User:Roxanne Minchin

Personal
Born in Gosford, NSW, Roxanne grew up in the coastal town of Wamberal. She attended Erina High School and represented the school in various sports and was Vice President of the SRC. Roxanne had begun to show early talent in the arts (wining prizes since the age of three) and her major work for the HSC was chosen to tour the NSW. After matriculating Roxanne joined the Public Trustee (in Sydney) as a legal clerk. However, the long hours spent commuting saw Roxanne accept a transfer/promotion to Broken Hill where she began Accountancy studies. On the eve of her acceptance of a further promotion/transfer to Newcastle and to commence Legal Studies, Roxanne met the late Eric Minchin - a meeting which was pivitol in Roxanne's decision to later resign from the Public Trustee and fullfill her passion as a professional artist.

Roxanne and Eric Minchin were married in 1980 and had two children. Sadly, Eric died from a brain tumour in 1994.

Eric and The Brushmen of the Bush
Roxanne's first foray into the world of the exhibiting artist began with winning first prize in an exhibition in Gosford in 1974. Although Roxanne's style was modernism/surrealism, there lurked within a frustrated landscaper and as a result of a chance meeting with Eric in 1978 Roxanne 'found the key' to then persue her love of art. Roxanne then began to exhibit at her parent's private gallery in Wamberal. With a maturity in her style and numerous exhibitions later under her belt, Roxanne was then invited to join the Brushmen of The Bush as a permanent guest artist. The Brushman of the Bush was a group of men who painted the Australian outback. The group consisted of Eric Minchin (founder, 1973), Pro Hart, Hugh Schulz, Jack Absalom and John Pickup. Their charter was to raise monies for charity (raising inexcess of $1m). With their first exhibition attracting national coverage in a 2 page colour spread in the Womans Day, their art captured the imagination of the Australian public and later saw exhibitions overseas. The highlight being an Exhibition in London opened by HRH The Duchess of Kent filmed jointly by the BBC and ABC for a program entitled 'A Brush with Royalty'. A further Royal exhibition followed in Canberra, opened by HRH The Prince of Wales. Eric disbanded the group in 1989 primarily to focus on Roxanne's burgeoning career.

Roxanne and Eric
Roxanne and Eric's first gallery was at their home in Broken Hill. However, the need for more space saw them purchasing the Miner's Cottage next door. Their new Gallery was opened by the Govenor General, The Hon Bill Haydn in 1989. In 1986 Roxanne and Eric were presented with the Key and the Seal to the City of San Angelo where they were exhibiting. During this time they also completed commissions for Stokes Mint for painting for Limited Edition Prints and completed a major mural for the Barrier Social Democratic Club in Broken Hill. After Eric's untimely death in 1994, Roxanne continued their fund raising activities and expanded her art into Limited and Open Edition prints, lettercards and postcards.

Roxanne
In 1993 Roxanne was invited by the Staff Captain of the QE2 to exhibit onboard the luxury liner and from 1994 Roxanne furnished a travelling exhibition until Cunard purchased a collection in 1997 for permanent hanging. In 1996 Roxanne lectured onboard. Roxanne was appointed Auatralia Day Ambssador in 1996 and awarded Broken Hill Business Woman of the Year in 1998 and Woman of the Decade in 2000. As time progressed and her range of paintings and prints expanded, Roxanne purchased the historic CBA building in Broken Hill's CBD. This 460 sqm building was painstakingly renovated to heritage and fung shui principals and later won a Heritage Award. Roxanne sold her beautiful Gallery in 2007 for a 'sea change' after successfully overcoming cancer twice.

Achievements and Highlights
•Justice of the Peace 1977 •Co-teacher with Eric, Minchin School of The Outback,1982-1992 •Exhibitions in USA (San Angelo and Tulsa ),1986 & 1989 •Mural, Broken Hill Barrier Social Democratic Club, 1987 •Presented with the Key and the Seal to the City of San Angelo 1986 •Commissioned by Stokes Mint for a painting to compliment their Limited Edition Brushmen of The Bush prints (LED #1 print held in the National Gallery of Australia archives),1986 •Team Minchin Gallery opened by the Govenor General, The Hon Bill Haydn,1989 •International recognition with permanent exhibitions aboard the QE2 (1993-) •Lecturing aboard the QE2 1996 •Front cover of the Australasian Post,1996 •Appointed Australia Day Ambassador,1996 (ongoing) •Appointed to the Board of the YWCA (Broken Hill),1997 •Elected Vice Prsident YWCA,1999 •Woman of the Decade (Broken Hill),2000 •Purchased the former CBA building (circa 1888) in the Broken Hill CBA,2000 •Won Heritage Award for restoration of the new gallery, 2001 •Addressed the international media on behalf of Tourism NSW during the Sydney Olympics, 2000 •Invitations from the Commonwealth Games Association to attend the Kuala Lumpur and Delhi Games (ongoing) 1998- •Commissions: The Australia Day Council for their Australia Day Art Collection, Kidney Foundation for their Donor Card (together with Ken Done and Margaret Olley), Broken Hill Tourism for the front cover of their tourism ,magazine, and various other organizations for their collections and promotional purposes •Public Speaking: including opening conferences, motovational, Australia Day/Citizenship Addresses •Appeared on a multitude of television and radio programes in Australia and overseas including; Sunrise,The Great Outdoors, Getaway, Postcards,Good Morning Sydney,Totally Wild, Discovery, The Big Arvo, 2UE,2UW,ABC, •Exhibitions opened by various dignitaries including (former) Prime Ministers The Hon Bob Hawke, The Hon Paul Keating, Govenor General The Hon Bill Haydn, Premiers and celebrities •Featured in numerous major publications nationally and internationally including; Readers Digest, RM Williams, New Idea, Australasian Post, Rydges •Involved with the Boy Scouts as a Cub Leader and chosen to represent Australian Scouting on a goodwill tour of SE Asia in 1976 •Participated in over 250 exhibitions •Paintings in public, corporate and private collections