Posted June 2010
This project has now been developing over what has sometimes seemed a very long six years. This time was characterised by bouts of frantic activity followed by periods when nothing much seemed to happen. Since receiving our grants at the end of 2008, however, the project has made continuous steps forward.
Rona Chadwick, of Starfish Consulting, was employed to develop and present a training program for speakers, who would be available to speak about the project to community groups. Each speaker attended a four-hour training session that covered the history of the project, its aims and objectives, the categories of artistic endeavour to be covered, and examples of write-ups on artists to be included in the book. This training programme was funded by the Department of Communities, Office for Women's Policy 2009 Grants Programme. Speakers are available free of charge to address audiences in the metro area, from 10 to large groups, on this interesting and exciting project - the talks will last about 20 minutes, with a further 10 minutes allocated for questions. To book a speaker, contact Judith Parker, Co-Ordinator of Speakers, on 9517 2438 or e-mail judithannparker@bigpond.com.
A CD has also been produced containing information on this project which will be available free of charge to rural and remote areas beyond the range of our speakers' team. To obtain a copy of this CD, contact Judith Parker as above.
A new target date of June 1st, 2010 was been set for the completion of the research for this project. In the meantime, the various avenues available for turning the research into a published work are being explored. We are already in touch with publishers to obtain quotes for producing the book, and once these are received we shall be tackling the raising of the necessary grants to cover these costs.
The State Library of WA has asked permission to archive this website in their 'Pandora' archives, as it is considered 'a significant cultural icon'. By including electronic publications that are considered to have national significance, these archives aim to ensure that Australians have access to their documentary heritage now and in the future.
We would like to express our thanks to the Department for Communities for extending the period for their grant, which was necessary due to unforeseen delays.
Our website is already proving to be a useful research tool - it was visited by the curatorial staff at Parliament House in Canberra who were seeking information about the sculptor of a bust of Senator Dorothy Tangney. Hetty Finley, the sculptor concerned, was one of the entries featured on this website.
Artists' Profiles
The sample profiles that appear in this website are changed from time to time, so it is always worth checking these out. They appear in the "Wonderful Women" section.
'Wonderful Women' section
It is obviously not possible to include every creative woman in the book - as the title emphasizes, the main work is a selection of women who have made a signifcant contribution to the arts in WA. This 'Wonderful Women' section, which will cover some of those not in the publication, will appear eventually on the website. It will contain the names and brief descriptions of other women who have contributed to the arts scene in our State.