War’s fine art

Artist Calvin Bell and Holt MP Anthony Byrne are calling on members of the local community to attend this weekend's Holt Anzac Centenary Fine Art Exhibition.

By LACHLAN MOORHEAD

A WELL-RESPECTED group of Casey artists will this weekend launch its special Anzac centenary exhibition.
Provenance Artists, a not-for-profit group of local artists, was awarded a $22,605 federal grant in February to help put together the Holt Anzac Centenary Fine Art Exhibition on 4 and 5 July.
Holt MP Anthony Byrne this week thanked the group and member Calvin Bell for organising the event and called on the community to check out the exhibition, funded under the Australian Government’s Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program.
“I congratulate Mr Calvin Bell and the members from Provenance Artists Inc for organising the paintings for this wonderful event, which will showcase the finest Anzac art from 30 local leading artists,” Mr Byrne said.
Of the 30 featured artists, five will be student artists, five will be hobby artists, 10 will be emerging artists and 10 will be established Provenance artists.
Earlier this year, Mr Bell called on residents from the Holt electorate to lend any artefacts to the group that they may have of WWI, to be used as inspiration for paintings or even displayed at the exhibition.
Mr Byrne helped push for the grant, with two others also approved for local organisations, including $3420 for the Cranbourne Combined Patchworkers, and $814 for the Saffron Grove Retirement Village in Hallam.
As part of the exhibition, all the paintings on display will be donated back to the community after the show.
Any school, sporting group, community group or other organisation in Holt interested in displaying one of the Anzac paintings in their facility should contact Mr Byrne’s office on 9796 7533.
The Holt Anzac Centenary Fine Art Show will be held on 4-5 July at the Mechanics Institute Hall, 59 Webb Street, Narre Warren, from 10am-5pm. Adults $5, Students $2 and veterans free.