In 2024, CAOTR will present six workshops, in conjunction with educators from four regional galleries: Horsham Regional Art Gallery, Castlemaine Art Museum, Bendigo Art Gallery and Shepparton Art Museum. The program will also present with Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA) and at Gertrude's home location, Gertrude Contemporary (Preston South).

The first part of the program consists of formal presentations by educators from Gertrude, Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA), the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and the host organisations. This will include a presentation by Kathryn Hendy-Ekers, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. A presentation and hands-on workshop by a current Gertrude Studio Artist will form the second part of the program.

Nathan Beard will lead a workshop demonstrating the use of organic materials to create a Thai Baci offering in conical arrangements. Nathan Beard is a multidisciplinary artist who draws from his Australian-Thai heritage to unpack the porous nature of culture and memory. In exploring associations of ‘Thainess’ through archives, family history and popular media, Beard’s work reveals the slippery range of influences which shape identity.

Presenters: Kathryn Hendy-Ekers, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority; Melissa Bedford, Monash University Museum of Art; Sharon Flynn, Gertrude; and representatives from the partnering galleries and museums.

Should you have any concerns about accessibility, please do not hesitate to get in contact with Sharon Flynn on education@gertrude.org.au

Please note this program is available to regional and Low SES Victorian teachers as a priority. There is no cost for involvement however bookings are essential. Please call Gertrude to check eligibility.

Contemporary Art on the Road is an initiative developed by Gertrude Contemporary in partnership with Monash University Museum of Art and the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

Contemporary Art on the Road is funded by the Department of Education and Training Victoria through the Strategic Partnerships Program (SPP).