Dreams come true

By Casey Neill
HILLS artists Kayleen West and Greg Carrick have a dream.
The pair will this weekend unveil an uplifting art exhibition at Monbulk Dream Centre to coincide with its open day and help boost its profile.
The centre is a community outreach project aimed at helping people gain life skills and empowering them to follow their dreams.
It will throw open its doors from 1pm to 4pm on Saturday 27 March.
Mount Evelyn photographer Greg Carrick said he and Ms West collated their works under the theme I Have a Dream.
“It’s basically a positive thing, looking at life and people in a way that will uplift,” he said.
Mr Carrick said art needed to speak to the viewer.
“Our art that we’re putting in will talk to people and say there is hope, there is a future, you can build, you can go on,” he said.
“A lot of people come to stages in life where they don’t feel there’s a future.”
“At the Monbulk Dream Centre they deal with people who are in sometimes financial crisis, or need to gain extra skills to be able to get work or life skills.
“They want to do budgeting and cooking – simple things so people can cope with everyday life.”
Mr Carrick’s works include digital, pinhole and traditional film images.
“We just want to bring a little light to the future and say there is something there,” he said.
Silvan artist Ms West’s collection will include traditional and contemporary paintings.
“I particularly like to use my painting to serve a cause that edifies or encourages people,” she said.
“I like my painting to leave a feel good feeling behind.”
“It can be aesthetically gratifying but I like to also have messages behind my work that make people think on a positive level.”
Ms West said the community would benefit greatly from the centre and she wanted to support it.
“You give families any tools, life skills, it can make a huge difference on people’s lives,” she said.
“So our work, hopefully, will also reflect that and give that atmosphere, that positive edifying atmosphere.”
One of her most striking paintings features a youth cricket team with ties to India.
“You see all the light and dark skin wrapped around like a big group hug,” she said.
“So it was a message of unity, which I thought was quite appropriate.”
“To me it was a more realistic view of our relationship with people overseas.”
Yarra Ranges Council deputy mayor Tim Heenan will open the exhibition I Have a Dream at 1pm at Monbulk Dream Centre, 17 Moores Road, Monbulk.
Readers can contact the centre on 9752 1011.