Friends of Hazelhurst President's Report 2023

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March 1, 2024

Friends of Hazelhurst President's Report 2023

Membership

New and renewing members have been growing throughout the year. In January 2023 there were 444 members registered, at the end of December, the membership stands at 610.

Due to a strong membership and a healthy financial situation the committee was able to approve the purchases of twenty tables on lockable casters for the art studios at Hazelhurst and a new bedroom suite for the Broadhurst Cottage for the artists in residence program.

Website: The committee contracted Trina Johnson from Fruitful Creative to create a new website for the Friends. We launched it in June.

WEBSITE STATS

	Nov 23	Dec 23
Visits	166	205
Page Views	327	389

E-Newsletter

Members were emailed two FOH e-Newsletters via Mailchimp per month. Averaging 67% openings per e-Newsletter.

Social Media

Facebook: 219 followers.

Instagram: 122 posts, 752 followers, 206 following.

Membership Changes

As we near to celebrating 30 years for the Friends of Hazelhurst and the 25 years of Hazelhurst Art Centre, the Friends committee in consultation with the Hazelhurst staff agreed it was time to make changes to the Friends of Hazelhurst membership fees and benefits. We haven’t made a change like this in more than 10 years.

The Hazelhurst Art Centre did not renew the benefit of being a Friend, 10% discount on art classes.

Sebastian Goldspink, Director of Hazelhurst said, ‘to continue this offer would mean the cost of art classes would have to increase dramatically to cover costs and we don’t want to do that.’

There are many benefits of being a friend including artztalks, artist talks, tours, the Friends on Show annual exhibition and hopefully the enjoyment that comes from supporting Hazelhurst and its programs. The FOH committee 2024 is looking forward to working more closely with staff at Hazelhurst in promoting events around exhibitions and special event days plus more for our members to enjoy.

Thank you

Thank you to the very talented and committed committee members for their guiding assistance. Together we created the Friends event calendar which provided our members with a stimulating and educational program for everyone to participate and enjoy.

Karen O’Tool, Robyn Jordan, Myriam Pulger, Robert Mander, Monica Renaud, Jillane Mander, Alison Duff, Tamara Pavlovic.

The FOH committee wish to thank the very hard-working staff at Hazelhurst, for their continued support and assistance with our membership processes and promotion, the Friends on Show exhibition and suggesting new creative ideas for events has made the Friends 2023 year a success.

We are most grateful for the professional support with the creative flyers and guidance of our events through Stephanie in marketing.

The Friends of Hazelhurst committee rely on the following computer resources and companies to assist with the following tasks.

Square – for the online payment of Friends on Show entry fee.
Jot form- for the online artists application to Friends on Show.
Cash Manager – to manage all the banking & financial transactions.
Mailchimp – to create and deliver by email FOH e-Newsletter, Membership reminders and other event reminders and promotions at Hazelhurst Art Centre.
Appastic – Membership manager data & base.
Summers & Summers Accountants – for the annual Audit.
Fruitful Creative – Website design.

Friends of Hazelhurst 2023 Events program and Art Awards.

List of Services

ARTZTALKS

There were seven ARTZTALKS presented throughout the year.

Magnificent Milan, Dr Nick Gordon.
Mingei: Japanese Folk Craft, Dr Kathleen Olive.
THE SYDNEY MODERN PROJECT, Steven Miller.
An Artist’s Journey to Fowlers Gap, with artist Idris Murphy.
Nature is not Perfect, May Barrie Sculptor 1918-2014, Graham Kime.
Art in Science, Australian Floods in Infrared, Chad Ajamian.
Bella Figura, Italy’s influence on Figurative Painting, Artist Steve Lopes

This event is an opportunity for the members and their guests to enjoy ART & CULTURE Lectures in the Hazelhurst Theatrette by experts in their field of work and interest.

Afterwards in the Hazelhurst Cottage tea & coffee is served.

Friends of Hazelhurst $10 | Non-members $15

225 people attended these talks.

The Sydney Modern Project
20 May

Reshaping and reinventing the Art Gallery of NSW, 150 years on. With Steven Miller

Having celebrated its 150th anniversary Steven Miller opens the doors to the changes that makes a revitalised AGNSW an art destination for the 21st century.
- 30 attended.
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An Artist’s Journey to Fowlers Gap
17 June

An Artist’s Journey to Fowlers Gap
With artist Idris Murphy.
- 32 attended.
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Secret Gardens & Parks of The Shire
29th September

Cost $10 FOH members
Non-members $15

Looking at local fauna and flora. Joseph Banks Native Plants Reserve
Manooka Place, Kareela.

Members were given the opportunity to discover one of the Shires best kept secrets with horticulturalist and Natural Areas Aboriginal Heritage Officer, Graham Avery. Graham led us through this unique reserve of Australian native themed gardens including Aboriginal food, medicinal plants, and scented garden. A BBQ lunch was provided, drawing & art supplies from Eckersley's were available.
- 13 attended.
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Bowral Day Trip by coach/self-drive
20th October

We visited Bowral, to tour the historic Retford Park House and heritage garden for all seasons, an elegant Victorian Italianate homestead, and art collections. We were given an extensive guided tour of the home of James Fairfax AC. followed by a tour of Ngununggula Regional Gallery.

Hearth Café for lunch or the gardens provide us the opportunity to bring your own picnic.

Coach $80. pp FOH members /Non-Members $95. Self-drive cost $25.
- 22 attended.
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Art Awards sponsored by the Friends of Hazelhurst

Annually the Friends of Hazelhurst support local artists and HSC students by making available cash awards to the ARTEXPRESS exhibition, Hazelhurst ART ON PAPER AWARD and ART RULES exhibitions at Hazelhurst Arts Centre.

ARTEXPRESS February 2023

Friends of Hazelhurst ART AWARD $500

Awarded to local HSC student.
Helen Kasiloft from Caringbah High School received this award. Helen’s artwork Kope Capam is a drawing using pencil on paper.
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Hazelhurst Art on Paper Exhibition 2023.

Local Artist Award $5000
Sponsored by Friends of Hazelhurst
2023 Winner Christopher Lawrie

WHITE HISTORY (‘An introduction to Australian History’ by A. G. L. Shaw and H. D. Nicolson) 2023
salted book on copper plate
46 x 30 x 10 cm

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Art Rules 2023

Visual Arts from Southern Sydney
Local HSC student artworks selected for this exhibition by the Hazelhurst curatorial staff.
Friends of Hazelhurst Encouragement Award of $500 went to Sienna Bhuiyan from Georges River Senior Campus for her work Yarn to Yarn.
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Purchases

Bedroom suite and mattress purchase from Freedom furniture for the Hazelhurst Cottage.
$5,754.50

20 Light weight portable tables were purchased for the art studios at Hazelhurst Art Centre.
$8,519.06
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Flowers

Throughout the year Friends of Hazelhurst regularly supplied flowers from local florist Bon Fleur for the welcome reception desk in the Hazelhurst Art Centre.
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Brick Paver Fundraiser

7 Pavers were purchased, engraved and installed in the path entrance to the Hazelhurst Art Centre during 2023.
This is an ongoing fund-raising exercise for FOH members and the public to purchase a paver and have it engraved and placed into the walkway at Hazelhurst Art Centre.
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