visiting Melbourne Now at the NGV

As it will be the Australia Day long weekend next week, out tapestry group decided to meet this week instead.  And as it is still the holidays and there are summer school courses on at the guild rooms, we decided to meet at the NGV and see some of the Melbourne Now exhibition.
Another group from the guild had made arrangements to meet also and had even made arrangements to have a talk by one of the curators of the textiles and fashion section. They very kindly asked us if we would like to go with them.  Of course we said yes.
So we got to see a sample of some William Morris pattern weaving

and some coptic weaving from the collection.

We were also given an insight into an upcoming (in 2017!) English embroidery exhibition of works from the collection.  We had a very interesting discussion of what is involved in setting up such a collection and how much effort is needed to research and conserve the materials that are already in the collection.  It was a wonderful opportunity to see behind the scenes.

Then we parted ways with the weaving group, had lunch and ventured in to the Melbourne Now exhibition.  It is huge!  There are quite a few interactive parts.

You get to put little vinyl birds onto the wall.  

It was children's day too, which was very well attended. It was lovely to see all the families there, all the different groups of people, just wandering around having a lovely day.

I must remember that they keep the gallery rather cool, it would have been a perfect place to go these last few days.  Thankfully, the temperature has dropped a great deal and it was much more comfortable today.  I am almost feeling too cool - never happy.