What a splash: Ruse artist collects top prize in first attempt

Some of our keen eyed readers would remember a feature story on Ruse artist Celeste Wrona a few weeks ago.

The story mentioned how Celeste had not been exhibited in the Campbelltown art gallery, despite a growing popularity in Sydney, Australia and overseas.

Two of Celeste’s works were included in the 2016 Friends of the art gallery collection that went on exhibition at the start of the month.

Not only that, we are happy to report that Celeste won first prize in the Friends collection.

The exhibition will continue until the end of the month if you’d like to pop down to the arts centre and take a look.

Indeed the whole exhibition, which also includes works by some of the artists who call Wedderburn home, is highly recommended.

In an age when most contemporary art leaves most of us cold, this exhibition is one that is easy to appreciate and connect with.

♦ Now that the federal election is out of the way, you’d think there would be a collective sigh of relief.

Well, sorry, but there’s no time for that because in less than eight weeks, on September 10 to be exact, we have to head out and vote again, this time for local councils.

All three Macarthur councils are up for reelection as none were involved in amalgamations.

It’s early days yet but I hear there’s no love lost between two sitting councillors in Campbelltown since a prominent sport identity made a decision to run on the ticket of one of them.

The second councillor, the one who missed out, has got his nose out of joint because he expected the sport identity to run with him.

And then there’s the case of a former councillor – former deputy mayor indeed – also of Campbelltown, who’s not returning the calls of a current councillor.

Why? Because the former deputy is running his own team so he’s got nothing to say to the competition.

Just can’t wait to see what else the next eight weeks throws up.

♦ Out in the real world and away from politics, a little bird tells us that the Shepherd Centre, a charity which helps deaf children through its hearing programs, is set to open a branch right here Campbelltown for the very first time.

The plans for a Campbelltown centre have been in the pipeline for a while and it was just a matter of raising the money needed.

A few days ago the Shepherd Centre received a donation of almost $1m, which my sources tell me will now make it possible to open in Campbelltown.

The nearest Shepherd Centre at the moment is located in Graham Avenue, Casula.

If you’d like to find out more about what the Shepherd Centre does visit their website here.

♦ A local footy club has got some of its players out in the real world too, to make sure they stay in the straight and narrow path.

You will hear a lot more about this soon, but the players have really embraced a club project which gets them really close to homeless people.

The message is obvious: this is how your life could end up if you don’t make the right choices.

Watch this space.