Collie Collection

Collie Collection

The Collie Collection is a diverse show comprised of a selection works from the Claude Hotchin Bequest and acquisitons by the Shire of Collie and the Collie Gallery Group.

The Claude Hotchin Bequest is a total of 36 works presented to the people of Collie and District in November 1954.

A hardware retailer by profession, Hotchin began collecting art because he thought access to good paintings would inspire people, especially youth.

Hotchin ultimately donated an estimated 2000 paintings to public art galleries, local governments and other institutions.

Collie’s natural and man-made environment is a common theme in the work of many local artists and artisans, from beautifully rendered landscapes to turned and sculpted timber.

Much of the Collie Collection was acquired during the Griffin Festival of the Arts & Crafts, a unique long-standing community event that celebrated and encouraged the creativity and talent of the Collie community.

The Collie Gallery Group has also acquired a number of works since its inception in November 2013, through donations from interested community members, and these have included works from artists of the Carrolup school, such as Reynold Hart and Jimmy Dabb.

The influence of the child artists of the Carrolup Native Settlement in the 1940s near Katanning is evident in the work of many Noongar artists.

The school-aged artists of Carrolup were widely acclaimed for their depictions of bush landscapes and cultural activities in a blend of western and traditional styles.

The Carrolup style matured as techniques were shared among family groups in the wheat belt and south west towns of Western Australia.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Collie Collection is proudly managed by the Collie Art Gallery with assistance from the Shire of Collie.

Image credit: Black Diamond 1, Janet Chapman, watercolour on paper