Benalla's Yonnie Miechel with her Our Gallery chosen work, Your friends are waiting for you. Photo: Stephen Winkler.
Benalla Art Gallery was built by the community for the community. It’s the people’s gallery.
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This year marks 50 years since the opening of this iconic lakeside building.
It also marks the beginning of its next era, and it is currently closed for a much-needed renovation and expansion.
In the meantime, a pop-up gallery has opened at 75 Bridge St East, with programs running in this new location, as well as others around town.
During this redevelopment, the Benalla Art Gallery Foundation is partnering with the gallery to present the ‘Our Gallery project’.
The project has enlisted 50 individuals from the local community, who all chose their favourite artwork from the Benalla Gallery collection.
They have all reflected on their chosen work and on their personal connection to it and the gallery.
Our Gallery demonstrates Benalla Art Gallery’s motto that art is for everyone and aligns with Benalla Rural City Council’s new Destination Management Plan, focused on boosting tourism and the local economy
It also plays on Benalla’s strengths, with the theme ‘See the Art in Everything’.
Over the coming 12 months, Benalla Art Gallery and the Benalla Art Gallery Foundation will share the stories of these 50 community members through the Ensign.
The first two of those are Yonnie Miechel and Stephen Coulter.
Yonnie Miechel
Chosen artwork: Your friends are waiting for you (Biei Hokkaido), by Jason Benjamin, 2007.
Yonnie is Benalla born and still a local.
She has owned and operated the Benalla Veterinary Clinic for the past 11 years, is a passionate participant in the Benalla Business Network, and is also a member and avid supporter of the Benalla Co Op.
“I have chosen this work because of the atmosphere and the colour in the clouds which draws you in, it’s almost a 3D experience,“ Yonnie said.
“The painting has a mythical feel, with the trunk leading to the stunning blue sky.
“The title of the paining is warm and inviting.”
Jason Benjamin (1971–2021) was an acclaimed Australian painter known for his evocative landscapes and moody, introspective portraits.
His work, often exploring solitude and emotion through light and atmosphere, earned him numerous awards and a lasting place in contemporary Australian art.
Your friends are waiting for you, 2007 was a gift to the Benalla Art Gallery by Annie Benjamin in 2009.
Stephen Coulter
Stephen Coulter with his Our Gallery chosen work, Guardian Angel, by Mirka Mora, 1996. Photo: Stephen Winkler.
Chosen art work: Guardian Angel, by Mirka Mora, 1996.
Stephen is a well-known identity in Bridge St, having worked at Benalla Travel for the past 10 years.
He considers Benalla Art Gallery an incredible asset for Benalla and that it is great for tourism.
“I chose this painting because of the colours,” Stephen said.
“It is quite an emotional painting. It looks like orphan children with a bird and an angel watching over them.”
Mirka Mora (1928–2018) was a French-born Australian artist renowned for her vibrant, whimsical paintings, murals and dolls that helped shape Melbourne’s postwar art scene.
A Holocaust survivor, she became a beloved cultural icon whose playful imagery celebrated resilience, imagination and the joy of creation.
Guardian Angel, 1996 was a gift to the Benalla Art Gallery by Neilma Gantor in 2009.
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