Jess Bridgfoot has had three busy years since taking on the role of Director of the Bendigo Art Gallery. In addition to leading the gallery during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Bridgfoot oversaw the launch of the exhibition Elvis: Direct From Graceland as well as curating the Bendigo Art Gallery’s first exhibition to tour overseas. With so many projects on the go, Ms Bridgfoot took the time to guest star with Chris Pedler on the fourth episode of the Bendigo Advertiser podcast – The Takeaway with Chris Pedler. It will be released on May 13. She succeeds Pride Festival director John Richards (episode 1), Discovery chief executive Alissa van Soest (episode 2) and rural health advocate Dr Skye Kinder (episode 3). PREVIOUS EPISODES: “There was a lot of COVID (during my tenure) but we pulled together and managed to deliver a few exhibits despite opening and closing seven times,” she said. “We really forgot what it was like to have so many people in the gallery. The opening of Elvis and the broadcasts with Priscilla were so joyful. The atmosphere was just amazing.” Ms Bridgfoot was recently in France where Bendigo Art Gallery’s original exhibition Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion was on display at the Australian Embassy. “Unfortunately due to COVID I didn’t see it during Fashion Week, but it launched during Fashion Week and by all accounts it was very well received,” she said. “It was amazing to walk into the Australian Embassy building – which is a building designed by Harry Seidler best described as brutalist and modernist.” (It’s) a tall cylindrical concrete building that has this incredible array of cheerful indigenous fashions and patterns we know and love having fun in the heart of Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower. It was a great experience. She has also helped the gallery move forward with another expansion with plans to see a new building added to Bendigo’s iconic View Street. The Bendigo Art Gallery development includes plans to create another building which will include land and a first floor to house paid exhibitions as well as free exhibitions based on the collection.”We have a small tree-covered plot (where the building will go),” Ms. Bridgfoot said. sad to lose these trees, but we have landscaping plans for the green space at the front of the original gallery building. “The last expansion dates back to 2014 and was always imagined in stages. Everything is always contingent on funding. This is phase 2+ of the last expansion. “We have already exceeded our installation again. You only have to come here and see the exhibit (Elvis) to see that it takes up the whole gallery. “There are only the three historic courts on display, which means there are over 5,000 objects in our storage that no one sees.” The Takeaway will be published fortnightly on the Bendigo Advertiser website along with a feature story. This is a Bendigo Advertiser and Australian Community Media production. If you know a central Victorian personality who would be a good fit for The Takeaway, email addynews@bendigoadvertiser.com.au Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date information to the community. Here’s how you can access our trusted content:
LISTEN: Bendigo Art Gallery director Jess Bridgfoot will be a guest on the next episode of The Takeaway podcast with Chris Pedler. Photo: DARREN HOWE
Jess Bridgfoot has had three busy years since taking on the role of Director of the Bendigo Art Gallery.
In addition to leading the gallery during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Bridgfoot oversaw the launch of the Elvis: Live from Graceland as well as curating the Bendigo Art Gallery’s first exhibition to travel overseas.
With so many projects on the go, Ms. Bridgfoot made time to guest star with Chris Pedler on the fourth episode of the Bendigo Advertisingr podcast – Takeout with Chris Pedler. It will be released on May 13.
She succeeds Pride Festival director John Richards (episode 1), Discovery chief executive Alissa van Soest (episode 2) and rural health advocate Dr Skye Kinder (episode 3).
“There was a lot of COVID (during my tenure) but we pulled together and managed to put on a few exhibits despite opening and closing seven times,” she said.
“We really forgot what it was like to have so many people in the gallery. The opening of Elvis and the broadcasts with Priscilla were so joyful. The atmosphere was just amazing.”
Mrs. Bridgfoot was recently in France where the original in the Bendigo Art Gallery Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion exhibition was on display at the Australian Embassy.
“Unfortunately due to COVID I didn’t see it during Fashion Week, but it launched during Fashion Week and by all accounts it was very well received,” she said.
“It was amazing to walk into the Australian Embassy building – which is a building designed by Harry Seidler, best described as brutalist and modernist.
“(It’s) a tall cylindrical concrete building that features that incredible array of cheerful indigenous fashions and patterns that we know and love spending time in the heart of Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower. It was a great experience.”
She has also helped the gallery move forward with another expansion with plans to see a new building added to Bendigo’s iconic View Street.
The Bendigo Art Gallery development includes plans to create another building which will include a ground and first floor to house paid exhibitions as well as free exhibitions based on the collection.
“We have a small tree-covered plot (where the building will go),” Ms Bridgfoot said. “So it will be sad to lose those trees, but we have landscaping plans for the green space at the front of the original gallery building.
“The last expansion dates back to 2014 and was always imagined in stages. Everything is always contingent on funding. This is phase 2+ of the last expansion.
“We’ve already outgrown our facilities. You just have to come here and see the (Elvis) exhibit to see it takes up the whole gallery.
“There are only the three historic courts on display, which means there are over 5,000 objects in our storage that no one sees.”
The Takeaway will be published fortnightly on the Bendigo Advertiser website along with a feature story. This is a Bendigo Advertiser and Australian Community Media production.
If you know of a central Victorian personality who would be suitable for The Takeaway, email addynews@bendigoadvertiser.com.au
Our reporters work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. Here’s how you can access our trusted content:
