EXHIBITIONS

The Great Alpine Gallery is an artist-run gallery located in the picturesque village of Swifts Creek in the beautiful Tambo Valley, far south-eastern Australia.

The Gallery features the work of local artists in all media as well as a range of exhibitions throughout the year.

Themed exhibitions are held and you may also find an exhibition from a particular artist. Want to hold a gallery event then contact us? The gallery also presents travelling exhibitions and takes part in region-wide events such as the East Gippsland Winter Festival. 

Share your passion. Would you like to chat about your creative ideas at the gallery? We can host an artists chat.

It’s also worth checking out the workshops on offer at various times throughout the year, presented by both local and visiting artists.


Current Exhibitions

Previous Exhibitions

Voice of Video – Artists’ Films


24nd June – 29th August, 2022
Light 

Come and join us for a warming mid-winter celebration! Artworks in all media.

Part of the East Gippsland Winter Festival.
Great Alpine Gallery, 6881 Great Alpine Road, Swifts Creek VIC 3896


2nd July – 30th August, 2021 
Fire and Rain 

An exhibition of work by local artists reflecting on cataclysm, regrowth, beauty and vulnerability. Please think about making some work on this theme, this will be a very special and personal exhibition for us all.

We would love you to take the time to reflect on the experiences of the last couple of years in terms of our environment, both the beauty and the challenge of it – drought, fire, floods, wind, and whatever journey this has taken you on. The wildness of this place is what brings many of us here, but of course living with wildness means a lot of extremes and unpredictability.


September, 2021 
Alpine Exposure 

Alpine Exposure which was due to open on 9th April 2020 has been rescheduled due to the Pandemic virus. Now At East Gippsland Art Gallery, Bairnsdale 2021. 10 September to 16th October


February, 2021 
Tales From The Tambo 

View Films
https://vimeo.com/showcase/talesfromthetambo


September, 2019 
Off The Wall 

The Great Alpine Gallery in Swifts Creek goes back to the future

The Great Alpine Gallery is launching its latest exhibition OFF THE WALL on Friday 13th September 2019 at 6pm. 

Following the renovation of the gallery earlier this year, the exhibition will feature reinterpretations of the calico that lined the walls for twenty years.

“We’ve given out squares of calico to be painted, dyed, sewn, sculpted, incorporated into installations, re-imagined in any way possible for the exhibition”, says Gallery President Tracey Johnson. “It’s a neat way of keeping the original spirit of the gallery on the walls even though they are now beautifully plastered and painted!”

The gallery is one of the oldest volunteer run galleries in Victoria, if not the oldest, and features works by local and Gippsland artists.

The OFF THE WALL exhibition runs from 13 September until 28 October. The Gallery is open Thursdays to Mondays, 10.30am to 3.30pm, and by appointment at other times. 


June, 2019 
Living River 

The Waterbugs are on display at the Great Alpine Gallery until 2nd June – don’t miss it, they look stunning!

The Living River launch was a spectacle of light and colour, even more joyous with a heavy fall of much-needed rain! About 60 people attended the launch with illuminated waterbugs hung in and around the Gallery, and a small group walking the Poets Walk in the rain as Dave Butler read John Butler’s poem from each of the completed stone cairns. 

It was a truly celebratory night and great tribute to John Butler, whose vision for the Poets Walk is now complete, with six stone cairns and flood marker cairn along the walk beautifully restored by stonemason Ted Cole.

Work will continue over the coming years with improvements to the walking track and further regeneration along the riverbank – keep your eye out for working bees.


October, 2018 
20 Years: Water Under the Bridge 

The Great Alpine Gallery celebrates 20 years this October and is one of the longest running volunteer run galleries in Victoria, if not the oldest.

Started up by local artists to provide an outlet for creative people in the area, the gallery began life in Omeo, before moving to Swifts Creek, where it has flourished and continues to provide a valuable outlet for East Gippsland artists and crafts people. 

To celebrate GAG are launching their 20th anniversary exhibition 20 YEARS: WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE on Sunday October 14th, starting with a champagne brunch at 11am. The work of the founding group will be acknowledged with founder/artist Deirdre Jack doing the launching honours. As well as a photographic display of the past twenty years, the exhibition will showcase current members’ high quality art, crafts and artisan works.

The exhibition runs from 3 – 28 October and all are very welcome.


June, 2018 
Fresh off the Mountain

Five artists from the Great Alpine Gallery spent a productive two weeks at the Falls Creek Artist-in-Residence Program in February, with visits by an number of other Gallery artists. Deirdre Jack, Penny Carruthers, Anne Richardson, Tiffany Forster and Tracey Johnson will be exhibiting work produced during the residency at the Gallery from 8th June, with works by special guest artists Lynn Lochrie, Jenny Coy, Ann Bingham and Carole Pepper also on display.

Come and join us for the exhibition opening on Friday 6th June at 6pm. The artists will share a short reflection on their time at the residency, and information on the residency will be available for those interested in applying.


2018 
Great Alpine Arts Trail

The 2018 Great Alpine Arts Trail was curated and presented by the Great Alpine Gallery on behalf of the community, artists, artisans and crafts people of the Tambo Valley from Tambo Crossing to Benambra.

It was a huge success with over 20 events, workshops, talks, open studios, installations and markets. While our artists and craftspeople benefited financially from the Trail, it was also a great delight to see new connections being made, old ones being revitalised, and talk about future projects, groups and activities abounding. 

More information on the Great Alpine Arts Trail 2018 page or view the event’s image gallery on Facebook.


March, 2018 
Apothecary – folk remedies, bush cures

Cook up some arty goodness! The Great Alpine Gallery is joining in the celebration of 100 years of Bush Nursing in Swifts Creek with an exhibition inspired by folk remedies and bush cures. Make some art for Apothecary – art as a cure, wacky medicine, home remedies, whatever inspires you!

Work to be delivered to the Gallery on Wednesday 7th March, then join us for the opening at 11am on Sunday 11th March, with Merrybelle Hayes sharing some tall and true bush nursing tales.

The exhibition will run until 8th April.


September, 2017 
Sofie Dieu – Artist Residency

Sofie Dieu presented the works she has created during her residency, and those produced by the community in her workshop, at the Gallery on Sunday 3rd September at 2pm. Sofie gave an artist talk about her work and her art practice which was very inspiring.

Sofie is a visual artist working across many media, including ink and paper, charcoal, textiles and installations. Originally from France, Sofie lived in China for 4 years before moving to Australia eight years ago. Based in Sydney, Sofie has a strong affinity with rural areas and regularly visits Victoria’s high country on the northern side of the ranges.

Sofie’s approach to art making draws strongly from collaborating with community: “All personal narratives are fascinating and worth of celebration, from the most decadent stories to the compelling and humbling life experiences of people living in the media spotlight or remotely, in the Australian bush. People grow in, with, through my art. People and their direct environment are motivating my work. I represent people, I collaborate with them, share their stories.”

An exhibition of some of her work that has been done in the area on the residency plus that of the community are being shown at the Great Alpine Gallery for around 2 weeks.


July, 2017 
W I N T E R – Photographic Exhibition

Let the wintry season inspire you to take some great photos for our next exhibition at the Great Alpine Gallery. Works need not be framed for this exhibition as we have a magnetic hanging system. The work can explore the theme in any place, in any way – and the elements of design (line, shape, form, texture, colour, pattern, space, value)

Digital works may also be accommodated – please contact the Gallery if you have ideas you would like to discuss. Work to be delivered to the Gallery on Wednesday 26th July, with artist details, title, and selling price (if for sale). The exhibition will open on Friday 28th July at 5pm – come and warm your heart with some mulled wine! 


April, 2017
Unearthed – Lost Things Found

The next exhibition will be held from 23rd April to 31st May, on the theme of lost things found and re-made. We would love to see lots of innovative new work, in any medium. Drop off work to the Gallery on Wednesday 19th April.

The exhibition will open on Sunday 23rd April at 9.30am in conjunction with a (f)route breakfast – served with some fresh fruit-flavoured kombucha brewed by Judith Wong! Judith, unearther of many Alpine marvels, will open the exhibition. Then head over to the Albion Hotel for the Harvest Exchange to swap some local produce – what a fruity feast! 


May, 2017 
Great Alpine Arts Trail

It’s on again, the enormously popular Open Studios in May – but with a foodie twist. This time known as the Great Alpine Arts Trail, the route will stretch from Bruthen to Omeo and includes galleries, studios, pop up art spaces, art in pubs and cafes, and great local food and wine. It will be held the over the weekend of 6-7 May. To see the full program go to Great Alpine Arts Trail 2017.


September, 2016 
ə.par.əl

‘outfits from another world’

Coming up in September, weird and wonderful interpretations of ‘clothing’ . . . anything that can be worn on the human (or non human) body . . . using any medium – weaving, knitting, crochet, painting, drawing, welding, clay, photography, and off course those weird old things at the back of the wardrobe . . . all as seen through an artists eye.

Drop off work to the Great Alpine Gallery Wednesday 7th October, Opening Friday 9th September at 6pm


May, 2016 
Woven Creations

Come and see the works created during the Artist in Residence with Wanda Bennett in Omeo held in May 2016.


May, 2016 
Weede

This was a weed themed exhibition from May 7th – 29th, 2016.

Painting, drawing, basketry, printmaking were on display, all on the theme of weeds of the Tambo Valley.

A celebration opening of Weede at the Great Alpine Gallery was held on Friday 6th May at 6pm.


May, 2016 
Come and Play All of May

Visitors explored the breathtaking Tambo Valley during May and celebrated the Arts of Gippsland with us. A map and picnic basket were taken and visitors made their way through country lanes, met the artists in their handmade studios, took part in workshops and master classes, sampled local gourmet food, and bought local art.

The Great Alpine Gallery hosted open studios and workshops in May 2016. Artists ran open studio sessions throughout the Great Alpine Region and a weekend full of creative workshops.

Download the Open Studios and Weekend Workshops Brochure in PDF format.

See the Creative Gippsland website for more details of these and other events throughout Gippsland, and to make bookings.


2015 
Tributaries: Portrait of a Regional Town

Photographers Anne Richardson and Lynden Nicholls created an exhibition in early 2015 based around the images they had captured distilling the culture and community of their small country town, Swifts Creek, and the local area.

Tributaries: Portrait of a Regional Town Photographic Exhibition opened to great reviews and later took to the road to feature in other galleries around Victoria. The video below, created by local film-maker Michael Firus, shows the opening of the exhibition and some of the photographers’ works. 


2014 
The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

In 2014 the Gallery celebrated the 150th anniversary of the publication of Lewis Carroll’s classic fantasy novel “Alice in Wonderland” by holding an exhibition based on The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. A video of the event, created by a young local film-maker Michael Firus, can be viewed left.