GOULBURN Options Disability Support Services and U3A Seymour lit up the night with their 20x20x20 art show – a collaboration that spanned all ages and all abilities earlier this month.
The opening night glamorously brought the community together over art, fine food and refreshments generously gifted from local businesses.
Mitchell Shire Concert Band members entertained the guests with Sandy Wigtil Sexton on the flute and Eric Andersen on his trusty clarinet.
Emcee and Chief Executive of Goulburn Options Debbie Mitchell explained the concept behind the joint exhibition which featured 47 artists, many of whom were exhibiting for the first time.
“Goulburn Options Go Art team has a steep history of art in the local community,” she said.
“This year the regional calendar of events was so full that we postponed our winter exhibition.
“Instead, a spring exhibition was planned and coincidentally U3A approached us with their idea to run a combined expo. We jumped at the chance.
“We had a small works exhibition in mind and upon learning it was U3A’s 20th anniversary; that is how the 20x20x20 came about.”
The U3A group attributes its success to time tabling activities which stimulate their brains.
One of those classes is art with retired electronics engineer Barry Dunn.
Mr and Mrs Dunn moved from Greensborough to Seymour 35 years ago.
“It has the highway, medical facilities and it is paradise for an artist,” they said.
“I was one of the U3A early teachers. I started off teaching Information Technology, and then I was asked a couple of years ago to be the art teacher,” Mr Dunn said.
“We’re about someone having fun with a tube of paint, or whatever medium they want to use.
“It’s more social than it is art because they play against one another, they pick up and they learn.
“I honestly believe that if you get to a certain age group, you really, really need to keep doing things.
U3A President Irene Telford agreed and said what’s really shining in Seymour is the Arts.
“The collaboration between organisations is what’s making a huge difference,” she said.
“In our art classes, with Barry, we have large numbers, and the same with our intermediate and advanced music classes with John Barteon,”
Member Anne Thomson was thrilled with the exhibition and played a huge role in its concept.
“We’d like someone to teach us how to use AI next,” she said.
Congratulations to the lucky Tony Gooden, Lucy Nastasi, Zelda Poke, J. Smith, and M Brooks, respectively.
