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Dr Sylvia Ditchburn
DFA, G.DipMusCur, MCA, PhD
visual artist
PO Box 121
Belgian Gardens Q 4810
Ph 07 4721 2602 Townsville
sylvia.ditchburn@bigpond.com.au
www.sylviaditchburn.com
Sylvia Ditchburn’s love of the Australian natural environment is reflected in her art. A peripatetic artist she has spanned the continent from Townsville to Broome, Alice to Adelaide and beyond. Sylvia has held solo exhibitions in regional and capital cities and her work has been included in many group exhibitions. She has participated in several art residencies, the most notable Arthur Boyd’s Bundanon Trust in NSW and in 2007 a residency in Beijing China was inspirational. An invitation for a solo exhibition in Russia in 2008 and representation by Agora Gallery, New York 2012-13, has extended Sylvia's international reputation.
The beauty and diversity of country is experienced and intellectual stimulation by way of academic study with a Doctorate of Philosophy in visual arts, informs Dr. Ditchburn's work.
SELECTED CURRICULUM VITAE:
STUDIES:
1993-98 PhD James Cook University Townsville (conferred 2000) 1990-92 Master Creative Arts JCU (1st class) 1988 G.Dip. Museum Curatorship JCU (Distinction) 1987 Instructional Skills TAFE Townsville 1984-87 Dip. Fine Arts TAFE Townsville PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2012 Basil Hall Editions, printmaking workshop, Greece 2008- Owner/Director Sylvia Ditchburn Fine Art Gallery 20011 Artist in Residence Ryan Catholic College, Kirwan 2010,11 Artescape Tutor Cairns 2010 Foshan China, Sister City Cultural Exchange 2007 Art Residency Red Gate Gallery Beijing, China 2006, 2004 Artist-in-Residence Mulgara Gallery Ayres Rock Resort Central Australia 2003 Selection Panel Education Minister's Awards for Excellence in Art 2003
Northern Region Senior Art Exhibition Pinnacles Gallery, Thuringowa2000 Artist in Residence Bundanon Trust NSW 2001,2000,1998 Artist in Residence Raddison Treetops Resort Port Douglas 1997-98 Appointment to Arts Queensland Cultural Advisory Council to the Minster Qld Govt 1996 Curator: Plenty: Women Artists of Townsville (PhD research project) 1994-1996 RADF Townsville Grant Selection Committee 1993 Artist in Residence Studio Queensland Artworkers Alliance Brisbane 1991-1995 Umbrella Studio Assoc.Board & President 1995 1988-94 Qld Arts Council Artlink Program 1991-1994 Townsville Art Society Inc (President 1992-94) 1987-90 Townsville TAFE painting teacher 1988 Qld Art Gallery Brisbane Curatorial & Support services 3 weeks placement 1977-83 Innisfail TAFE painting teacher SOLO SHOWS: 50 solo shows including the following selection
2012-13 Art from Wild Places + the Tropical Coast, theme continued, Sylvia Ditchburn Fine Art Gallery 2011 Art from Wild Places + the Tropical Coast, Sylvia Ditchburn Fine Art Gallery 2010 Art From Wild Places, Sylvia Ditchburn Fine Art Gallery 2008-9 Sylvia Ditchburn Fine Art Gallery 2008 Art on the Wild Side, Framed Gallery, Darwin 2008 Landscapes from Australia, Tomsk Regional Art Museum, Russia 2007 Wildlife,Wilderness + Wonder, Flinders Gallery Townsville 2005 Journey into Red Country + Beyond Flinders Gallery Townsville 2005 Landscapes from the Centre Hotel Grand Chancellor Brisbane presented by Qld Arts Council 2004 Journey into Red Country: Landscapes from Interior Australia Mt Isa Civic Centre 2004 Mulgara Gallery Ayres Rock Resort Central Australia 2003-04 Rainforest to Desert:In search of the Sublime Perc Tucker Regional Gallery Townsville 2001 Home & Away Flinders Gallery, Townsville 2001,2000,1998 Radisson Treetops Port Douglas 1993,1991 Works from the Tropics Town Gallery Brisbane 1991 Keeper of the Garden Tonnoirs Fine Art Gallery Townsville 1990 New Works Painters Gallery Sydney 1990 Rainforest & Metaphor Perc Tucker Regional Gallery Townsville 1986 Rainforest Music Perc Tucker Regional Gallery Townsville 1982 Travelling North Paddington Gallery Brisbane ART AWARDS: Over 50 awards and commendations including Suncorp Qld State Award for painting and Qld Govt Premiers Encouragement Award, Gold Medal Beijing Olympic Fine Arts 2008, Individual Arts Award Townsville City, 2011.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (participated in more than 200 invitation or selected group shows): (a selection)
2013 OUT FROM DOWN UNDER AND BEYOND: art from Australia and New Zealand, Agora Gallery, New York. 2012 Percival Portrait Award 2012 Perc Tucker Regional Gallery Townsville, Compact Prints, members exhibition, Umbrella, Townsville 2011 Glimpse of China: Townsville Artists celebrate Foshan Autumn Festival, PTRG, Townsville 2010 Red Gate Studio to Umbrella Studio, Umbrella Contemporary Arts Townsville
Sylvia Ditchburn FIne Art Gallery themed group shows: Be My Valentine; Mum's Day; Tropical Friday; Christmas Show of Small Works2009 Sylvia Ditchburn Fine Art Gallery, Q150 Ditchburn, Bray, Brown; In the Fast Lane: V8 Supercars Race; Christmas in the Tropics, Key Note Capers 2008 Olympic Fine Arts 2008, Beijing, China 2008 Compact Prints, Umbrella, Townsville 2007 Individual Format Pickle Art Beijing China
Exquisite Corpse Pinnacles Gallery Thuringowa2006 Percival’s Vestments Perc Tucker Regional Gallery Townsville 2005 Perc’s Purses PTRG 2004 Walk this Way, PTRG 2003,07 Strand Ephemera, Townsville 2002 Inspiration NQ PTRG 2001 Out of the Shed Umbrella 15 year Anniversary Members Show 2000 Sharjah Arts Museum United Arab Emirates 2000 Ideal Format #10 - 24HR Art Darwin NT 1996 Plenty: Women Artists of Townsville, PTRG Townsville PhD Exhibition 1996 Mosman Gorge: A Special Place Mowbray Gallery Artists Cairns Regional Gallery 1995 Locate Yourself - travelling exhibition Cairns, Townsville, Darwin, Mt.Isa 1995 Muse, Umbrella Studio, Townsville 1995 Women Artists of North Queensland 1880 to the Present PTRG 1994 Visions from the Tropics, Ditchburn, Wilson & Lord Lake Macquarie Gallery Newcastle 1994 Townsville Artists in Japan Daikokuya Art Gallery Iwaki Japan 1993,94 Iwaki, Japan/PTG Townsville Cultural Exchange Japan & Townsville 1990 Opening the Umbrella 6th Women in the Arts Festival Rockhampton 1990 Amnesty International Painters Gallery Sydney 1985,87,91 Suncorp Finalists Exhibition, Brisbane 1985 Opening Exhibition Alfred Street Community Arts Centre Cairns 1983 Australian Watercolour Institute Exhibition S.H.Ervine Art Gallery Sydney. PUBLIC ART COMMISSIONS:
2012 Masonic Care, Kirwan, Queensland 2004 Queensland Health Ayr Hospital; Dept Main Rds (art built-in ) Qld Govt 2004 Thuringowa Castlemaine Street Renewal – Public Seating: Lazy Day 2000 Soroptimist International Townsville Breakwater Inc. for new Tvl Hospital 2000 Museum of Tropical Queensland Townsville Mural 1996 Cairns International Airport Tropics Restaurant 1994 Jupiters Casino, Townsville Foyer 1992 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority & Dept of Environment & Heritage
Marine mural & Green turtle illustrations1991 Wet Tropics World Heritage Area Interpretative Murals GRANTS:
2008,10,12 Townsville City Council, Grant for excellence in cultural development 2000 Arts Queensland Individual Professional Development 2000 Townsville City Council Grants for Excellence in Cultural Development 1994-97 Australian Postgraduate Research Scholarship (JCU); 1996 Head of School Research Award, School of Ed. JCU 1994 Arts Queensland Independent Professional Development 1990 Premiers Encouragement Award Qld Govt 1988 Australia Council VACB Project Grant COLLECTIONS:
Art Bank Australia, Basil Hall Editions, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery Townsville, Cairns Regional Gallery, Gold Coast Regional Gallery,James Cook University, James Hardie Library, State Library Qld, Iwaki City & Iwaki Jaycees Japan, Sharjah Arts Museum United Arab Emirates, Suncorp, Shell, Mt. Isa Mines, Townsville Grammar School, Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE Townsville; Bundanon Trust NSW; Townsville Hospital; Museum of Tropical Queensland Townsville; Councils: Townsville, Cairns, Hinchinbrook, Cardwell, Maryborough, Innisfail and Cloncurry; Corporate: Jupiters / Sheraton Townsville, Centra Hotel Townsville, Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre; Cairns Airport Departure Lounge ,Tomsk Regional Art Museum Russia , Foshan China, private collections in Australia and overseas.
PUBLICATIONS:
Sylvia Ditchburn, 1996, Plenty: Women Artists of Townsville, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville
_____________, 1991, Marketing Strategies for the Visual Artist, James Cook University, Townsville
_____________, "Women Artists of North Queensland 1880 to the Present" eyeline, No. 29 Summer 1995BIBLIOGRAPHY: (a selection)
Australian National University & Flinders University, A Degree of Certainty: Career Options for Postgraduate Research Students, Graduate Careers Council of Australia Ltd, 2004, American Biographical Institute, International Who's Who of Professional & Business Women 2000 -04; Artworker, Artworkers Alliance Newsletter Winter 2001. Ed. Stonley, R. Guide to Artist Residencies - Sylvia Ditchburn; Ashley, Bernadette, 'Art from Wild Places', Townsville Bulletin, June 17, 2010, p37; Germaine, Max Artists & Galleries of Australia, Boolarong Publications, Brisbane, 1984/90; Women Artists of Australia, Craftsman House, 1991; Helmrich, Michele, 'Sylvia Ditchburn: Rediscovering Landscape' catalogue essay Rainforest to Desert: In Search of the Sublime 28 Nov 2003 -8 Feb 2004, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville; Lynch, Barbara, ' All things bright and beautiful, Townsville Bulletin, nqlife entertainment, Oct 1, 2011, p15; Murdock, Alex, 'Wild about Art' Townsville Bulletin, Entertainment, Nov. 6 2000; Partridge, Des 'Forgotten Female Artists Honoured', Courier Mail, Arts, July 14 1993; Pullman, Francine, 'To Russia with Art,' Townsville Eye, Wednesday, July 23, 2008 p21; Richards, Michael, `Art Review', Courier Mail, May 21, 1991; Scott-Cumming, Lynn, 1998, 'Plenty, Townsville Women artists on a Journey to Spirit, The Women's Art Register Bulletin no. 27 May pp. 11-13; Smith, Adrianne, Plenty: 11 Women Artists of Townsville, Craft Arts International Vol 39, 1997 pp 106, 107, Stock, Jacqui, Capturing the Spirit of the Land, Townsville Bulletin, Friday June 1 2007 p30, 'Sylvia Ditchburn Beijing Residency' Art Gaze, March 2008, Vol 2 No 1, pp14-15; Versace, Jean 'Keeper of the Garden' Periphery no 13 Nov 1992, p27; Vernon, Mary, ‘Sylvia Digs Vibrant Challenge’ Townsville Bulletin Weekend extra Sat, Oct 8, 2005 p79; Wildheart, Mandy, 'Here and There', Townsville Bulletin Good Guide, Fri, June 15, 2001, 'From Texture to Tapestry' Townsville Bulletin Good Guide Friday Oct 18 2002 p27, eyeline contemporary visual arts ‘sylvia ditchburn rainforest…sublime’ no 54 winter 2004 p.51, ‘Artists Castle Hill whimsy’ Townsville Bulletin Friday August 11 2006.******
