CREATIVE CULTURE BLOSSOMS ON THE CENTRAL COAST

Artist Christine Rushmer and poet Kate Toon launch an innovative event at Ettalong’s newest café, the Art Shack

Local artist Christine Rushmer and local writer Kate Toon are coming together to promote their creative work at Ettalong’s new art café, the Art Shack.

Christine Rushmer, who moved to the Coast from Melbourne in 2008, is a popular local painter working in acrylic, oil, charcoal and mixed media, with subjects from still life and beach scenes, to contemporary nudes and abstract pieces. She’ll be exhibiting over 30 pieces of original art work.

“The coast attracts lots of creative types and we wanted to have an event which would not only promote our work, but give other artists a chance to meet and share experiences. It’s a celebration of creativity on the coast”.

Christine Rushmer

Kate Toon, a local award-winning copywriter, has recently self-published a poetry book entitled “Gone Dotty” after raising funds ($3k) entirely through social media crowd funding. Kate is poet in residence at Gnostic Mana in Woy Woy, her book will be stocked in Umina bookshop ‘Book Bazaar’ and has just been accepted into Dymocks in Melbourne.  The book launch comes after Kate’s appearance as a featured writer at the Emerging Writers festival in Melbourne. Kate’s books will be available for purchase at the event.

“We wanted to create an event which showed the power of both words and pictures and the crossover between the two art forms. Christine’s art has inspired poetry in my book and my poems have inspired some of the art in our exhibitions.”

Kate Toon

The event details are as follows:
Date: Friday 29^th June 2012

Time: 6pm – 10pm

Format: Guests will be greeted with a glass of complimentary champagne, and can browse the art exhibition. At 6.30 Meredith Gilmore from Central Coasts Arts on  Coast FM 963 will run a brief Q&A with Kate and Christine, followed by a short reading from Kate’s book.

After which guests are welcome to stay and enjoy a delicious meal from the Art’s Shack’s menu and listen to music from local musicians.

The event is free of charge and everyone is welcome.

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If you’d like to know more about this topic, request images or schedule an interview with Kate Toon or Christine Rushmer, please contact Kate on 0418 166458 or via email at info@katetoon.com