Community
4 October, 2024
Camperdown artist reconnects with old friends from W’bool
CAMPERDOWN-BASED artist Annie Keil-Taggart is reflecting on the success of last month’s ‘Lighthouse Women Present: Random Wilde Spring’ exhibition, where old friends reunited to exhibit together again.
Warrnambool’s Lighthouse Theatre was packed with people as the exhibiting group, consisting of Ms Keil-Taggart, Marie Cook, Kathryn McKinnon, Jenny Powell, Sally Barua and Barb Fulton, took the opportunity to reminisce about their time in Warrnambool and catch up with other old friends.
Ms Keil-Taggart said attendees included Ron Quick, Bruce Vinall and Jenny Altman – all of whom had strong connections to the Warrnambool art community.
“The Twa Bards, who produce the music to go behind the work, they were there, and they took lots of photos so that was really good,” she said.
“It tended to be more of the Warrnambool art scene and the Warrnambool community because I think they’re used to going to exhibitions.
“I lived in Warrnambool before – I lived across from the lighthouse, so it was really more like a gathering of people I’ve known in the past and exhibited with in the past.”
The exhibition’s works were also used in the background of publicity photos for the One Night Stand, which was held in the middle of September.
Ms Keil-Taggart said, for her, it was “wonderful” to reunite with old friends and find out what they have been up to in recent years.
“Reconnecting to old friends is important to me after being away for nearly 20 years teaching in mainly remote Indigenous communities,” she said.
“Barb had just come back from travelling up north - they tailored their trip into coming back to put the work up.
“The Warrnambool Art Gallery was involved – they lent a piece by Marie Cook that they had as part of their permanent collection.
“There was a young women who came with her daughter – she would have been a little girl about the same size when I knew her in Warrnambool.
“It was generations involved – it was really good to achieve that.”
Ms Keil-Taggart said she was also able to discuss upcoming plans with the artists.
“Jenny Powell has put work together for another exhibition up at Creswick in the last week as well,” she said.
“I’ve got plans to do a solo show.
“The next thing is to create something more locally here.
“It’d be good if Camperdown got a dedicated exhibition space.”
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