Rachel Hanna and mayor Bob Fairclough. Photo: Damjan Janevski
A Tarneit artist will be the first person to exhibit her work in a new community art space in Point Cook.
Painter Rachel Hanna’s On The Way From Here To There exhibition will be unveiled on Friday – at the same time as Point Cook Community Learning Centre’s new gallery.
Hanna says her work features urban and industrial landscapes comprising landmarks from across the western suburbs.
“I love the sense of looking at something that you would pass all the time on the way to work and looking at it in a different way,” she says,
“It’s about finding the beauty in everyday landscapes. I enjoy taking a moment to stop and look at the beauty in things.”
Hanna’s work also draws attention to the plight of woman in Cambodia.
Through her church, she has joined a group that supports projects for women in Cambodia who are in a crisis or have escaped human trafficking programs.
“Like all visual things, art has the ability to have a voice and spread a message,” she says.
“Without it, art doesn’t have a purpose and is just beautiful to look at.”
The mother of two young boys believes community art spaces are incredibly important for encouraging artists to show their work to their communities.
“There are so many artists like me who are not well known or at a name level but have been painting for a while,” she says.
“A space like this allows us to get feedback and recognition for our work. It also lets us get experience exhibiting.”
Mayor Bob Fairclough says the council plans to open other community galleries in the coming months.
“The focus of the Wyndham Art Spaces program is on discovering new talent and supporting their work by having it displayed in as many public places as possible,” he says.
“We want to support artistic and creative initiatives that add to the city’s cultural and social scene.”
The exhibition opens on Friday at 6pm and runs until September 19. For further details call 9395 6399.
