Announcing the Meg Viney-Bell Fibre Arts Fellowship for Gippsland artists

Regional Arts Victoria and Meg Viney-Bell are pleased to announce the inaugural Meg Viney-Bell Fibre Arts Fellowship for Gippsland artists wishing to grow their practice, explore their work, and develop new skills.

The intention of the $10,000 Fellowship is to revive fibrearts as an art form in the region supporting artists towards public presentation through exhibitions, artists’ talks or workshops.

The Fellowship was announced by Viney-Bell in Stratford today as part of the Regional Arts Victoria Annual General Meeting and Member Celebration.

As a fibre artist, Meg Viney-Bell concerns herself with the ‘nature of containment’ and what that means for emotional, spiritual and physical security. Her sculptures suggest that all life comes from a vessel, as something that holds and nurtures lifeforms from gestation to emergence – be it an egg, a cocoon, a uterus, a bud, a seedpod, a shell – the reality is Universal. Her work visits this central theme throughout her arts practice.

“The beauty in fibreart is of the physical and personal process of the artist. It is a rich cultural skill to work with natural materials in developing works of art that prioritise aesthetic value over utility. When artists come to me for mentorship or guidance, what grows is their authenticity and integrity of practise. It is a wonderful method of artmaking that is unique to the individual and their own cultural connection.” says Viney-Bell.

Administered by Regional Arts Victoria, the Fellowship opens on Thursday 1 August for artists residing across Gippsland who have a minimum two years’ experience in fibre arts.

”This is a wonderful opportunity for Gippsland artists, and an extraordinary gesture by a local practitioner,” says Joe Toohey, Regional Arts Victoria Executive Director. “We’re thrilled to be supporting Meg in realising her ambition to see fibrearts thrive in the East of our state.”

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak body for regional artists and arts organisations in Victoria and the leading organisation for regional creative practice in Victoria. We are inspired by arts across the state, and through partnerships, programming and projects, we develop creative practice all over Victoria.


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PDF available here.