A UNIQUE multicultural community group arts exhibition will be launched on March 6 at OneArts Gallery on the Gold Coast to celebrate Queensland Women’s Week from March 3 to 13 and International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8.
Women in Conversation features 26 artworks by south-east Queensland artists including Glennys Briggs, Helen Holmes, Nafiseh Ebrahiminejad, Gayle Morris Reichelt, Inessa Ivascanin and Nasrin Vaziri.
Mrs Vaziri, who founded the Gold Coast Multicultural Arts Group in Collaboration (GCMAGIC) in 2000, said the exhibition celebrated women’s leadership and strength.
“The arts and creativity make a great impact on social issues like domestic violence, racism and mental health,” Mrs Vaziri said.
“We want to encourage women to stand up for their rights and raise their voices against gender discrimination.”
The ladies have been preparing for the exhibition since November 2021 and are grateful for part funding from the CHART program (Federal Fund for Museums and Galleries) and private sponsorship from Helen Saba – the principal director of NGU Real Estate in Brisbane.
The launch will feature live cultural music and group dancing, conversations, networking and artists sharing their stories.
Guest speakers will be Rita Anwari Sultani – founder/ leader of Women Empowerment and Leadership and Ms Australia World Ambassador Leila Loei.
“Our mission/ vision is for ‘creativity for community awareness and solution’,” Mrs Vaziri said.
During March, GCMAGIC will also host events with conversations about the impact of art in mental health.
Since 2016, GCMAGIC has been doing annual events to celebrate Queensland Women’s Week and IWD.
Mrs Vaziri founded the non-profit group in November 2000 to help struggling artists, especially from ethnic backgrounds.
Highlight projects over the years include Bitter Sweet – a book of diverse women’s voices; Children of War book and original Lullabies in 23 languages including a CD, book and YouTube video clip; the Quilt of Diversity mosaic at Gold Coast Botanic Gardens and theme art exhibitions and cultural events.
GCMAGIC has launched a new monthly newsletter called Bricks this month, which includes information on GCMAGIC projects and activities.
Other upcoming projects this year include Pomegranate Connections visual arts, photography and videography workshops/ exhibition, a multicultural fiesta and digital/ costume presentation, seminar on the impact of arts and health, NAIDOC Week celebrations from July 3-10 and arts and craft market in November.
The Women in Conversation art exhibition is open from 10am to 3pm from Tuesdays to Fridays from March 6 to 23. Drinks and nibbles will be provided at the launch and entry is free. For more details, visit the Gold Coast Multicultural Arts Facebook page or www.gcmagic.org.au
