Friends annual exhibition as good as it gets

At last Tuesday night’s Campbelltown Council monthly meeting veteran councillor Meg Oates said this year’s Friends art exhibition was a “must see’’.

After 30 years on council Cr Oates knows what she’s talking about.

If you only visit Campbelltown arts centre to see just one body of work this year, make it the Friends of Campbelltown Arts Centre annual exhibition of some of our best local artists.

There are more than 100 works and most of them are devoted to all things local, from bucolic scenes in Macarthur country to the pristine waters of the Georges River.

And while not all works are local, when you come face to face with one of these it actually adds to the experience.

For instance View from Circular Quay by this year’s Focus artist Corrado Peluso of Harrington Park brings back memories of catching the train to Sydney and getting off at Circular Quay.

And Murray Sinclair’s Comb over satire of a certain powerful president introduces a dash of humour into the exhibition – no matter what your political inclinations.

The overriding sense of this exhibition is of instant recognition of what each work represents or reflects.

The paintings are all about place – our place – and that’s a nice feeling to see high quality paintings of places we walk or drive by from time to time.

And, mercifully, there isn’t an installation in sight, electronic or otherwise.

So if you happen to plan to take the kids iceskating in Koshigaya Park this weekend, the art gallery is a five minute walk away.

Cr Meg Oates urged everyone to see this exhibition, and I second the motion.

The Friends of Campbelltown Arts Centre annual exhibition is on between June 16 and Sunday, July 29.