An exciting Arts OutWest Exhibition showcasing some of the region’s talented visual artists as they each respond to original music reflecting on the challenging and changing times over the past few of years is now open in Condobolin.
The ‘While the World Waits’ Exhibition was officially opened on Friday, 17 March at the Condobolin Community Centre, and features Condobolin artist Bev Coe.
The launch also included original music played live by local music star Adam Kereszy from Lake Cargelligo, one of the musicians from the While the World Waits compilation album.
“The last couple of years have been tough in the arts,” Exhibition Curator, Arts OutWest’s Steven Cavanagh, explained.
“Lockdowns and loss of work ran right across all artforms. Live shows took a hammering. We wanted to help by creating opportunities for those most affected.
“In 2021 Arts OutWest commissioned 15 Central West songwriters to each write a track reflecting their experiences of 2020.
“We created a compilation album of original music titled ‘While the World Waits’. Then we opened the conversation up to visual artists to see what they were feeling.”
The selected artists were asked to use the music as a jumping off point and inspiration for new work. The resulting While the World Waits Exhibition is work of 20 artists, each responding to one or more tracks, title, or words on the album.
The Exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, ceramics, moving images, animation, photography, glass, and textiles.
Artists featured in the exhibition are Gus Armstrong (Rylstone), Laura Baker (Blayney), Helen Carpenter (Grenfell), Steven Cavanagh (Hill End), Gemma Clipsham (Bathurst),  Bev Coe (Condobolin), Heather Dunn (Bathurst), Lise Edwards (Lithgow), Harrie Fasher (Portland), Robert Hirschmann (Portland), Cate McCarthy (Yetholme), Hugh McKinnon (Orange), Christine McMillan (Kandos), Shani Nottingham (Cowra), Timothy Seager (Bathurst), Henry Simmons and the River Yarners (Bathurst), Bridget Thomas (Bathurst), Jane Tonks (Orange), Heather Vallance (Orange), Stephan de Wit (Parkes).
The Exhibition will run until Saturday, 15 April. It will be also open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm.
The While the World Waits exhibition will visit venues across Bathurst, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Mid-Western Region, Oberon, Orange, Parkes and Weddin Local Government Areas during 2023.