The stawell railway Station gallery

Stawell was privileged to have received a national touring art quilt exhibition at Easter 2009 as part of the Grampians Art trail.  Australia Wide is an exhibition of quilts by members of Ozquilt Network Inc. The exhibition can be viewed on its website www.ozquiltnetwork.org.au

Ozquilt Network Incorporated was founded in 1998 as an Australia wide group of quilt makers interested in promoting contemporary quilts as art. Through its newsletter and website, and now this inaugural exhibition, the group aims to raise awareness of contemporary art quilt making. The Australia Wide exhibition demonstrates the scope and variety of the art form in Australia today, and showcases the varied talents of its members. Whilst respecting the basic form of the traditional quilt, the artists have broken away from conventional restrictions, expressing their own ideas in original, diverse and unexpected ways.  

46 quilts have been selected, along with 2 quilts by invited quilt artists.  All quilts conform to the specified size of 40 cm x 40 cm to allow for ease of packing and traveling.   

In 2009 Australia Wide has been traveling to Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland.

Five artists with a common love of textile making are working together to bring this outstanding exhibition to Stawell.  Lynette Cox Hayward, Sue Cunningham, Jean Curtis, Fran Deutsher and Carole Mc Gregor live in Stawell and Great Western, Victoria, and are members of the Contempo Textiles group.   This group will be presenting a small exhibition to accompany Australia Wide.  It will feature contemporary works with felt making, machine embroidery and quilting.  Their works are responses to their local environment.

This exhibition was proudly sponsored by the Northern Grampians Shire and Stawell Quilters Inc.