Saturday, 23rd March ~ Cultural pursuits in Canberra

What a glorious, sunny day in Canberra today, one of those crisp, clear and fresh days; quite a contrast to the last few days that were heavily clouded with a storm thrown in. After hearing about the tornadoes in northern Victoria, our noisey, wild storm pales into insignificance. Poor things, it must have been very scarey and an event they won't forget.

On to more arty things .. 

National Art Gallery ~ we are here in perfect time for the Toulouse Lautrec exhibition - it's only in Canberra, not a travelling exhibition. This is my second photo .. I'm breaching copyright if I show you my first photo. I am well aware that no photography is allowed inside the exhibition, but I didn't know that that included the 'entrance hall'; so I got myself into trouble, not big trouble, but whoops! And the very nice lady let me keep my photo, only if I promised not to 'publish' it. It's on my phone, so when we next meet, I'll show you. I remember seeing the opening days of the exhibition on the tele, the long lines of people to view the exhibition, but our timing is lucky; no queues and plenty of room to see all of the collection.

 

 

National Portrait Gallery ~ another well-timed exhibition at the moment, the National Photographic Portrait Prize. As we'd been to the NPG in Old Parliament House on our last visit to Canberra (2006), we thought we knew where we were going this time. Just as well we double-checked as the new NPG opened in 2008. Over 1200 entries were received and 56 chosen for display. Using our 'judges eyes', we tried hard to see what they saw to select the winner and highly commended entries, but it's impossible to our untrained eye and we just can't agree with their decision. We lodged our 'peoples choice' vote - that wasn't easy either. I would like to have seen the full range of entries - we might have seen something more appealing to our judges eye. Over the last few years, I've contemplated entering, I'm definitely entering next year!  Here's a link to the NPG facebook page, where you'll see the winning entry  https://www.facebook.com/nationalportraitgallery.canberra#!/nationalportraitgallery.canberra

 

 

Another exhibition at the moment is First Ladies: Significant Australian Women 1913–2013.

 

 

Parliament House ~ always a treasure to visit. I think it's because I'm a lover of 'rock' and 'wood'. The most striking thing about Parliament House is the 81 metre high flagmast. It's one of the world's largest steel structures and is a central landmark of Canberra. In the Foyer, a eucalyptus forest of 48 marble-clad columns and two marble staircases and beautiful masonry and timber used throughout the building.

 

I think this pic is a hoot .. looks like some sort of monster, with the hands of the clock giving him a lop-sided grin.

 

the striking flagmast and the gloomy clouds

 

 

a surveyors dream; lining up the monumental buildings within the natural geography of Mount Ainslie

 

 

Time for time-out and off to the bushlands of Lake Ginninderra. It was a cold and gloomy twitch, and only 30 birds, with no 'stand outs' - probably sensible and keeping to their warm spots.