GBMCAN Grand Finale Event

The Edge Cinema Gallery Katoomba
3pm – 6pm+ 19 October 2024

The Greater Blue Mountains Creative Arts Network will be winding up its Blue Mountains Artists Company by December 2024, due to loss of financial viability through 2024-2025 to meet all our fixed costs. To celebrate our more than 20 years of effort in supporting the Blue Mountains arts community, we invite you all to join us for our Grand Finale Event at The Edge Cinema in Katoomba, on Saturday 19 October 2024 from 3pm.

At the event, we will also be announcing various new initiatives being undertaken to continue our collective engagement with the world of the creative arts.

Event Program

3.00pm     Launch of the 2024 Regenesis Anthology: Weaving Connections

                 —Barbara Lepani and Zac Quinn

                 Talks by winning entrants

·     Short Story

·     Poetry

·     Art Prize

3.30pm     Open discussion about the works

4.00pm     Opening of GBMCAN Art Exhibition

                 —Curated by Corinne Hemsley

4.30pm     Opening of Mountain of Youth Exhibition

     Documentary Loop of Student Engagement

                 – Discussion with Kalani and Helena and student MOY crew

5.00pm     Cinema theatre showing of short films, Dream Link and Soles, introduced by Kalani Gacon

6.00pm +   End of an Era Legacy Party

Schmooze and booze gathering in downstairs gallery area

                 Drinks from the bar and light refreshments provided

                 Live music

                 Thank you and Outline of new pathways forward across the arts

Our Many Thanks to Members and Partners

We take this opportunity to thank our Patron, John Chapman and the current members of GBMCAN’s Management Team: President, Barbara Lepani; Vice President, Sharon Howard of Gang Gang Gallery; Company Secretary, Tim K Jones; Treasurer, Melissa Chambers, Media Manager, Brad Diedrich; Art Exhibitions, Corinne Hemsley; Live Music, Willem Hendriksen, and Performing Arts, Marty Bright. During recent times, other community members who have put their hand up to serve on the Management Team include: Graham Tribe, Warring Neilsen, Julie Ankers, Peter Shoemaker, Brooke Broughton, Ian Brown, Deborah Sheehan, Simon Hearn, Wendy Tsai, Sabine le Tourneau, Jo Kot, Selena Seifert, Beverly Taylor, Virginia Franken and the Blue Mountains Arts Trail community of artists.  We thank them, and all the other members of the creative community who have been part of the GBMCAN family over the last 20 years, for all their efforts.

We would also like to thank all the creatives in our community who, over the years, have supported us through becoming financial members and contributing to our various art exhibitions and multi-arts events. In particular we would like to thank our Network Partners who have formed a vital part of our cultural ecology in the spirit of our commitment to co-creation: Gang Gang Gallery, The Edge Cinema, Mountain of Youth, the Regenesis Collective, Rosey Ravelston Books, Kindlehill School, Blackheath Neighbourhood Centre, Gallery H and Mark O’Carrigan in Dargan, Radio Blue Mountains, Talking Artz, Retro Rehash, the Bowerbird Collective, Lithgow Arts Trail, Hotel Etico, Australian Earth Laws Alliance, and the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative.

Those of us who have been active developing and running GBMCAN events are busy developing plans to continue our efforts to support the community of creatives who contribute so much to our quality of life. You’ll hear about our plans at the Grand Finale Event on 19 October.