GALLERY ON THE GO

Many members of Canberra’s growing community of senior citizens call Belconnen home.  While their interest in arts and culture remains strong their ability to access art galleries and exhibition openings decreases as mobility and independent transport options decline.  However, many senior citizens attend weekly sessions at community centres all over Canberra for social contact and recreation. Within the greater Belconnen area, groups such as the Belconnen Energetic Seniors Club and the Health and Happiness Club meet weekly at the West Belconnen Leagues Club, the Seniors Craft Club meets weekly at the Uniting Church Hall in Kippax and Gunghalin Seniors meet weekly at the Ngunnawal Neighbourhood Centre Community Hall.  Additionally, there are a number of retirement villages in the Belconnen region with clients seeking ways to access the arts and cultural activities freely available to those who are more readily able to travel to such activities and venues.

While the Arts and Cultural Development Program currently manages cultural resources, including the Belconnen Gallery, within the Belconnen Community Centre, the cultural needs of Belconnen’s Senior citizens extend beyond the confines of the Gallery space. And while seniors who are able to come in to the Gallery are well served by existing resources, many are unable to access the Gallery proper.  In the interests of community cultural development, the Program seeks to engage seniors who are unable to visit the Gallery at other places where they already congregate for other purposes. In this instance, the Program intends to make the Gallery available to Northern suburbs senior citizens groups by taking art and artists to those groups during their weekly get-togethers.

This project takes several art works and, where possible the artist, to the people to show the art and to engage senior citizens in discussion about local contemporary art and its relevance to their lives.  Visits consist of a presentation of the art with a twenty minute talk, an introduction to the artists, where possible, and general discussion with seniors about their own involvement, past or present, in art and cultural life.

Artist Peter Sterns at a “Gallery on the Go” visit in March 2007