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Stop press: 7/6/09 Nina Angelo has been included as a recipient of the Queen’s Birthday Awards for her contribution to the Community through art. Congratulations Nina – well deserved!
Wow! Where do I begin to tell you about Nina Angelo? I have known Nina for many years through artistic pursuits and as neighbours at MacMasters Beach and the I’m sure the first word that that comes to mind when most people think of her is “COLOURFUL”.
Nina is indeed a colourful character in every way – from her mass of curly auburn hair and bright clothing to her lifestyle.
Along with a lifetime’s work interacting with people through fabric art, screen printing and design, Nina has, since 2005, re-invented the old concept of the “Corner Store”, as you can see from this photo of her wonderful little shop (at 675 The Scenic Road, MacMasters Beach NSW 2250…TEL: 02.43823189)
NINA’S LITTLE SHOP where you can EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!
STOP PRESS: Nina has just been awarded the Pride of Workmanship Small Business Award by Kincumer Rotary Club! Well deserved I’d say!
As Nina says “I don’t just want people to come and shop, I want them to have an EXPERIENCE!”
Well Nina, they certainly do! In this humming little unofficial meeting place, one can go infinitely further than just buying milk, bread or a newspaper! One of the first things to greet you is a cluster of plastic costumed ducks of all colourations who reside in a hollow at the front of the shop…this serves as a rain gauge and you are immediately aware of how wet or dry it is - depending on whether the duckies are happily swimming in their puddle or waiting hopefully for some rain. Here are a few of these characters inside the shop residing above the pastry cabinet…
The multi coloured ducks represent all the peoples of the world! As Nina says “We are all colours the rainbow & we need all the colours. When we learn this, we can learn so much from each other!”
Wildlife around Nina’s Little Shop includes brush turkeys wandering around, Basil (the cute little dog pictured in front of the shop earlier ( who is learning some manners under NIna’s loving care), Max, a pink and grey galah who Nina has “taken under her wing” and who warns you as you enter the shop “I’m gunna getcha!”. Sometimes as you pause to converse with Max, a nut may fall on your head from the tree above. This will be a wild Cockatoo who loves to sit up there and play “bombs away” with the pine nuts on visitor’s heads!
L to R: Brush or Scrub turkey, Galah & Cockatoo.
Then there is always the interesting Community Notice Board to peruse plus a little thought provoking philosophy on a blackboard which often invites lively discussion on many hot issues in the cosy shop environment or at the coffee tables outside..
Once inside, locals and tourists can access just about every essential in life while enjoying a freshly made coffee, hot soup and a lively chat. While Mum’s stocking up on food and Dad’s filling barbeque gas bottle or buying some fishing bait or firewood, the kids usually hone in on the old fashioned lolly jars!
All is not frivolity however – Nina also encourages small events from time to time at the shop venue – we have attended a Cinema evening “under the stars”, gatherings to hear an Aboriginal Elder tell her spellbinding Dreamtime stories, Poetry readings and other such delights.
Nina is an active champion for peace and environmental care. She was kind enough to officiate at my book launch for “Somethin’ Fishy” in 2006 in aid of Waterfall Springs Wildlife Sanctuary who are saving endangered species of Wallabies (copies still available-see Post 5). I am also grateful to Nina’s generosity in selling these books at nil commission through her shop.
Nina’s philosophy is simple … “I believe in family” she says “and learning through PLAY!” Here are a couple of designs children in her current Screen Printing workshops have come up with…
In this next one, the children have printed a rendition of their own face, with bubbles to contain wording to indicate what they are thinking or saying! They love to wear their designs so I’m sure these will be destined for Tee shirts!
So that is a little sneak peek at Nina’s life today, rich with Family and Community interaction on which she thrives…but let’s look back over her life and find out how this caring, vibrant soul ended up in our midst!
Nina Angelo was born in Athens, Greece and migrated to Sydney, Australia with her parents in 1949. She even made the front page of Sydney’s “Daily Mirror” at the time!
Here’s a close up of her article…showing her sitting on a suitcase!
Whoever wrote that article must have known something…Nina has indeed been popular with her “Playmates” ever since – both here and overseas.
In the mid 1960s Nina nourished her passion as an artist at the National Art School, East Sydney, experimenting with such art forms as interior decor and design, painting, sculpture and textiles. Her interests eventually led her on an adventure around the world to experience different cultures and gain inspiration. In addition to her many skills, Nina has founded, coordinated, publicised, taught and work-shopped creative and community arts and festival events throughout Australia for thirty years. Here are a few glimpses of her busy workshopping…
If slideshow needs activating, please click on X at top right hand corner or “View all images”.
Nina has also featured in two documentaries called “A Lasting Impression” and “Tapa Tradition”. This cross-cultural exchange between an Australian Community Artist and the people of the Fiji Islands documented for the first time the ancient Pacific tradition of making and printing bark cloth or tapa/masi.
Nina has also demonstrated and consulted on specialist screen printing and airbrushing techniques for professional organisations and the garment industry in Fiji and has taught in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in metropoitan, regional and remote parts of Australia, the Pacific and Greece.
With vision and dedication, Nina’s work is as diverse as the demand, whether it be founding community festivals, setting up screen-printing enterprise projects, city and town banner projects, as artist in residence in schools or making community storybooks.
Banners for Peace…
In the early 1990s the Canadian Government and the Development Bank of Tuvalu funded Nina’s work in Tuvalu where she taught screen printing techniques to a range of local artists and then trained community leaders to set up small income generating art based businesses.
Her art is contantly innovative, as Nina is prepared to take risks, experimenting and exploring new art forms, which are relevant to the groups with whom she is working.
Nina’s work and her contribution to community and culture has been recognised in a range of honours and awards. She has been a member of the Commonwealth Regional Art Assessment panel assessing applications for grants to the visual arts for five years.
Just prior to Nina’s Fijian involvement she suffered a house fire in 1988 which destroyed her home and everything in it, including her extensive collection of Fijian shells. Her work in Fiji at least put her in a position to replace some of this beautiful collection. Some years later, unbelievably, she was the victim of yet another house fire and it is a tribute to her resilience that she was able to regroup and continue with her work so positively.
The portrait below by Artist Bronwyn DOHERTY depicts Nina arouind 1988-9. This painting was exhibited in the Portia Geach Portrait Award…
Another beautiful portrait adorns Nina’s walls – this one painted by Artist, Mary Rees…
Nina was Artist in Residence in Fiji under a Professional Development Grant from the Australian Government. This led to additional grants from AidAb (now AusAid) and the Department of Foreign Affairs to produce three short films associated with her work for distribution throughout educational institutions, Government departments, art associations and or archival purposes.
Nina has been awarded Australia Day Community Awards in 2004 and 2007 for her work in Communities and Culture. She is also the recipient of Governor of NSW Children’s Week Award in 2001 and her work with children in remote locations. Several of these awards have been in recognition of outstanding projects of enduring community value Nina has initiated in Australia.
HOMAGE TO THE ELEMENTS:
Nina’s initiative in c.1990 was HOMAGE TO THE ELEMENTS – a multi-arts community celebration encompassing a range of visual, performance, music and dance art forms focusing on our attachment to the earth through our physical, social and spiritual environment.
Funded by local and state Governments, corporate and business sponsors, this was held biennally for 10 years. The documentary “The Homage Story” details how communities can use their artists and other resources to create meaningful celebrations and rituals that bind and engender the qualities of commonality and togetherness.
The Reconciliaton Project, funded by Commonwealth Regional Arts and local rural and regional councils was another initiative Nina headed to bring together communities in remote Australia, using the arts to break down the barriers dividing communities. She sought to generate forgiveness, non-judgement and acceptance through a dialogue conducted through the mutual creation of textile banners comprising individual stories.
These days, both Homage to the Elements and Reconciliation aims have united in what has become known as the “FIVE LANDS WALK” held at the Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere – coincidentally just one day after this Post release, on June 21st. Commencing at MacMasters Beach on the Central Coast and extending to Terrigal, the walk encompasses the beaches en route, with activities and celebrations along the way. An outdoor concert at Terrigal Haven will be the culmination of activities in the afternoon.
Here are some aerial pictures below of the 2007 Five Lands Walk finale’ on the Skillion at Terrigal Haven. Tony and I are in the crowd somewhere there near the wonderful whale mandala…
This is a side view of the beautiful natural formation – Terrigal Skillion
As part of this year’s celebrations, the “Getup” theme song “FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GROW” will be prevalent, which could readily be applied to Nina’s work over the years. (For updates on the Five Lands Walk, see Post No. 10.)
NINA’S PHILOSOPHY IS THAT ART SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL PEOPLE TO CREATE AND TO APPRECIATE. SHE BELIEVES THAT PLAY IS IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND COMBINES THESE PRINCIPLES IN HER WORK AND IN HER LIFE!
SHE LIKES HER ART TO BE USED, WORN, SLEPT ON AND EATEN OFF – A PART OF EVERY DAY LIVING!
“THINK POSITIVE!” SAYS NINA “WHATEVER WE PUT OUT COMES BACK! YOU CAN BE WHO YOU ARE – YOU DON’T HAVE TO CONFORM FOR CONFORMITY’S SAKE. MANY PEOPLE HAVE LEFT THEIR FOOTPRINTS ON ME AND I HAVE LEFT MINE ON THEM. THIS IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT – SHARING THE JOURNEY!”
Thankyou Nina for sharing a little of your colourful journey with us in this Post. You are an inspiration!
Julie
