Issue 24 - NOV 2012       Back to newsletter | to TOS website

Brisbane TOS, Australia, organises its first Art Exhibition
 
 

The Art Exhibition that they organised in 2012 has been one of the Brisbane TOS Group’s most successful fundraising activities.
One of their members, Karen Cipressi, is an artist with a great deal of experience in collaboratively organising exhibitions. She suggested the idea of holding an art exhibition to raise funds for a major TOS project and led the team that organised it.

 

President of the Brisbane TOS, Tina Fiedler, with one of the art works. It was painted specifically for the theme:
‘Water for Life’.
 

 

Once her enthusiastic team was established, the first decision to be made was the beneficiary, because that would help create a theme for the exhibition.

The Brisbane TOS members were inspired by the drought relief and water-bore project of the Kenyan TOS so decided that the funds raised through the exhibition would be donated to that project. Australia is one of the driest continents on our planet, so most Brisbane TOS members had had experiences of water shortages. Another attraction of this project is that it aims to build community cooperation and sustainability so that the village in Kitui has long-term benefits.

The theme they chose for the exhibition was Water for Life.
  The Brisbane Theosophical Society was happy to provide its heritage building for a weekend as the venue for the Art Show. Once the dates, venue and theme had been arranged, Karen wrote to a large number of local artists who worked in a wide variety of media and whose work was generally considered by peers to have artistic quality. Other members of the team contacted potential sponsors who might fund advertising costs, the banner to attract passers-by and raffle prizes. Yet other team members organised the menu and catering materials needed to provide snacks for sale to visitors to the exhibition.

 

  Participating artists were charged a small fee for exhibiting and paid a commission on all art work sold. Two days were needed to hang the art work or display it on tables. Everyone who saw the exhibition prior to the official opening was impressed by the quality and variety of work. There were oil paintings, water colours, mixed media, photographs, pottery, sculpture, weaving, felting, embroidery and jewellery.
 

  Linda Oliveira, the President of the Theosophical Society in Australia, opened the art exhibition. During the weekend, TOS members were rostered to various tasks including chatting to people who came to see the exhibition, handling sales and serving snacks. A TS member, who is also an artist, donated her expertise by drawing portraits throughout the weekend, with the payment going to the TOS.
 

 

 

 

At the end of the exhibition, unsold work was returned to artists, equipment was packed and the rooms were returned to their usual layout. Of course, the work didn’t end there, with numerous thank-you letters and cheques to be sent to artists and others who had helped.

Not only did the Art Show raise approximately US$3400 for a TOS project, but it also raised awareness of the aims and the work of the TOS. Awareness of the Theosophical Society was also promoted and many visitors picked up leaflets and visited the TS Bookshop on the premises.
 
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