April 14, 2021

Miniature books recording people’s artworks and thoughts during the very different year of 2020 are about to go on display at Gunnedah Shire Library.

The Panorama Project will open in Gunnedah on Monday, April 19 as part of a regional tour, and includes more than 180 sketchbooks, some contributed by Gunnedah Shire residents.

Gunnedah Shire Librarian Christiane Birkett said the exciting project was an Arts North West initiative.

“We made the Panorama Project sketchbooks available at Gunnedah Shire Library for people to fill any way they chose during the winter of 2020, which fell during some of the darker days of COVID-19,” Mrs Birkett said.

“Gunnedah really embraced the idea and our community is well represented in the Panorama Project.

“The collection of sketchbooks is a fascinating record of a significant time in history. Each book is entirely different – some include the reflections of people on lockdown, some feature beautiful artworks, others have photos or souvenirs of their life during that time.

“People can come and see the whole collection at the library and can pick books out at random or go in search of a particular book. It is really worth a look.”

The Panorama Project is touring the North West region from Tenterfield to Walcha, and Moree to Mungindi.

This project gives a rare opportunity for a wide audience to understand the perspectives of people in New England North West through imagery, colour and media, while capturing a moment in time, and serves a kind of visual historical document of this challenging time.

Caption: Gunnedah Shire artist Maree Kelly at work on her Panorama Project sketchbook.

Caption2: Panorama booklets being delivered in Gunnedah.

ENDS

Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.