Bob Connery, and Cath Fogarty - Project Officer of Arts Northern Rivers. This feature article, written by Cath Fogarty, is an overview of the project and has been republished by Craft Australia as part of a regional arts focus.

There were audible gasps of awe and delight at the beauty and diversity of the work in ConVerge, which opened at the Verge, 11th National Ceramic Conference in Brisbane on 12 July.

The Northern Rivers Touring Ceramic Exhibition is the culmination of three years of planning and preparation by artist/curators, Geoff Crispin and Bob Connery, and me, the Arts Northern Rivers Project Officer.

The Brisbane opening of ConVerge was just the beginning of what will be a two year voyage for this stunning collection of ceramic art works by twenty of the Northern Rivers' finest ceramic artists - an intrepid journey to fourteen galleries in Queensland and New South Wales which, we hope, will elicit similar responses amongst audiences everywhere. International cultural and stylistic influences can be seen in the thirty six forms - from the functional to the abstract, the traditional to the contemporary - that make up ConVerge. The unifying element is the region from which they come - the Northern Rivers of New South Wales.

With a budget of approximately $120,000 - or around $6,000 per artist, ConVerge is a big investment by Arts Northern Rivers: art and culture is one of the greatest assets of the region, and artists are one of its greatest resources. For the next two years, ConVerge will provide valuable exposure for twenty artists and promote the Northern Rivers as a centre of creative excellence everywhere it goes. The exhibition catalogue will also be a self-promotion tool for each artist as well as providing an ongoing record of the event.

The Northern Rivers region is renowned for its creative communities and beautiful coastlines. Academic research has shown it has one the highest concentrations of artists outside any capital city. It is also home to an established regional cluster of ceramic artists. In his catalogue essay, Kerry Selwood highlights the international feel of ConVerge by saying of the selected artists' works "could have been sourced from anywhere in the world." One of the challenges for any regional arts organisation is how best to respond to and support the unique cultural character of a region. Another ongoing challenge is to counter metropolitan prejudice towards regionally based arts practitioners, to overcome the perception that 'regional' equates to amateur or sub-standard work.

From the day Arts Northern Rivers opened its doors for business in October 2003, it was inundated with requests for advice and assistance from visual artists. By mid 2004 the Visual Arts Network concept (the VAN plan) was being developed - a strategic initiative to enable artists to reach beyond the region to access broad national and international audiences and markets; to provide professional development opportunities for visual artists and to further the international profile of the Northern Rivers as a vibrant regional centre for the arts.

ConVerge, along with VAN, is a strategic initiative of Arts Northern Rivers which responds to two of the organisation's key objectives: to foster and promote the culture of the region and to promote the arts, and achievement in the arts, to enhance social and economic community development.

Having already undertaken significant groundwork and planning, gaining interest from artists, sponsors and the regional galleries, exhibition curators Geoff Crispin and Bob Connery approached Arts Northern Rivers to support their proposal. It was easy to see its merit. As well as being an artist-led inititative with strong interest from local artists, it had the potential to be a touring ceramic exhibition - something that is rarely available to galleries due to the fragility of the work and associated freighting logistics.

Arts Northern Rivers sought funding for the exhibition and received $50,000 from Visions of Australia, $10,000 from the Gordon Darling Foundation and $5,000 from Arts NSW. Exhibition fees paid by galleries to host the exhibition provide another source of project income. Arts Northern Rivers has also contributed over $15,000 in project management and administrative costs.

Launching ConVerge in conjunction with the 11th National Ceramic Conference, Verge, was a central aim of the project. As the main event for Australian ceramics, the conference attracts national and international ceramic artists, experts, curators and buyers. Another aim was to demonstrate the continued vibrancy of ceramic production in this region.

The art works in ConVerge present an incredibly diverse range of cultural references, influences and styles. This convergence of creativity is exemplified by the work of selected artists. Emerging Indigenous artist Garth Lena combines abstract organic forms in porcelain with timber, powerfully transmitting his sense of cultural heritage. Marguarite Josephson Buivids' stunning vessels are infused with the language, symbols and architecture of her own Middle Eastern heritage. Abstract porcelain sculptures by Aine have an organic feel as does the installation piece by Liz Stops. More traditional woodfired pieces are included by artists such as Andrew Stewart and Judy Martin.

Grace Cochrane, freelance curator and guest editor of Object Magazine, officially opened ConVerge to an audience of around 150 people. In her opening remarks and catalogue essay, Grace identified that apart from the converging influence of the region bringing the artists together, there was also a diaspora whereby "what has developed and grown in this region has in turn made its mark the wider world: many [artists] have taken their regional experience elswhere," contributing to national and international framework of workshops, conferences and exhibition programs. Because ConVerge was an official exhibition of the Verge 2006 conference, many of its delegates attended the opening.

A beautiful catalogue has been designed and produced to accompany the exhibition with curatorial essays by Liz Stops, one of the exhibiting artists; Kerry Selwood, a professional artist and former Head of Art and Design at Lismore TAFE from 1976 to 1995 and Grace Cochrane - offering a national, a regional and an artist's perspective on ceramic practice in the Northern Rivers.

The ConVerge exhibition has already received an extremely positive response from visitors and prospective reviewers and it will continue to build its profile with upcoming articles in magazines such as Australian Ceramics, Ceramic Art and Perception and Craft Australia's 716 craft·design e-newsletter - and other media - as it tours over the next two years. The arts are essential contributors to the regional distinctiveness of the Northern Rivers. Together with other Visual Arts Network initiatives at Arts Northern Rivers, ConVerge will increase the profile of the region's artists at both a local and national level, cementing - or should I say firing - the reputation of the Northern Rivers as a centre for creative excellence.

Cath Fogary, August, 2006

Arts Northern Rivers www.artsnorthernrivers.com.au
Visual Arts Network www.visualartsnetwork.net.au
Telephone: 02 6628 8120

If you would like a copy of the ConVerge catalogue ($15) email Cath Fogarty at Arts Northern Rivers.

The article is reproduced with kind permission from the forthcoming Spring issue of the Regional Arts NSW magazine, ArtReach. Edited by Rachael Vincent, Communications & Promotions Officer, Regional Arts NSW