Media Release

31 May 2011

Annual threatened forests Art Exhibition - Weld Echo 2011

The annual art exhibition of the Huon Valley Environment Centre, Weld Echo, will open on Wednesday night in a spectacular show of seventy artists.  Artists from around the globe, around Australia and Tasmania are collaborating in the exhibition. A wide range of artists collaborate in Weld Echo, including award winning artists from Tasmania, well known Tasmanian photographers, artists who are passionate about Tasmania’s forests and activists who are on the frontline of the campaign to defend the threatened forests of Tasmania.

“Weld Echo is a impressive art show by people who are inspired by the threatened forests of the Weld Valley and the campaign to defend it’s unique values. In it’s seventh year, again the exhibition is an outstanding show of support for the campaign to protect Tasmania’s unique forests, artists collaborate to bring the rare and beautiful forests in to the city of Hobart,”  Huon Valley Environment Centre’s Jenny Weber said.

Weld Echo opening night is Wednesday 1 June, with Special Guests Peter Cundall and Tasmanian Greens MP Kim Booth.  At 6pm, Long Gallery Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart.  The exhibition will run till 12 June 2011. And all profits raised during the exhibition from sales of art is donated to the Huon Valley Environment Centre

The following three artists are among the seventy artists who are exhibiting at Weld Echo 2011, Marcus Tatton, Matthew Newton and Bill Hatcher.

Marcus Tatton
Marcus Tatton (TAS) is a mid-career sculptor who lives in Tasmania. He has been exhibiting in solo and group exhibitions for over 15 years and has completed a number of public and private commissions across Australia. Marcus is a sculptor who works in public spaces who draws inspiration from the Tasmanian landscape.
Marcus has exhibited in Sculpture by the Sea at both Bondi and Cottesloe and his work will be exhibited in Denmark during Sculpture by the Sea, Aarhus 2011 which opens on 2 June, 2011.
Marcus Tatton is the recipients of the prestigious Helen Lempriere Scholarships for 2011. Marcus currently works out of a rented studio over 15km from his home in Allens Rivulet, and plans to use the Helen Lempriere Scholarship to develop his own at-home studio. He will use the remainder of the funds to develop his website and travel to Europe to visit major museums and sculpture parks, including the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark.
And also this year he was awarded a Merit Award, worth $5000 at the
2011 headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF, Selector’s Merit Award, Waiheke island, NZ

Matthew Newton
Matthew Newton is an independent photographer / cinematographer based in Hobart, Tasmania.
His photography has been published by a wide range of editorial and corporate clients including ACP Magazines, The Australian, Australian Geographic, National Geographic Adventure and the New York Times.
His work has been included in a number of exhibitions including the Leica CCP Documentary award, Head On Portrait Prize Exhibition and The Walkley Awards Exhibition.
He has been the Director of Photography on numerous documentaries that have been broadcast nationally on ABC and SBS Television and recently shot three video portraits for the National Portrait Gallery.
He was a Tasmanian Australian of the Year 2011 - State Finalist

Bill Hatcher
Bill Hatcher enjoys exploring remote regions of the world and has completed many assignments for National Geographic magazine.  As well as shooting for clients including, Newsweek, GEO Magazine, The North Face. Polo Ralph Lauren, Sierra Designs and Nikon U.S.A. Bill Hatcher has been shooting magazine and commercial assignments for 20 years. He has won several awards and recognition for his photography including for photography in Communication Arts (magazine) Advertising Annual 1996, Communication Photography Annual 2004 annual, Sports Emmy Award for electronic cameraperson for the film “Vietnam: Into the Dragon’s Teeth” and inclusion in the National Geographic (magazine) special edition of “100 Best Pictures” 2001. http://www.billhatcher.com