If you were able to flip past the masterpiece that is our front cover, well done! To have the divine Henri Matisse’s Espagnole (buste) gracing our pages, let alone inviting you into Issue 777, is a huge honour.
The artwork is even more spectacular in person, and is currently on display at SAM as part of the international blockbuster showcase from Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Facing Modernity: From Degas to Picasso. We explore the exhibition with SAM Artistic Director, Danny Lacy, recognising the regional impact and the significance of its scale in Australian art presentation.
This issue is full of experiences across the Victorian landscape from the uncensored storytelling of the Castlemaine Documentary Festival to the stargazing cultural journey Star Country Tours at Healesville Sanctuary, to the whimsical Little Creatures Winter Wonderland, and the culinary excursion of The Heritage Table.
We also experience the feelings of joy with The Jungle Giants fifth album, and head into the transportive writing journeys and road trip tours of Phil Jamieson and Leah Senior.
In a milestone moment, we speak with homeware store owner, Kristen Murphy of Goose, who has just celebrated three decades of operations at the Garden Street East Geelong location.
There’s so much more inside – experience it for yourself!
Tammy Walters
Editor in Chief
