Society’s Seasons launching lakeside

As any Ballarat local can tell you, the region serves up four distinct seasons throughout the year, and sometimes they can arrive in one day.

It’s a fact not lost on the members of the Ballarat Society of Artists whose newly launching group exhibition – Seasons in Ballarat – opens at the Lake Wendouree Museum this Sunday 5 July.

President Jon Lam said 20 members of the Society will be represented with around 60 original works going on show and for sale.

The exhibition has become an annual seasonal fixture itself, bringing added cooler-month activity to the lakeside museum, home to the Golden City Paddle Steamer.

“This is our fourth year,” Lam said.

“We will have framed and unframed works, paintings including oils, watercolours, and acrylics, and drawings and pastels, and also some pottery.”

Society social media coordinator Tracey Jarick said some greeting cards will be for sale.

The Ballarat Society of Artists has been running since the 1980s and has a growing membership of about 70.

Members meet Saturday mornings at the Brown Hill Uniting Church Hall and also enjoy plein air art outings on Thursdays.

“We run regular shows and we also run worshops and have guest speakers discussing their work practices,” Lam said.

The society’s vice president Hank Tigges said the Saturday gatherings offer a great chance to learn from others.

The three members are among those who will have original work on show in the new exhibition with Jarick turning her love of working in oils to capturing local scenes, Tigges exercising his passion for painting moody old buildings in various states of ruin using watercolours, and Lam bringing an eclectic approach across a range of media to subject matter including the lake.

From this weekend, the exhibition will be open every Sunday from 10am to 3pm through to 25 October and is free to visit, although a donation at the door is appreciated.