The Art Of Wool

Discover fashion and fine art in The Art of Wool exhibition which matches award-winning garments by International Woolmark Prize designers with inspirational paintings and artworks by leading Australian artists. The exhibition shows the significance of wool in the artistic and design imagination of Australia from the 19th century through to today.

The exhibition features paintings drawn from the exquisite collections of the New England Regional Art Museum including the work of Sydney Long, Thomas Cooper, Blamire Young and Emily Kame Kngwarreye. These significant artworks are paired with the avant-garde fashion designs from the International Woolmark Prize archive at The Woolmark Company including the work of Alistair Trung, Christopher Esber, Dion Lee and STRATEUS.CARLUCCI.

Don’t miss this visually stunning display which blends beautiful artworks with innovative fashion design to showcase the quality of Australian wool.

The Art of Wool exhibition is presented by The Woolmark Company and the New England Regional Art Museum. The project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Ministry of Arts Visions of Australia program.

Events & Workshops

During the month of January, the gallery will host floor talks, specialised workshops and a children’s art trail. A special part of these public programs is presented by The Manning Fibre Artists, I wool, if you wool, a collaborative residency, as part of the gallery’s artist-in-residence program, The Wall Project, which will explore all things wool in four Acts, Act 1 - Spinning a Yarn, Act 2 - Feelings Felt, Act 3 - A Stitch in Time, Act 4 - Weaving Wool Bring us Together. The Manning Fibre Artists will play the roles of the alchemists, magicians, story-tellers, historians and artists, while friends and visitors to the gallery will play the Magician’s Apprentices, co-creators, audience and future story-tellers. During the residency, there will be workshops on offer at the gallery, ranging from felt-making, sculptural woven tapestry wall hangings, freestyle/free form knitting and crochet, drawing with yarn, painting with fibre, fabric collage, and basketry. To coincide with the residency, there will be an exhibition of the Manning Fibre Artists at A Little to the Left Studio and Gallery in Taree.

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A New England Regional Art Museum and Australian Wool Innovations Travelling Exhibition. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Ministry of the Arts Visions of Australia program.