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Andrew Gaynor ran an entertaining Charity Auction on the final day of the Melbourne Stencil Festival. The art created by the guest artists at the festival was auction off and raised $6185 for the Collingwood Neighbourhood House.

Many of these pieces were truly remarkable, as well as beautiful, as they were collaborations between international stencil artists from countries that barely have diplomatic contact: American and Iranian artists. The highest price paid at the auction was $850 for a piece by A1one (Iran) and Ralf Kempken (Australia).

Emerging Artist Award

The Melbourne Stencil Festival Emerging Artist Award went to Helen Goninon of Hobart, Tasmania. Helen Goninon’s win is even more remarkable as her art was lost during transit to the festival, found with a broken frame, reframed and went on to win.

Opening Night 

The opening night of the 5th Melbourne Stencil Festival on Friday night was attended by about 350 of people, including the international guest artists, local stencil artists and some serious collectors. With a good range of drinks at the bar and entertainment from Cam McIntosh, DJ Fiona Scott-Norman and Namila, along with live spraying by Ben Clemens, it was a fun Friday night.

Judy Morton, the Mayor of the City of Yarra, officially opened the festival and made a speech, as did JD Mittmann. I didn’t hear the speeches as I was still packing more of the mini-show bags at the door as people continued to arrive.

Earlier that evening some of the international artists at the festival (A1one, Klingatron, John Koleszar and Russell Howze) added the finishing touches to the exhibition with several stencils on the gallery walls. Preparations for the festival were going on until the last minute but it all came together when the doors opened a few minutes after 6pm. JD Mittmann reports “record sales” for the opening night, with good sales of the work of A1one and Ralf Kempken, in particular. Images of artwork and Chor Boogies Fed Square Project can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/melbournestencilfestival/

Prepartions

The Melbourne Stencil Festival is underway thanks to sponsors and a lot of volunteers. Posters have gone up and the gallery space, Yarra Sculpture Gallery, is being prepared for the exhibition. International stencil artists have been dropping in to the gallery to give interviews and help hang their art. Yes, the 5^th Melbourne Stencil Festival is really happening.

There are a lot of festivals in Melbourne currently spread out in locations across the city from the design festival and the international film festival. Unlike these large festivals the Melbourne Stencil Festival is all happening in one location, with the exception of Deb’s free, guided tours of Street Art in Fitzroy that start at Fitzroy Library.

The Stencil Festival is located at the Yarra Sculpture Gallery, a very large warehouse with several gallery spaces, offices and more space. There is space for a bar and a new wall to be painted for during the festival.

Yesterday as the gallery was being prepared for the festival and art is unpacked, JD Mittmann talked to a reporter from The Age. A1one, a stencil artist from Iran, eventually turns up to be interviewed by the reporter. Today two American stencil artists, John Koleszar and Russell Howze, arrived at the gallery to be interviewed.