The Presidents Report
Borderline Regional Arts Annual General Meeting September 2025
At the end of another busy year, I’d like to say many thanks to all those members who pitch in to make stuff happen.
September 2024 kicked off with members’ strong representation in the Stanthorpe Art Prize. Congratulations to those who made it through to become finalists. Hot on the heels of that Borderline’s exhibition at Rosalie Gallery “Where I Find Peace” finished. Thanks again to Susan Heywood for coordinating and Sue Jurd and others who helped with transporting works.
In October we had our second Artists Retreat at Tumbledown. Visitor numbers were up from our first visit and 8 people enjoyed the chance to stay over. Our Christmas Picnic Meeting for 2024 was at Storm King Dam with lovely weather, lots of food and friends and the meeting was brief.
Borderline’s exhibition calendar continued in 2025. In May at Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery we had “Flat Out like a Lizard Drinking”. The number and range of works was amazing. Gallery staff and visitors commented on the high standard. A selection of work from this exhibition then went to Texas Regional Art Gallery. Thanks to Norm Clayton and Jane Henry for helping pack up at SRAG, Jane for transporting the works to Texas and coordinating the exhibition there. Thanks also to Jenni Gill and Sue Jurd for returning works and spreadsheeting. It was great to see many Borderliners at the opening and later Instagram feedback included positive comments from the galleries at Goondiwindi, Warwick and Gunnedah, as well as from visitors to the gallery. Next, our exhibition in August at Artworks Gallery in Stanthorpe “Prints on the Border” which also gives Borderline a place in the Granite Belt Art Trail. Thanks to Sue Jurd for organising that.
Borderline members then really went to town with unrestricted size and work numbers in our exhibition at Ceramic Break Sculpture Park at Warialda, ”Larger Than Life” which opened 7th September. Thanks to Sue and Bob Jurd for loading up their caravan to take the work out and Linda and Geoff Nye who will be bringing it back in another caravan. Our exhibition planning for next year, with grant assistance. takes us from Gunnedah to Surat via Glen Innes.
Our first grant application was to Creative Australia and was unsuccessful, we had another chance with Create NSW. Thanks go to Denise N.Rall who helped get the submission into a new format, backed by Sue Jurd with budgeting. Our new application, Regenerating Art Communities, was approved at the beginning of 2025. Part of the reason for its success was its emphasis on Cultural Access (a listed Priority Area for Funding) and its reach across the region from Liston to Deepwater with 4 workshops. These have been well attended so far with one more to go. Feedback has been very positive, and new members have joined up. The tutors have been impressed by Borderline’s culture of inclusiveness, and our drive to expand members’ experiences.
Thanks also need to go to members of the executive and committee who have kept up with the legislative changes for small associations – moving into a new era of bookkeeping and accounting – treasurer Sheryl Wright, which has also impacted the minutes secretary -Denise N.Rall .Also for jumping in whenever needed thanks to Vice President Sue Jurd, for maintaining the Borderline website, Gay Landeta, and for coordinating the Art Market Elisabeth Muller. Thanks to Jayne Barrett who now retires from being our email secretary for many years.
For Borderline to continue to be successful as a network and support for artists we need as many hands-on as can be mustered, so thanks again to all those who have put their hands up over the past year.
Liz Powell 11/09/20
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