Talking Shop Exhibition - January to April 2019
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About the Exhibition
Exhibition title: Talking Shop – Ballarat in Business and City Life at Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute
Introduction:
Between January and April 2019 the BMI hosted Talking Shop: a world of Peters Icecream cones, milk bars, vintage advertising, historic photographs, and ephemera, and contemporary photographs and creative responses exploring Ballarat’s shops and businesses.
Community events invited the community to contribute their images and memories to the BMI collection and some can be explored here.
Curator bio: This exhibition was curated by Amy Tsilemanis at the BMI who worked with artists Pauline Shannessy-Dowling and Margie Balazic, collector John Kerr, and Ballarat businesses, council, and schools to create a generative exhibition where material and collaborations could grow.
Oral Histories
Some of the collected oral histories were edited together here for International Womens Day 2019:
Associated Links
Victorian Collections: Talking shop has been included as a ‘story’ in Victorian Collections – visit it here.
Resident Artist: Pauline O’Shannessy-Dowling (POD)
Hear POD speak with Tas Wansbrough on her Art Matters podcast
Amy discusses the exhibition and her curatorship with POD for her The Arts Program on Voice FM
https://soundcloud.com/pauline-oshannessy-dowling/pod-amy-chat-at-bmi-april-2019
The Ballarat Life – A visual love letter to the city of Ballarat
Curated by Stu Rapley #TheBallaratLife shares what’s interesting and contemporary in Ballarat on social media and is a platform for Ballarat pictures.
24 Photographers who have been featured on the accounts and have shared the ‘shop’ theme were selected for display.
Ephemera
With thanks to collector John Kerr, member of the Ephemera Society of Australia
https://www.ephemerasociety.org.au/2019/02/shopping-in-ballaarat/
Max Harris Collection
View images from the Max Harris collection featuring Bridge Mall: Link
Promotion and Media Coverage
Exhibition coverage from the Courier:
https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/5824090/new-exhibition-explores-ballarats-rich-retail-heritage/