Internationally acclaimed, Central West visual artist Mandy Martin put her Micro Grant towards materials and freight for her 2021 Freemantle Biennale project.
Arts OutWest provided $21,000 in micro-grants to assist 23 individuals and organisations in our local arts community during the Covid-19 crisis (more here about the grants and recipients).
We checked in with Mandy to see how the project is travelling and how necessary this support was at this time.
Mandy Martin received a Micro Grant of $455.
What did you do with your Arts OutWest Micro Grant?
I used the funds to buy art materials and assist with freight from Melbourne for the project in development for “Crossings”, the Fremantle Biennale 2021.
Further Covid delays and price increases meant that I was only able to afford the freight company, Moving Pictures, to deliver everything to Canberra on the eve of the most recent lockdown and I borrowed a ute and drove to Canberra for them.
I am now happily working in the studio on preparatory studies [pictured above] and am currently installing the suite of six canvases ready to paint in due course. I received money as well from Sidney Myer and the Survive Ozco funding so with Art OutWest, I pulled together a total of 4k which came closer to paying my materials and freight which is terrific as all other gigs and sales have stalled and been postponed and I was ineligible for Job seeker. Tristen Parr, on behalf of our project recently received a small development grant from the Mindaroo trust in WA which will cover the development en situ when travel restrictions are lifted and engage an Indigenous mentor.
What were the benefits gained from your Arts OutWest Micro Grant and how did it help you or others during the Covid-19 crisis?
The direct benefit of my Arts OutWest Micro Grant grant is that we are able to participate in this high -profile event. The program and the location allocated to us are exciting and it will not only promote the Climate change issues we are presenting but will also promote us as artists, hence AoW. We have been open about the work challenging the notion that there should be a gas lead recovery from Covid and see our role as artists as part of the democratic right to question this industry and government push.
My morale was directly boosted by the small funding grant from AOW and during a period where the arts have been so summarily treated by our Federal government, any small investment has great impact.
About the artist:
Mandy Martin
Mandy Martin is a practicing artist who has held numerous exhibitions in Australia, Mexico and the USA. She has also been exhibited in, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Italy. Her works are in many public and private collections including the National Gallery of Australia , most state collections and regional galleries. In the USA she is represented in the Guggenheim Museum New York; the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the Nevada Museum of Art, Reno and many private collections.
Area’s of interest for Mandy include Painting, Printmaking, also within the context of Environmental art workshops in remote regions and Climate Change artist run initiatives.
She lives in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia.
“Crossings” is scheduled to be exhibited at the Freemantle Biennale in November 2021.