Historical enCounters
enCounter Updates
enCounter is an initiative of Orana Arts through the Volunteers. Artists. Museums. Program (VAMP) project funded by the NSW Government through Create NSW, and supported by South East Arts and West Darling Arts, a demonstration of the Regional Arts Development Organisation networking to collaborate and bring creative practitioners together from across the state to work, collaborate and share. See the VAMP page for background information on the project.
May 2023: New museum enCounters in Gilgandra and Trangie
The Volunteers. Artists. Museums. Program (VAMP) project, enCounter launched at two museums on Saturday, 29 April, with even more museums involved across the State in what has been a multi-media, multi-creative museum project. Writers, artists, friends, and visitors gathered at the Gilgandra Museum and the Wungunja Cultural Centre in Trangie to see the official opening of installations by Nat Ord and Vanessa Keenan, and Rob Salt respectively. Both sites feature video works and installation works and open a new level of understanding to the museum displays. The Gilgandra Museum also includes a number of stunning photographs that show a new perspective of the faded paint of an old tractor.
The audience also took part in the launch of the enCounter book, an anthology of nine works from writers across NSW about experiencing a museum. enCounter was curated by Fiona MacDonald, an experienced museum curator and artist with a long interest in the way in museums tell stories. We highly recommend dropping into Gilgandra or Trangie to see these new installations or to buy a copy of the book. The book will also be available via our Shop in coming weeks.
enCounter was funded by the NSW Government through Create NSW. An initiative of Orana Arts, enCounter is supported by South East Arts and West Darling Arts.
ABOVE: Photos from the simultaneous launches in Trangie (top row) and Gilgandra (middle and bottom rows).
April 2023: Simultaneous launch in Gilgandra and Trangie
On Saturday 29 April at 11am at Gilgandra Museum + Wungunja Cultural Centre at Trangie, we're simultaneously launching two museum installations AND a book of stories inspired by the collections of our regional museums.
enCounter is a project designed to connect museums, creatives, and audiences in regional NSW. Working with museum volunteers, curator Fiona MacDonald and the enCounter artists and writers have drawn out stories, found new voices, and created new and transformative experiences for visitors.
The artists and writers are Nat Ord and Vanessa Keenan (Gilgandra Museum), Robert Salt (Wungunja Cultural Centre), Helena Pastor, Catherine Moffat, Val Clark, Jason Richardson, Deborah Henley, Jamie Derkenne, Margaret (Peggy) Aitken, Alex Rosenblum, and Leah Szántó.
The cover of the enCounter book to be launched 29 April by writer and artist, Jason Richardson.
December 2022: Writers workshop with Ruth Little
The Orana Arts VAMP enCounter project writers met at Port Macquarie for a weekend of workshops and discussions about writing, museums, and where the two intersect. Led by dramaturg, writer, and educator Ruth Little, the writers explored the meaning of narrative truth in literature and in history, shared personal stories connected to objects, discussed writing styles and structures, and mapped aspects of their draft story ideas. They also took the opportunity to extend their writing network and make new friends.
Thanks to Ruth Little for her amazing mentorship and vast wealth of knowledge, to Fiona MacDonald, lead curator for enCounter, and to South East Arts, West Darling Arts, and Arts Mid North Coast for their support.
November 2022: Museum artists-in-residence
GILGANDRA MUSEUM: On 2 November, artists Nat Ord and Vanessa Keenan and enCounter curator Fiona MacDonald were welcomed to Gilgandra museum by members of the volunteer team to begin a three-day enCounter artist residency. Keen to immerse themselves in the collection, Nat and Vanessa were treated to personalised tours of the vast local rural agricultural and Gilgandra community history collection by long-time volunteer’s farmer, Max Zell, and local historian Shirley Marks.
With morning tea on the staff room table, curious artists and Gil volunteers shared stories of the challenges of working regionally to keep local histories accessible and relevant, what collection items had particular interest to the volunteers present and what might be possible outcomes of the artist’s work. In the afternoon, research focused on the town of Gilgandra on the banks of the currently flooding Castlereagh River. The artists investigated the town library’s local history resources, the newly developed Coo-ee Visitor Centre, Breelong historic site, town architecture, farming infrastructure and the environment. The day was rounded out with an after-dusk visit near Armatree to see a work dedicated to long haul drivers a Haunting by Tracey Moffatt.
The following days were spent by the enCounter contingent in close study of the collection, with Nat Ord rising to the challenge of photographically responding to the vastness of agricultural machinery collection while Vanessa dived into the collection archive chasing down unique stories of local identities.
WUNGUNJA CULTURAL CENTRE, TRANGIE: Regional Aboriginal artist Robert Salt and enCounter curator Fiona MacDonald recently visited the Wungunja Cultural Centre, Trangie for a short residency. The Centre was established in 2017 to protect the culture and heritage of the Aboriginal people of Trangie.
This residency was a very important part of the artistic process, where Robert spent time becoming familiar with the Centre, engaging and listening to the local community, connecting with the town of Trangie and surrounding country.
Robert will now reflect on this visit, continuing his research, spending more time in the Centre, listening, then developing a digital artwork. Fiona and Robert appreciated the hospitality of the local community and the potential of the Wungunja Cultural Centre to inform and connect with visitors.
As an artist, Aboriginal person, and someone passionate about regional life, Robert is very appreciative of this opportunity and would like to say Maandaang guwu - Thank you to all who contributed to his visit.
What’s next?
The artists are now working on developing work for exhibitions in March 2023.
PHOTOS (top to bottom/ left to right)
1. Nat Ord at Gilgandra Museum
2 Gilgandra Museum registrar Shirley Marks, with Nat Ord and Vanessa Keenan
3. Nat Ord and Vanessa Keenan with Gilgandra Museum volunteers, Shirley Marks and Bob Rogers
4. Rob Salt at Wungunja Cultural Centre
5. Rob Salt with with Phil (who’s been digitising the collection), Terrie Milgate, (Trangie LALC CEO), and Diane Smith (Trangie LALC chair)
