Waste to Art

6 – 29 April 2012
Courtyard Gallery

Waste to Art is a community art exhibition and competition which showcases creative works made from reused & recyclable waste materials. The aim is to challenge perceptions about ‘rubbish’ and to celebrate the reuse and recycling of waste through arts and crafts.

Schools, community groups and individuals have taken up the challenge and created a new life for materials that would otherwise have been thrown away or considered useless. Instead of ending up in landfill these waste materials have been turned into fantastic works of art.

“It is always exciting to see the innovation and creativity artists put into an issue they are passionate about,” said Mayor Neville Castle. “We are especially pleased this year with the inclusion of works by two school groups, Year One from Cooerwull Public School and the Support Unit from Lithgow Primary School. The creativity and energy of children is always inspiring and we look forward to many more entries by schools in the future.”

Mayor Neville Castle will officially open the exhibition at 12 noon on Saturday 14 April. An early afternoon tea will be served with a chance to meet the artists and discuss the works.

Sir Joseph Cook, Richard Northey and Robert Pillans: Fraternal Lithgow 1890–1927  Exhibition

5 May to 29 July 2012
Courtyard Gallery

Eskbank House and Museum is proud to announce an exhibition that examines the role of a number of key people and organisations from Lithgow’s past: SirJoseph Cook, Richard Northey and Robert Pillans were members of trade unions and friendly societies who contributed greatly to Lithgow’s development.

Sir Joseph Cook started as a coal miner, rose to become Prime Minister of Australia and was knighted in 1918. He was a member of both the Oddfellows and the Freemasons.

Richard Northey and Robert Pillans were involved in founding the Eight Hour Day campaigns. Robert Pillans was also involved in the formation of the Lithgow Co-operative Society, and in the 1911 Blast Furnace Strike.

“Using objects and images from the Eskbank House collection, this exhibition reveals some of Lithgow’s most interesting people and stories. There will also be an opportunity for visitors to add their own recollections of the objects, images, people and organisations on show,” said Lithgow City Council Mayor Neville Castle.
“This is a unique opportunity to see many of Council’s historical objects that have not previously been on public display, in one of Lithgow’s important historical houses,” said the Mayor.

Past Events

Uncovering Connections – Exploring Lithgow City Council’s Art Collection

During the recent cataloguing of Council’s art collection several mysteries were uncovered, art works with no title, artist or any identification. The local community is being asked to visit Eskbank House and see if they can uncover the connections between the art and Lithgow’s heritage.

The exhibition “Uncovering Connections – Exploring Lithgow City Council’s Art Collection” will run from until 1 April 2012 at Eskbank House and Museum in the Courtyard Gallery. Locals are encouraged to come and take a look at the art works and record any details they might know about them. Many are portraits and locals may be able to identify relatives or friends as the subjects of the paintings. Others may recognise the style of an art work or even be able to identify a specific art work as being created by someone they know. The staff at Esbank House and Museum are looking forward to hearing all these stories and putting together the history or our mysteries.

To assist people in accessing the exhibition an Open Day will be held on Saturday 17 April with free admission to Eskbank House and Museum for the day. Why not bring a picnic and enjoy the grounds after your hard detective work?

Faces in the Street – A Salute to Henry Lawson
Written and performed by Max Cullen

Performances begin at 4.30pm and 7pm on Saturday 11 February 2012
Tickets cost $20 and are available at the front counter at Eskbank House and Museum.

Max Cullen brings his one man show “Faces in the street – a Salute to Henry Lawson” to Eskbank House and Museum in Lithgow.

Max Cullen is regarded as a living legend, the esteemed elder statesman of stage and screen, and celebrated artist (also born in the Central West).

From humble beginnings, Lawson became one of our best known and best loved poets and story tellers. But how well do we really know him? Suffering from deafness and possibly bi-polar disorder, as well as alcoholism, the bush poet and political radical we think we know, had a dark side that included madness, addiction, separation and loss.

Max’s play “Faces in the Street – A Salute to Henry Lawson” takes us on a journey, focusing on Lawson’s life as well as the development of his writing career and growing nationalism. Max will only be giving two performances of this special play in Lithgow. Eskbank House and Museum is a fitting historical setting for a  play about  a man who had such an impact on Australian identity.

“Balmy Harry”

Art works by Max Cullen

Open from 11 – 26 Feb 2012

Exhibition Launch and Book Signing
5pm
All welcome

This is an exciting exhibition consisting of some of the portraits done by Cullen over the years, inspired by Henry Lawson and the work of the great masters.

The official launch of the exhibition will begin at 5pm on Friday 10 February 2012 at Eskbank House and Museum. Max will be available to meet guests and to sign copies of his memoir “Tell ‘em nothing. Take ‘em nowhere” (published by Pan McMillan). Copies of this book can be ordered at A Reader’s Heaven at 35 Main Street, Lithgow.

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet an Australian Icon, Max Cullen and to experience this enlightening exhibition about one of Australia’s best loved sons, Henry Lawson.