Iconic industry

ICONIC INDUSTRY, the 2017 Exhibition of the #VacantGeelong project Opening on Wednesday 23rd August 2017 at the National Wool Museum (5.30pm, formalities at 6.00pm). ICONIC INDUSTRY is a major exhibition in the series of research productions of the #VacantGeelong project. It is at a pivotal point of the project's growth and capacity building. The #VacantGeelong project has established cross-faculty research, and gained external funding (CoGG and Creative Victoria). In 2017 it has established an industry partnership with the National Wool Museum with both cash and in-kind funding, and with the support of SEBE and the Arts and Education Faculty. Beginning with an exhibition of one Australian/international artist in 2016 the #VacantGeelong project has had immense community engagement in 2017 through its Open Studio programme in the North Geelong studio where the artists worked (Local Artistic Community engagement, and general Public with Past Ford workers (see SBS National News on Sunday May 28). In June 2017 the #Vacant Geelong Project took part in the London Festival of Architecture, where I also chaired a Roundtable Discussion held at the Patrick Heide Contemporary Art gallery. The ICONIC INDUSTRY Exhibition will be followed by a Symposium on Friday 22nd September; participants will include industry, business, politicians and professionals (planners and architects), as well as artists, art critics, art directors, in order to expand the scope of the project.

The National Wool Museum has recorded attendance at the Opening to be 160 persons and the overall ticketed attendance throughout the run of the Exhibition is 2,570 people. In addition to this 244 school children participated in the community engagement event within the exhibition. Deakin students engaged with the exhibition as part of their curriculum researching Geelong's history collaborating with Museum staff and the public .