Earlier this season, we welcomed friends, artists, collectors, neighbours and visitors to Balnarring for a long lunch and preview of Baroque: Doing It My Way by Colin Hyett.
Held the day before the public opening, it was our first chance to share the exhibition in full, and to gather so many wonderful people around it.
Guests arrived to drinks on the lawn, where conversations began at once and glasses were quickly in hand. Before long, everyone was seated along the driveway at one long table beautifully prepared by Finesse Catering... stories shared, laughter carrying across the garden, and that rare pleasure of having nowhere else to be.
Artists had travelled down from Melbourne, local friends dropped in, neighbours caught up, and new faces discovered the space for the first time. The weather was beautifully mild, spirits were high, and the whole afternoon seemed to pass in a flash.
Later, guests wandered into John’s Barn for their first look at the exhibition, where painting, sculpture, furniture and collected objects came together in Colin’s layered world of ornament, humour and theatricality.
We were delighted to see works find new homes, though what we’ll remember most is the generosity of the day... good company, lively conversation, and the joy of sharing something special.
For Hyett & The Captain, it felt like a very special way to begin. We’re deeply grateful to everyone who came and helped make it one to remember.
We’re already looking forward to doing it all again next year.