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Bendigo and Heathcote are still celebrating medal wins at the 2024 TAC Victorian Top Tourism Town Awards at a ceremony in regional Victoria last week.
The City of Greater Bendigo celebrated gold with the Bendigo Easter Festival’s Year of the Dragon, the Paris exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery, and the successful Bonjour Bendigo marketing campaign.
The city is a highly regarded tourist destination and is best known for its heritage architecture, cultural attractions, beautiful parks and gardens, and food and beverage.
The City of Heathcote won bronze in the Top Small Tourism Town category for its stunning natural landscape, boutique wineries, and walking and cycling trails.
Both awards recognise Bendigo and Heathcote’s strong commitment to deliver the best experiences and high-quality customer service for visitors.
Greater Bendigo mayor, Cr Andrea Metcalf, said the awards acknowledged the city’s incredible offerings for visitors.
“I am absolutely delighted that people have found Bendigo and Heathcote to be such wonderful and memorable places to visit,” Metcalf said.
“It is such a fantastic endorsement for all those who contribute to Greater Bendigo’s strong reputation as a must-see destination and I thank everyone who voted for Bendigo and Heathcote.
“These awards are testament to our passionate and hard-working tourism industry, as well as City staff working in a variety of roles to ensure the region always looks its best.
“Our attractions, accommodation, retail, and hospitality providers welcome visitors wholeheartedly and they are proud to offer unique experiences and service for tourists of all ages and interests.
“The staff and volunteers at the Bendigo and Heathcote Visitor Centres also provide incredible customer service guiding visitors on what to see and do. No wonder visitors can’t wait to come back for more.
“Tourism is vital for our local economy because it supports a diverse range of businesses, generates job opportunities and keeps the spend local,” Cr Metcalf said.
This marks the fourth year that both Bendigo and Heathcote made the finals for the awards.
Bendigo Art Gallery
The city’s award-winning art gallery announced its next exhibition for 2025 with Frida Kahlo: In Her Own Image. The never-before-seen in Australia exhibition is an intimate portrayal of one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.
It features the artist’s personal belongings, fashion collection, make up, accessories, and even medical items which were sealed for fifty years in a bathroom in Kahlo’s family home. It illuminates the personal, political, philosophical, and artistic influences that shaped Kahlo’s revolutionary creative style and distinctive worldview.
The exhibition considers the intricate connections between Kahlo’s clothing and styling, her home, her ground-breaking painting and drawing, and the iconic photographic images which immortalised her in the global collective imagination.
Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos, said: “We’re bringing more exclusive exhibitions just like this one to regional Victoria, with this exhibition set to marvel audiences from far and wide and boost jobs, businesses and the economy.”
Bendigo Art Gallery director, Jessica Bridgfoot, said it was an honour to have the opportunity to work with the Museo Frida Kahlo to tell the story of one of the world’s most mythologised artists.
“This remarkable collection rarely travels outside Mexico and has never before been seen in Australia. Kahlo’s much-loved home, Casa Azul, now the Museo Frida Kahlo, was the embodiment of her art, philosophies, and design influences,” Bridgfoot said.
Frida Kahlo Museum director, Perla Labarthe Alvarez, said: “‘Frida Kahlo: In her own image originates from the extensive investigation of Frida Kahlo’s personal objects, found in trunks, wardrobes, drawers, bathrooms and cellars of the Casa Azul. The exhibition is a unique opportunity to learn about the Kahlo’s life in a classical Mexican house which encompassed not only her personal world but so much of Mexican life and culture. These endearing objects help us understand the story of this complex artist with all her humanity, resilience and creative power.”
Highlights of the exhibition include
Traditional regional Mexican garments worn by Kahlo, including a spectacular resplandor, a
pleated white headdress which frames the face, worn by Tehuana women of Oaxaca region.
A collection of Kahlo’s favourite Revlon cosmetics, including eyebrow pencil, blush, nail
polishes and lipstick, used by the artist to dramatise and accentuate her features.
Medical corsets worn after spinal surgeries following a devastating traffic accident, which
have been delicately hand-painted and embellished by Kahlo, including one painted with a
broken Tuscan column representing her spine.
A self-portrait drawing titled Appearances Can be Deceiving, depicting an x-ray view through
Kahlo’s clothing to her corset and injured body underneath.
Frida Kahlo: In Her Own Image is the latest instalment in Bendigo Art Gallery’s Bendigo International Collections exhibitions organised in partnership with the Victorian Government. It is exclusive to Bendigo Art Gallery from 15 March to 13 July, 2025.
Feature image: La Casa Azul. Photo: Sebastián Monsalve
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