Mount Penang Institute of Contemporary Art

This POST is from information provided to Back Page by Neil Berecry-Brown.



Some background to the comments to the “my wife likes…” post, based on the Wyong Shire Cultural plan.

Quote: “An initiative that has the potential to provide stimulus to the visual arts across the region is the recently established Mt Penang Institute of Contemporary Arts. This is a non-profit community organisation located in a heritage building (former boys’ home) in The Avenue, Mt Penang. With a background in tertiary education in the Fine Arts, the principal individuals behind this project ……. have the objective of encouraging innovation and excellence in contemporary art practice.”

Update
An artists run centre, the Mt Penang Institute of Contemporary Art, was established for a time at Mount Penang Parklands, Somersby, 2004-2005. This was achieved initially through the non-profit artists’ initiative Eo inc., then, following a refocussing of their objectives, through the short lived Artlab.
The Institute held three exhibitions with 25 emerging and established artists. At the time of its closing in 2005, it was the site for an international collaborative project, and it was scheduled as a workshop venue for the Dawn Light Symposium in 2005.

Four emerging Central Coast artists who exhibited at Mt. Penang ICA were sponsored to participate in the Nine Dragon Heads Symposium in South Korea.

Picture 1. Marie Andrews presents Central Coast greetings to Korean officials to Meredith Brice Copland, Sandy James and Maumer Cajic.

Picture 2. Melissa Habjan (pink bow) at opening address by Park, Byoung-Uk and the Swiss Ambassador. (Background work by Bedri Baykam, Turkey) Chongju.


The Institute was asked by the Festival Development Corporation (Ministry of Commerce) to vacate Building 27 in order for make way for AISDA , which in the end did not want the building. M’PICA had been working to the advice of the Ministry for the Arts to demonstrate a need for a contemporary art space by conducting a successful program. This was a stated prerequisite before they, The Ministry, would consider any financial support. The Mt. Penang Institute venture had been assisted by Marie Andrews’ approach to the then Minister, Bob Carr, and a start-up rent free period negotiated with the Mt Penang Parklands administration.

Lynn Brunet





The 25 exhibited artists were:
Amanda Anderson, Kristel Baigent Neil Berecry-Brown, Emily Berlach, Meredith Brice Copland, Jennifer Brown, Lynn Brunet, Maumer Cajic, Samara Cotter, Maureen Clack, Jillian Gates, Anne Graham, Melissa Habjan, Ian Hobbs, Sandy James, Aldona O'Brien, Sandy O'Sullivan, Pamela Purcill, Amanda Purnell, Karen Robinson Smith, Betty Saez,, Ibtihal Samarayi, Catherine Sutton, Robyn Wainman and Peta Werlemann.










Ibtahal Samarayi










Neil Berecry-Brown











Left to right: Maureen Clack and Aldona O'Brien.


The Mt. Penang Institute/Artlab’s objectives are now being carried forward by brown’s Cows Art Projects, which is working with others to find a new site in Gosford CBD for a Centre of Excellence in contemporary art practice. In this regard we fully support Liz Wright’s goals.



Image: Ian Hobbs