ISSUE 112 | 24 November 2008 | nga.gov.au/Calendar

Degas
master of French art
BUY TICKETS
Opens 12 December | nga.gov.au/degas

For the first time audiences in Australia have the opportunity to see an exhibition devoted to one of the most significant and admired French artists of the nineteenth century, Edgar Degas.

The National Gallery of Australia presents important paintings and sculptures by Degas, as well as his pastels, experimental monotypes and photographs. The exhibition draws works from major Degas collections including the Musée d’Orsay, Paris; Musée des Beaux Arts, Pau; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the National Gallery of Art, Washington; and the J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.



top image: Edgar Degas  Jockeys on horseback before distant hills (Riders before hilly country) (detail) c 1884 oil on canvas   Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit  Gift of W Warren and Virginia Shelden, in memory of Mrs Allan Shelden Photograph © 1998 The Detroit Institute of Arts
Part of the upcoming Degas exhibition

Gods, ghosts and men
Pacific arts from the National Gallery of Australia

10 October 2008 — 11 January 2009 | nga.gov.au/GodsGhostsMen

Contemporary Pacific dance workshop
Saturday 29 November 11 am–12.30 pm
Dr Katerina Teaiwa, Pacific Studies convenor, ANU, choreographer and founding member of the Oceania Dance Theatre at the University of the South Pacific, presents a collaborative workshop in contemporary Pacific dance, central to Pacific Island cultural expression, with Julia Gray, choreographer and director of Sunameka Pacific Island Performance from Darwin.
$15; $10 members/concession | Bookings essential Small Theatre

Spirits of the sea: art from the Solomon Islands
Tuesday 2 December 12.45 pm
Kevin Conru, collector, dealer and author in the field of Oceanic arts, discusses the art of the Solomon Islands.
Free | Orde Poynton Gallery and Project Gallery

Sacred pigs: ritual and materialised spirits in Vanuatu
Thursday 4 December 12.45 pm
Dr Kirk Huffman, Honorary Curator, Vanuatu Cultural Centre, and Research Associate, Australian Museum, discusses the art of Vanuatu, including the Charpentier collection in the exhibition Gods, ghosts and men.
Free | Orde Poynton Gallery and Project Gallery

A trans-Tasman kahukuri (Maori dog-skin cloak)
Saturday 6 December 2.00 pm
Keren Ruki, contemporary Maori artist, speaks about the construction method, materials and meaning of the kahukuri (Maori dog-skin cloak) in the context of New Zealand's Maori textile culture.
Free | Small Theatre

image above: Mathew Salle  Papua New Guinea, New Ireland Bird and snake fighting [Turu] 2004 (detail)  wood, ochres, shell National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Gallery events

International Day of People with a Disability
Through a different lens: short film event
Tuesday 2 December 5.30 pm
A program of films by, with and about people with a disability, introduced by Rick Randall, Director, The Other Film Festival. In partnership with ACT ArtsAbility and the Human Rights Commission. Event will be sign-interpreted and the films captioned. Refreshments will be served prior to screening. For a complete list of films being screened, please visit NGA event highlights.
Free | bookings essential (02) 6205 2222 or human.rights@act.gov.au | James O Fairfax Theatre

Canberra New Music Ensemble
'Carter and friends'
Sunday 7 December 3.00 pm
Performed by Miwako Abe: violin, Noriko Shimada: bassoon, Margaret Legge-Wilkinson: piano.
Canberra New Music Ensemble presents a concert celebrating the 100th birthday of eminent American composer Elliott Carter, including works by Carter, Charles Ives, Luciano Berio and Stephanos Malikides.
$30; $20 members/concession; $15 students
Free for children under 12 | Bookings (02) 6240 6504 enquiries (02) 6282 5797 | James O Fairfax Theatre

image above: NAB Sculpture Gallery, National Gallery of Australia.

Members events

Members' Christmas shopping night
Members only | Thursday 27 November 5.30–8 pm
Exclusive Christmas shopping with free gift wrapping and 20% discount on all purchases (excluding already reduced items). Special signings of three titles in the NGA’s Printed Image series – Papua New Guinea prints, Australian artists books and Redback Graphix, and the opportunity to preview the Degas product range.

Members' wine tastings
Saturday 29 November 3.30–5.00 pm
Continuing a year of fine wine in the context of art, the exotic themes in the exhibition Gods, ghosts and men inspire tastings that feature wines from around the world.
Free for members; $5 non-members |  Members' Lounge

Christmas wishes Children’s Christmas Ballet
Saturday 6 December 11.00 am–12.00 pm
National Gallery of Australia membership presents the beautiful Christmas ballet Christmas wishes performed by students from the Gale Edwards School of Ballet.
This performance is perfect for old and young alike.
$10 children; members and their guests
Bookings essential | James O Fairfax Theatre

Become a Gallery member today – visit us at nga.gov.au/Members

image above: Elaine Russell Little orphans (detail) 2004 synthetic polymer paint on paper National Gallery of Australia, Canberra © Elaine Russell
image below: Edgar Degas  Dancers, pink and green (detail)
c 1890 oil on canvas  Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
HO Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs HO Havemeyer, 1929. Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Part of the upcoming Degas exhibition

Gallery information
Open daily 10 am – 5 pm | nga.gov.au | +61 2 6240 6502

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For bookings email eventbookings@nga.gov.au or call +61 2 6240 6504 or freecall 1800 020 068