Tom Roberts: A Community Tribute to the Legacy of an Australian Master

This exhibition is a community celebration and exploration of the life, artistic influence, primary subject matter, and masterful techniques of one of Australia’s most revered artists, Tom Roberts (1856–1931). The timing is highly significant, coinciding with the 170th anniversary of Roberts’ birthday and drawing attention to his well-known historical links to our region—Corowa, the birthplace of Federation. “All Australian paintings are in some way a homage to Tom Roberts” was an observation made by Arthur Boyd. This sentiment could imply that as techniques and influence have passed down over time from master to mentee, most artists can trace some “artistic ancestry” leading back to Tom Roberts. Bringing together emerging talents and established practitioners from across NSW and Victoria, this exhibition pays homage to that rich artistic genealogy. Highlights from the exhibition include: • A life-size mosaic rendition of Shearing the Rams by Kala Jarda that took over two years to complete, featuring hundreds of thousands of glass shards. • Selected works developed from Christine Porter’s onsite studies at the Newstead shearing shed—the same site made famous by Tom Roberts. • The screening of Write Around the Murray’s panel talk ‘The Story of the Shearer’ with best-selling author Kate Grenville, sculptor and visual artist Andrew Whitehead and curator Sophie Gerhard from the National Gallery of Victoria who discuss the classic painting Shearing the Rams, and the story it tells about regional communities. Tom Roberts: A Community Tribute to the Legacy of an Australian Master is on display from 5th March until 18 April. Corowa Art Space open hours are Tuesday – Friday, 9.30am – 4.30pm and Saturday, 10 am – 2 pm.