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Putting Rochester on the map - Finalists for the first Rochester Mural
Festival Announced!
Eight mural artists will descend on the town of Rochester in the first
week of March to paint a series of murals in the Moore Street precinct.
The organizing committee is delighted with the high quality of the
entries with artist drawn from across Australia. Queensland, New South
Wales, South Australia and Western Australia are all represented along
with four artists from Victoria. Well known Echuca artist, John Stevens
is one of the finalists.
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In developing the festival, Rochester has developed a strong link with
the famous mural town of Sheffield in Tasmania which holds its
‘International Mural Fest’ on an annual basis. Rochester is the only
town in Victoria with a festival linked to Sheffield. The Rochester
organisers have also liaised closely with the Jamestown, South
Australia, Mural Festival committee.
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To be selected, artists developed a ‘mini mural’ around the festival
theme of ‘ride like the wind’. The artists and their mini murals will be
introduced to the community on February 28 at the Rochester Show
and will commence painting their murals on the following day, Sunday
March 1. By the time brushes down arrives at the following Saturday,
each artist will have completed a 2.1 by 4.8 metre mural. The murals
will then remain on display for the next twelve months. Artists are
competing for a $5000 first prize.
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Brief details of the artists:
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Karin Thurston (assisted by Steven Spence) is from Lightning Ridge in
NSW. Karen has had a number of exhibitions of her works and was
selected as a finalist in the 2014 Winton Art Exhibition. She has had
work featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. She has
been painting murals since 1995 and her works can be found at various
towns in NSW. Apart from her art work, Karen is also employed part
time as the Regional Indigenous Cultural Development Officer by
Outback Arts in Lightning Ridge. Karen will be assisted by Steven
Spence who has assisted her with the development of many of her
murals.
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Susan Greentree is from Georgetown, South Australia. She works in
various mediums and has won a number of awards for her work in the
art sections at shows in Mannum, Jamestown, Crystal Brook and Clare.
Susan has competed in the Jamestown Mural Festival in 2012, 2013 and
2014. Susan will bring a co-artist with her, J. Opie, to assist with the
mural painting.
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Kerry Nicholson has been painting for 40 years and will travel to
Rochester from Centenary Heights in Queensland. He has painted
landscapes, portraits and murals during his career, also owning a sign
company and working for a paint distributor. Kerry has been a
competitor at the famous Sheffield Mural Fest, Jamestown Mural
Festival and the Katikati Mural Competition.
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Paul Scott lives in Scarborough, West Australia. With a background in
earth moving and about to study Surveying, Paul has been a regular
competitor in the Sheffield Mural Fest and also at Jamestown. In 2012,
he was a finalist in the Bald Archy Awards – a cartoon spin off from the
Archibald Awards.
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Ellsworth Overton is from North Balwyn in Victoria. A member of the
Victorian Artists Society, Ellsworth has painted murals in Sheffield,
Victoria, the USA, Canada and Mexico. Ellsworth is known for his love
of the Australian bush and its creatures. He spends time travelling in a
mobile studio, painting his surroundings as he goes.
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John Stevens is the ‘local’ of the finalists living just up the road in
Echuca. John has been an artist for 40 years, owning and managing a
gallery in Echuca for a number of years during that time. He is well
known for his public projects which include the redgum sculpture at
the Moama Playpark, the Moama RSL Gallipoli diorama, and the Echuca
Alton Reserve wall mural. John has received numerous awards in local
art exhibitions and has had a number of solo exhibitions.
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Damian Cazaly is a visual artist from Fitzroy, Victoria. He has a wide
range of experience in public art including the painting a portrait of
John Lennon for EMI in celebration of what would have been Lennon’s
70th birthday, painting the face of two guitars for Maton, murals in a
number of fish and ship stores in Melbourne and murals in pubs and
bars. Damian has competed at Sheffield three times and in 2014 won
the Peoples Choice Award for that festival.
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Lynette Orzlowski is from Healesville in Victoria. Lynnette won her first
art competition at the age of 6 and has been building her skills and
knowledge ever since. With her airbrush talents, she has operated her
own signwriting business and is now nationally and internationally
recognized for her ability and knowledge as and artist as well as a
teacher. She paints a variety of wildlife subjects with a special focus
on equine art.
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For further information:
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Graeme Robertson 0409 236 211
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Sheila Kemp 0429 852 995
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The Rochester Festival is supported by the Elmore, Lockington and
Rochester Community Bank Branch of the Bendigo Bank, Echuca
Metaland, Committee 4 Rochester, Nelsons Silos, Rochester District
Planning Group, Rochester Development Group, DB and KN Fuller
Builders, the Shamrock Hotel, Shire of Campaspe, Mawson’s
Concrete, James Hardie, Resene Paints, Rochester IGA, Bunnings,
New Life Mobility Products, RACV and G1 Consulting,
Hammergraphics, McCullochs Bendigo and Murray Goulburn CoOp.