Kaleidoscope Exhibitions

Kaleidoscope is a Scope initiative, creating opportunities for artists with a disability to participate in the broader arts arena, and experience that sense of achievement engendered by exhibiting their artwork. 

• Eastern & Gippsland Exhibition
• Southern & Barwon Exhibition
• North-West Exhibition
• Loddon Mallee Exhibition

Eastern & Gippsland Exhibition

The Kaleidoscope Eastern and Gippsland Regional Art Exhibition featured the work of more than 30 Scope artists from the two regions and also included the Top 12 finalists from across Victoria.

There were a total of 95 artworks on display, including a ‘modified art tools’ display. The exhibition was officially opened by local Maroondah councillor Alex Makin at the Maroondah Art Gallery Long Room on Friday 18th March 2011.

Beautiful, heartfelt speeches from the 1st, 2nd & 3rd prize winners all presented speeches at the launch that they had spent weeks preparing with their support workers. There was also a wonderful performance by Ambient Orchestra.

Southern & Barwon Exhibition

The Kaleidoscope Southern & Barwon Regional Exhibition featured the artwork by 21 Scope artists and was launched at the Kingston Arts Centre on Thursday 23rd June 2011. The exhibition was officially opened by Megan Grant, Community Wellbeing Officer from the Kingston City Council. The exhibition featured over 30 artworks from people Scope support in the Southern and Barwon Regions.

Vanya Metlenko, who attends Scope’s DMH Carnegie Centre and the Blue Room Art Group in Hampton, presented at the launch. He showcased two artworks and his painting Russian Painting is one of the Top 12 shortlisted. Vanya has been painting for 20 years, he is a talented artist who paints with a head pointer. “I get inspiration from other artists and by looking through books of artwork, but my favourite artist is Picasso. For me painting is ‘out of this world!’” said Vanya.

There was also a wonderful performance from Ochre Drama group which portrayed people with a disability ‘controlling’ the staff (usually the other way around), by using different instrumental sounds to ‘move’ the staff, but only when the ‘puppeteers’ made a sound.

North West Exhibition

The Kaleidoscope North-West Art Exhibition featured the work of 38 Scope artworks from the North West of Victoria and included the launch of the Top 12 Finalists for 2011. It was launched at the Coburg Town Hall on Friday 2nd September. The exhibition was officially opened by Mayor of Moreland Cr Oscar Yildiz.

Kelli Shaw, who attends Scope’s St. Albans Day & Lifestyle Centre, who came 2nd place in the Kaleidoscope 2011 competition, presented at the launch. She showcased her artwork ‘I am Pink’. Kelli uses a glove over hand, dips glove in her chosen paint colour and applies independently.  Kelli loves attending Studio Art at St. Albans, she also enjoys playing Balloon Football.

Ibrahim Ibrahim, also attends Scope St. Albans and was successful in the Top 12 Finalists for 2011. Ibrahim's artwork ‘Australia and Sudan’ is about his life. He is 19 years old and moved from Sudan to Australia with his family in 2002 and has been doing art since his move. He really wants to continue the art program and attends an art class at Footscray Community Centre.

Loddon Mallee Exhibition

Scope’s Kaleidoscope Loddon Mallee Exhibition was held in the gallery precinct on View Street in Bendigo, at Dudley House Gallery (part of The Capital Theatre). The exhibition featured 88 artworks created by 13 Scope artists from ICON, Golden North and the Men’s Shed.

The exhibition was launched on International Day of People with Disability, Saturday 3rd December, being officially launched by Mayor of Bendigo Rod Fyffe. Two of the Top 12 finalists Francis Bush and Kate Prendergast gave beautiful speeches, with the very shy Kate ending her speech with the splits!

Francis Bush’s big personality shines though in his artwork, a prolific painter with 14 artworks on display, a number of them by his alias ‘Big B’. Francis gets his inspiration from Mortal Combat, Supernatural and even Aladdin.

Kate was successful for the second year in a row in the Scope Kaleidoscope Competition, Top 12 Finalist artwork for 2010 ‘Holiday Time’ and 2011 for her artwork ‘Sunflowers’. With confidence growing Kate had a total of 19 artworks on display. Through the encourage of The Men’s Shed, Kate’s artwork style has developed from boxes in different colours to beautiful Sunflowers, Teddy bears, Dolphins and even a Homer Simpson painting.

The afternoon of celebrations continued with a BBQ and a rocking performance by Castlemaine band ‘The Blackouts’, The “Blackouts” is an eight piece band comprising of vocalists, guitarist, saxophonist, and percussion players, featuring members with a disability, supported by musicians from Windarring and the community.