Local mums host to blaze trail for Armstrong Creek artists

ARMSTRONG Creek’s blossoming arts community will be on show at a new exhibition next month when two local mums display their work.

Astrid Lempriere and Megan McInerny will be among the artists to take up residence at Newtown’s Space Gallery for four weeks starting Wednesday.

Lempriere’s Polaroid Moments collection will be her third at the gallery and include raw photographs that capture moments in time surrounding subjects instead of her usual portraits.

McInery’s coastal oil paintings draw inspiration from the Surf Coast shoreline and the magic of kids when they are happy and free

McInery’s involvement in art started in earnest as a COVID hobby. More recently, she stepped away from her part-time job with the CSIRO to focus more on being a mother of two, with art as her main source of income.

Her creative interests accelerated last year during social art nights at the Space Gallery, which led her to connect with fellow Armstrong Creek artists that started the current

“It was just a free painting session that anyone can come along to and have a go, meet other artists, bring a glass of wine and have a chat,” she said.

“It just happened that a core group of us consistently came along to these arty sessions and formed a friendship group and an Instagram message group where we chat every night and a bounce all the art ideas. Anything we just ask and someone’s always there to have a chat.

Lempriere said forming the new friendship group had also helped add momentum to her art career, which she blends with disability work.

“I got involved in the space gallery at the start of last year and have had the chance to form a little bit of a social group, which has been really interesting and really beneficial.

“I’m an emerging artist and also don’t have a huge community and am new to Armstrong Creek, so the benefit of that and being able to bounce off other people and collectively share high-five moments, tips and information to have a successful exhibition has been really cool.”

Both hoped the growing community’s arts scene would continue developing to the point it can host its own cultural events, such as the arts trails that are now fixtures in the Surf Coast and Bellarine.

The coming exhibition will also include works from Rosie Crone, Tori Sommer, Shona Twining and Dakota Radakovic.

It will be at the Space Gallery, 17D Rutland Street, Newtown from Wednesday, June 28) until July 22. Its official opening event will be next Saturday (July 1) from 4-6pm.