Perth
ArtsNational Perth welcomes you.
ArtsNational Perth (formerly ArtsNational Perth) is a not-for-profit member-based organisation run by a dedicated committee of volunteers. We offer a stimulating annual lecture program covering a diverse range of subjects including visual arts, architecture, fashion, music, literature and more.
Members are kept up to date with regular electronic newsletters and our more expansive quarterly newsletter which can be accessed via the button to the left or from links at the bottom of this page. Plus you can find regular updates and general local arts information on our Facebook group and Instagram pages. Please join our growing community of arts lovers in these social media channels and subscribe to our eNews here.
Lectures:
Venue:
Lectures are held at the State Library of WA Theatrette, 25 Francis Street, Northbridge
Time:
Most lectures are held on a Saturday afternoon. Please refer to the lecture program below for details.
Registration:
In order to manage venue capacity, Members are required to register their attendance on Trybooking.com for each lecture – use the book here buttons below or search ArtsNational Perth (+ lecture name).
Membership:
Annual Membership Single – $200
Annual Membership Couple – $390
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL OFFER
From 18 November – 2 December only
Single: $180
Couple: $350
Guests welcome:
Unless otherwise stated, we welcome guests to all our events. Please use the Book here buttons to purchase tickets at $25 per lecture.
All ticket purchases and member registration can be done at www.trybooking.com
Enter ArtsNational Perth into the search bar, date of lecture, and postcode 6003
Contact:
For all enquiries please email: perth@artsnational.au
Postal Address: PO Box 7072 Shenton Park WA 6008
ABN: 33 564 259 095
2024 LECTURE AND EVENTS PROGRAM
Saturday 10 February 2024
THE HIGH SUMMER OF AKHENATEN AND NEFERTITI
Presented by Guy de la Bédoyère
Time and Venue: 1-2.30pm State Library of WA Theatrette, 25 Francis Street, Northbridge, 6003
Between 1356–1332 BC during Egypt’s 18th Dynasty a young royal couple, Akhenaten and Nefertiti led an explosive revolution in religion, art, and culture. There was a revolution in how the king and queen were depicted in painting, relief, and sculpture, creating one of the most clearly defined artistic eras in world history. A short and very confused period followed their deaths which emerged with Tutankhamun’s abandonment of Amarna and the restoration of the old gods. This lecture covers the history and art of this short but remarkable time.
Guy de la Bédoyère is a British historian who has published widely on Roman Britain and other subjects. He took an archaeology and history degree at Durham University and a paper on Egyptology. His special interests are the Roman Empire and Roman Britain and coinage (ancient and modern). Guy has made regular appearances on archaeological television series as a historian, usually for episodes relating to Roman or military archaeology.
Saturday 10 February 2024
DOMINIA THE WOMEN WHO MADE IMPERIAL ROME
Presented by Guy de la Bédoyère
Time and Venue: 3 -4pm State Library of WA Theatrette, 25 Francis Street, Northbridge, 6003
An extraordinary fact about the Roman Empire is that the first five emperors (Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero) were members of the same family but not one was the son of his predecessor. The bloodline passed down through the female line. This Julio-Claudian’s dynasty conferred on them exceptional power. Some almost ruled in their own right, challenging the customs and traditions of the male-centric Roman world to the core. This talk looks first at the status of women in the Roman world, the expectations placed on them by Roman society, and their exclusion from any political status or entitlements.
Guy de la Bédoyère is a British historian who has published widely on Roman Britain and other subjects. He took an archaeology and history degree at Durham University and a paper on Egyptology. His special interests are the Roman Empire and Roman Britain and coinage (ancient and modern). Guy has made regular appearances on archaeological television series as a historian, usually for episodes relating to Roman or military archaeology.
Saturday 9 March 2024
THE WORLD OF PEARLS
Presented by Clare Blatherwick
Time and Venue: 2.00-3.30 pm State Library of WA Theatrette, 25 Francis Street, Northbridge, 6003
The allure of pearls has been documented from ancient times with evidence of the use of pearls in the Arabian Gulf region dating back to 4000BC. In ancient Rome, according to legend, Venus herself was born of the sea like a pearl. The Romans thought pearls were formed from the teardrops of the gods, or perhaps a result of clams capturing dewdrops in the moonlight. This talk looks at the amazing variety of types of pearls, from those produced by oysters to marine snails, how they are found and some of the most famous pearls in the world, including those that belonged to Mary Queen of Scots.
Clare Blatherwick is an independent jewellery consultant with over 20 years’ experience in the industry. She spent 10 years as Head of Jewellery for Bonhams in Scotland, which involved travelling internationally searching for unique jewels to auction. Clare has a passion for the historical aspect of jewellery and lectures widely on this in both the UK and the US. Clare is also a member of the Society of Jewellery Historians.
Sunday 10 March 2024
NEW MEMBERS MORNING TEA
Time and Venue: 10.00am, Seaview Golf Club, Cottesloe Cnr Jarrad and Broome Street
Come and meet new members of ArtsNational Perth at Sculpture Inside, Sculpture by the Sea at Seaview Golf Club. There will be an overview of ArtsNational and a time to ask questions over morning tea and meet some committee members.
A member of Sculpture by the Sea will talk to our group and walk through the exhibition. Wander amongst the Sculpture Inside works and meet other new members of ArtsNational Perth
Before or after the session take the time to look at the wonderful sculptures on Cottesloe Beach. There is parking available at the golf club.
If you would like to attend please register for catering purposes at CLICK HERE
Friday 19 April 2024
LA BAYADERE – THE TEMPLE DANCER
Time and Venue: 7.00pm His Majesty’s Theatre, Hay Street, Perth
West Australian Ballet and ArtsNational Perth package.
This ballet is renowned for its demanding choreography. Uncover the beauty of pure technique! This reimagining of this classic tale delivers equal parts drama and romance. Discover exquisite pas de deux sequences, solos and a fascinating variety of ensemble dances.
David McAllister, is the current invited artistic director at WAB. He joined The Australian Ballet in 1983 and quickly moved through the ranks, culminating in his appointment to Principal Artist in January 1989. His final dance performance was in 2001 where he became the company’s artistic director; a role he held for two decades. La bayadere is McAllister’s first ballet as guest artistic director and is sure to have a robust impact.
Enjoy access to the Patrons Lounge pre-performance and at interval, programme and an A- reserve seat in the dress circle at His Majesty’s Theatre.
This ballet performance is selling fast so, avoid disappointment and book now.
This is an ArtsNational Perth members only event.
This package is for an A reserve seat, a programme and entry to the Patrons Lounge pre performance and at interval. Refreshments are served in a quieter and more convenient atmosphere. CLICK HERE if you would like to book seats.
Thursday 16 May 2024
BEHIND THE SCENES
Time and Venue: 5:15pm, WA Ballet Centre, 134 Whateley Crescent Maylands
WAB and ArtsNational Perth: Behind the Scenes
State: Contemporary Vision
Behind The Scenes provides an opportunity to see a rehearsal of an upcoming ballet – State: Contemporary Vision
State: Contemporary Vision is the fusion of classical and contemporary ballet. This season will showcase an electrifying collaboration between West Australian Ballet and Co3 in “New Creation” and “Carnivale.6,” promising unexpected twists and a powerful communal experience inspired by Spanish bullfighting and historical events.
This exclusive behind the scenes experience will allow you unparalleled insight to the creative process and offer the chance to see the dancers and creatives up close in the studio.
This is an ArtsNational Perth members only event.
Saturday 25 May 2024
ARTSNATIONAL PERTH AGM
Time: 12:30pm
Venue: Art Gallery of Western Australia theatre, Entrance off James Street.
Members – this is a chance to hear how your society is performing and an opportunity to ask questions about your organisation.
All members will receive notification of meeting agenda and reports ahead of time.
Your committee looks forward to welcoming you to the ArtsNational Perth AGM 2024.
The AGM precedes the Roger Mendham lecture on the Power of Photography.
Please attend. It is expected there will be a minimum of 30 minutes between the AGM and the lecture.
Saturday 25 May 2024
THE POWER OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Presented by Roger Mendham
Time and Venue: 2.00-3.30 pm State Library of WA Theatrette, 25 Francis Street, Northbridge, 6003
Photographs have the ability to stop time, to provide a freeze-frame of a moment in both time and space. They give the observer the opportunity to think, to react, to feel and soak in the details of the circumstances surrounding the image. This talk examines some the most important photographers and images of the past century. It explores why these images are so powerful and influential in our understanding of history.
A keen and accomplished photographer, Roger Mendham has gained distinctions from the Royal Photographic Society and is currently the President of the Surrey Photographic Association. His artistic taste is predominantly 20th Century, and he is particularly interested in the visual aspects of art. His photography concentrates on shapes, textures and colours. He has studied the history of photography from its earliest developments in the early 1830s to becoming a major art form in the late 20th and now 21st Century. An experienced public speaker, his presentations are all richly illustrated and this talk incudes the background to some of the greatest photographs ever taken.
Saturday 6 July 2024
SUBLIME VISIONS: THOMAS COLE AND THE 19TH CENTURY AMERICAN LANDSCAPE
Presented by Alan Dodge AM CitWA
Time and Venue: 2.00-3.30 pm State Library of WA Theatrette, 25 Francis Street, Northbridge, 6003
Thomas Cole was the father of what was called the Hudson River School as the subject matter of much that he and his colleagues painted was provided by the river views north of New York City, plus areas in New England. The concerns of Cole, the influence of the ever-changing understanding of geological theories, the attempts to find natural symbolism of the presence of God in the landscape and finally the way 19th Century paintings and photography led to the national parks movement in the USA as well as underpinning the concept of ‘Manifest Destiny’.
Alan R. Dodge AM CitWA, and Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, has served in the art museum world for over 40 years. In 1975 he was Senior Research Officer of the fledgling Australian National Gallery (now NGA), where he stayed for 21 years. The former Director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, is an Honorary Fellow by Edith Cowan University and was recognised with an honour in the Order of Australia (AM) in 2008, for service to the arts. In 2011 Alan was named WA Citizen of the Year, Culture, Arts and Entertainment. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from both Murdoch University and Curtin University.
Image: Thomas Cole – View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm – The Oxbow, 1836
Saturday 27 July 2024
FROM THE EAST INDIES TO INDONESIA: Legacies of colonialism and fine art in Indonesia, 1830 to the present day
Presented by Vivienne Lawes
Time and Venue: 1–2.30pm State Library of WA Theatrette, 25 Francis Street, Northbridge, 6003
The post-war change of name from East Indies to Indonesia reflects changes in fine art practice. The period covered is one during which local artists began to look away from the West (particularly Holland) towards the native artisanal and ritual practices that represent notions of national identity.
The evolution of fine art in Indonesia is considered from ancient motifs through to the Modernism in the mid-20th Century. The lecture concludes with political commentaries leading to the pro-democracy revolution of 1998 and subsequent contemporary art.
An art historian, art market analyst and curator/ writer, Viv Lawes combines a hands-on career in the art business with research and teaching in higher education at several London-based universities. Her courses include The Art Market, History of Western Art and Design 1350-1970, and Asian Art.
Viv has curated numerous exhibitions of Southeast Asian contemporary art in London and Singapore. She writes for many publications and private clients, for both academic and general readership.
Image: Cheong Soo Pieng (1917-1983) Rice Pudding1980 Courtesy of Larasati Auctioneers
Saturday 27 July 2024
POWERHOUSE OF THE EAST: The British tradition, Modernism, and fine art in Singapore
Presented by Vivienne Lawes
Time and Venue: 3–4pm State Library of WA Theatrette, 25 Francis Street, Northbridge, 6003
An art historian, art market analyst and curator/ writer, Viv Lawes combines a hands-on career in the art business with research and teaching in Higher Education at several London-based universities. Her courses include The Art Market, History of Western Art and Design 1350-1970, and Asian Art.
Viv has curated numerous exhibitions of Southeast Asian contemporary art in London and Singapore. She writes for many publications and private clients, for both academic and general readership.
Image: Raden Saleh, The Deer Hunt 1846 Mesdang Museum The Hague Wikimedia Commons
Saturday 24 August 2024
THE MAKING OF THE MET: The grandest American museum
Presented by Andrew Hopkins
Time and Venue: 1–2.30pm State Library of WA Theatrette, 25 Francis Street, Northbridge, 6003
The temple of Dendur occupies the west wing of this museum, which was specially built to house this new arrival, gifted by Egypt to the United States in 1967 during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. Another wing displays the celebrated early Italian Renaissance collection of Robert Lehman, scion of the now demised investment bank, while its expressionist holdings are one of the best in the world. Jayne Wrightsman donated all her fabulous Louis XIV furniture and bequeathed $80 million dollars for further acquisitions. Countless other grandees of old and new New York society donated their prized possessions and paintings and this talk examines how the Met, from its founding in 1870, was and remains the greatest and grandest museum in America.
Previously Assistant Director of the British School at Rome from 1998 to 2002 and since 2004 Professor at the University of L’Aquila. Part of his PhD was awarded the Essay Medal of 1996 by the Society of Architectural Historians (GB). Andrew Hopkins was a Fellow at Harvard University’s Villa I Tatti in Florence in 2003-2004, and in 2009 was the Paul Mellon Senior Visiting Fellow, Center for Advanced Studies in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Saturday 24 August 2024
THE KENNEDY WHITE HOUSE: the art, architecture, and gardens of Camelot
Presented by Andrew Hopkins
Time and Venue: 3-4pm State Library of WA Theatrette, 25 Francis Street, Northbridge, 6003
This talk is about the White House’s most celebrated twentieth century residents – John and Jackie Kennedy. Others had been, perhaps, more intellectual, such as Eleonora Roosevelt, certainly others utterly perfidious, just to name Nixon for one, but no other couple who inhabited the White House were ever so glamorous, sophisticated, and celebrated. Of course, they will never be forgotten given the tragic end to the Kennedy presidency, but this has tended to overshadow the astounding aesthetic and artistic changes made during their relatively brief tenure. The creation of the Rose Garden, interiors restored seriously, based on historical research and items belonging to the house throughout its history were purchased and returned.
Previously Assistant Director of the British School at Rome from 1998 to 2002 and since 2004 Professor at the University of L’Aquila. Part of his PhD (Courtauld Institute 1995) was awarded the Essay Medal of 1996 by the Society of Architectural Historians (GB). Andrew Hopkins was a Fellow at Harvard University’s Villa I Tatti in Florence in 2003-2004, and in 2009 was the Paul Mellon Senior Visiting Fellow, Center for Advanced Studies in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.
Saturday 5 October 2024
PUZZLING OUT PICASSO
Presented by Alan Read
Time and Venue: 2-3pm Social Science Lecture Hall, University of Western Australia, Hackett Drive, Crawley
How can you best understand one of the most prolific, complex, and influential painters of the 20th Century? By taking just ten of Picasso’s paintings this lecture will examine his life and attempt to explain the evolution of his painting styles through a career that spanned more than seventy years. Looking at the genesis of each work, examining its biographical meaning, its moment in history and its significance in the canon of modern art this will reveal the truth behind this most enigmatic and powerful artist.
Alan Reid holds a master’s and first-class honours degree in History of Art from Birkbeck College, London. He is currently a gallery guide at Tate Britain and for many years was a guide at Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery in London. He has lectured at both London Tates, the NPG, Dulwich Picture Gallery and for many other galleries in the UK. He also works as a London Blue Badge Guide and a City of London Guide.
Saturday 2 November 2024
CABINETS OF CURIOSITY
Presented by Andrew Spira
Time and Venue: 2-3pm State Library of WA Theatrette, 25 Francis Street, Northbridge, 6003
Museums are a relatively modern invention. Before they became standard features of capital cities in the 18th and 19th centuries, the great collections were private. They were assembled by monarchs, princes and natural philosophers and consisted of everything from natural wonders (including unicorn horns) and magical relics (e.g. fragments of Noah’s ark) to ingenious devices and objects of human artistry, including paintings. Such collections were not divided into art, science, natural history, and technology as they are in modern museums. They all fitted together as one overall representation of the known and half-known world. Who assembled them? What kinds of things appealed to them, and why? And how did they classify and understand them? And what can we learn from this very different way of seeing things?
Andrew Spira studied at the Courtauld Institute and Kings College, London. For several years, he worked at the Temple Gallery, London (specialists in Byzantine, Russian and Greek icons) and as a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum where he worked on the British Galleries and for the Silver, Metalwork and Jewellery Department. Subsequently he was Programme Director at Christie’s Education for 14 years. Besides lecturing extensively on a wide range of subjects, he has taken numerous groups on cultural visits to Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Romania, Crete, Turkey, Tunisia, and all over Europe.
Committee
Chairperson:
Kay Campbell
Membership:
Fiona Johnson
Secretary:
John Palmer
Treasurer:
Aislyn Shepherd
Marketing:
Leanne Casellas
Youth Awards Convenor:
Mariana Atkins
Committee Members:
Ellie Flowers Collins
Kevin Jackson
Membership Enquiries: perth@artsnational.au