Sister Cities Australia Award Winner
Category Entered:	Category No. 7 | Single Project
Entrant Name:	Mosman Municipal Council
Name of Project:	The Art of Friendship Exhibition

18 October – 9 November 2008

Participating Sister Cities:
Glen Innes NSW; Norfolk Island; Mudanjiang (China); Paciano (Italy)

Summary:

The Art of Friendship was an art and craft exhibition held at the Mosman Art Gallery & Community Centre in 2008. Initiated by Mosman Council, the exhibition celebrated and enhanced the Friendship community / Sister City relationships it has established and developed over the past ten years with Glenn Innes Severn Council, NSW, Norfolk Island, Mudanjiang in China and Paciano in Italy. The exhibition was planned as a feature event of the 2008 Mosman Festival to gain maximum exposure to the local and regional community.

The Art of Friendship exhibition presented the creative impulses and achievements of 41 artists and craft practitioners with a total of 73 artworks. Diverse in style and content, the artworks included carved and painted ostrich eggs, intricate paper cut designs, fine bone jewellery, pandanus mats and clothing, oil paintings and watercolours, pen and ink drawings, prints and photographs.

These fascinating artworks explored a wide range of subjects that revealed distinctive characteristics, traditions and customs of each community. The influence of Celtic Culture was apparent in paintings and photographs from Glen Innes while the signs of the zodiac inspired bold and lively designs from a Mudanjiang artist. The small town of Paciano and its surrounding rural landscape were the source of picturesque photographs that evoked a medieval world untouched by modern life. A descendent of the Bounty from Norfolk Island paid homage to his past and an association with Tahiti in the form of a beautiful necklace.

The Art of Friendship exhibition provided a wonderful opportunity for the residents of Mosman and surrounding districts to see a distinctive range of art and craft works and learn about Mosman’s Friendship Communities / Sister Cities with other parts of the country and the world. It also provided an important opportunity to strengthen the relationship between Mosman and its Friendship Communities / Sister Cities.

The exhibition opened on Saturday 18 October and closed on 9 November. The official opening function was held in conjunction with the launch of the Mosman Festival on Friday evening, 24 October and attracted approximately 400 guests. The exhibition attracted almost 3,000 guests during the period of display, including members of the communities of Glenn Innes and Norfolk Island.

The exhibition was organized by the Mosman Art Gallery & Community Centre and funded by Mosman Council.

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