Herring Island Exhibitions

Herring Island is an artificial island in the Yarra River. It was formerly managed by the scouting movement and is named for one of the movement's leaders. Herring Island is now administered by Parks Victoria.

Parks Victoria provides access to Herring Island via a punt from Como Landing (Melway 2M C3). This operates from 11:30 am to 5 pm on weekends and public holidays. The punt costs $2 per adult. Visitors may also visit Herring Island by arranging drop off and pick up from Southbank with the river cruise boats – most certainly with Melbourne River Cruises. Refreshments are available near Como landing at Kanteen café.

The gallery on Herring Island and its associated courtyard is the converted scout hall. Art exhibitions had been run in the gallery every summer during daylight-savings time for a number of years. In 2003 that summer arts program ceased, and the director moved on. The Association then ran an exhibition at short notice with the support of Parks Victoria. This was intended as a pilot for an ongoing relationship to continue exhibitions in future summers.

We ran further pilot shows in February 2004 and 2005, and November 2004. Records of these exhibitions can be found in the exhibition index. Artistically, the shows were excellent, and they have finally paved the way for the Herring Island Summer Arts Festival.

The 2010 festival runs from 9 January to 18 April and features five not-for-profit arts groups:

• Ceramics Victoria
• the Association of Sculptors of Victoria,
• the Contemporary Art Society of Victoria,
• the Koorie Heritage Trust
• and the Photography Studies College (Melbourne).

More information can be found on the festival website http://home.vicnet.net.au/~hisaf and the news website http://hisafnews.blogspot.com.

In 2010 the Association of Sculptors of Victoria will show work on 30th and 31st January, the 6th and 7th February and the 13th and 14th February. The gallery will be open from 11:30am to 4:45pm except on the last day when we shall close at 4:30pm. During the show there will be artist demonstrations in the courtyard.

The ASV will also be running demonstrations on Australia Day 26th January 2010.

2008 Summer Exhibition

The 2008 Summer exhibition is part of Herring Island Summer Arts Festival.

What's on show:

We generally show smaller works on Herring Island - everything has to be carried across to the island on the same punt that carries passengers to the island on the weekends. The courtyard is a good place to give demonstrations of sculpture - carving or modelling. The exhibiting artists will be sitting the show - come and talk to us.

Dates and opening hours:

• Gala Preview Friday 1st February 2008 6:30 pm departing from Southbank aboard Florence on the Yarra.
• Opening event (drinks and nibbles) 12:30pm to 2:00pm Saturday 2nd February 2008.
• Gallery open and demonstrations in the courtyard: 12pm to 5pm Saturday and Sunday 2nd and 3rd February, 9th and 10th February and 16th and 17th February.
• Exhibition closes: 4:30pm Sunday 17th 2008

Location:

Herring Island Gallery and Courtyard access is via Parks Victoria's punt service from Como landing.

Buying sculpture:

Sculpture will remain on show until the end of the exhibition, so if you buy a work then you can either pick it up yourself on Sunday 17th February after 4:30pm or arrange with the sculptor to deliver it - in the metropolitan area. Delivery can be arranged for further afield as required, but will be paid for by the purchaser.

2007 Summer Exhibition

Our Herring Island Summer Arts Festival show: Sculpture on the Stream, starts on 3rd of February with an informal opening - some drinks and nibbles. The work this year is a collection of smaller pieces in wood, glass, ceramics, bronze and stone. There are eighteen sculptors represented, and they will also be sitting the show and running demonstrations of sculpture techniques in the courtyard. There will be plenty of opportunity to talk to the sculptors about their work, and about the permanent collection of sculpture on Herring Island Environmental Sculpture Park.

The Island has suffered from the drought this year - however we live in hope that our exhibition's reputation for rain-making will bring a fresh flush of green. In the mean time enjoy the sunshine and the sculpture available on the island.

The Parks Victoria punt service from Como landing operates on weekends from 12 noon to 5 pm and the galley will be open for those hours. On the 18th February we shall close early (4:30pm) to allow sculptors from the country to start removing their work. Purchases can also be removed immediately after the closure of the exhibition, or the sculptor can deliver it to you (within Melbourne) after the show.

Groups wishing to visit the island and the exhibition during the week should contact Jenny Rickards 0418 97 18 97 to arrange access to the exhibition. The river cruise service Florence on the Yarra has indicated it can run cruises to the island - bookings are required: (03) 9682 2600.

Coffee is available near the Como landing from Kanteen café - there is no food for sale or rubbish collection on Herring Island itself.

Swan, by Janet Cameron	The punt at Herring Island	Baby Critter, by Rachelle Dale

2006 Summer Exhibition

The February exhibition was planned to run from Friday 4th February 2005 to Sunday 20th February 2005. Unfortunately a high intensity rainstorm hit Melbourne on the morning of our set up - so the exhibition was put off for a week. Likewise the rain caused massive flooding on the Yarra River and washed away the timber that had been stockpiled for use in our carving demonstration.

Nevertheless the exhibition was opened on the 11th February by Dr Phillip Moors, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, and ran until the 27th February. More wood was brought in for our carving demonstration, and so, luckily, we are able to offer the full, planned exhibition.

2005 Summer Exhibition Catalogue

An online catalogue featuring details and images for all works in the 2005 exhibition is now available. Last year's catalogue is now archived on the main exhibition index page.

2004 Spring Exhibition & Catalogue

Last November an exhibition ran from Friday 5th November to Sunday 21st November 2004. The spring exhibition featured the work of ten of our members with the exhibiting sculptors sitting the exhibition on a roster basis and available to talk to visitors.

As with the Summer exhibition, a catalogue of all works is available.