H1 Kim Nelson Fine Art and Editions

Kim Nelson is an Australian Symbolist artist.  He lives and works in the foothills of the Brindabella mountain range, near the Australian National Capital, Canberra.

Nelson was born on the New South Wales south coast into a farming family.  He is related on his mother’s side to the Australian traditional landscape painter Leonard Long OAM.  From a very early age Nelson showed a precocious talent for drawing and creating and this talent was put to use not only in school projects but in designing backdrops for school productions.

At age 17, on his uncle’s suggestion, he spent a year at the renowned Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney, studying life drawing.  This was to be his only formal art training.  It was also in this year that Nelson completed his first commissioned mural.  He subsequently embarked, somewhat by chance, on a career in graphic design and advertising concurrent with a career as a singer/songwriter in contemporary music. He was to spend the greater part of a decade in this field. 

This was followed by another ten years as a manager/curator of historic houses primarily for the National Trust (Australia) property, Cooma Cottage.  Through a range of eventing, educational programs and exhibitions he developed the property from a fledgling local attraction into one of the Trust’s most successful regional properties.
In 1994 Dr Peter Stanbury (then head of Museums and Collections of National Trust, NSW) stated that "Kim is our model manager and news of his proficiency has spread throughout the Trust and into the public realm".  This reputation garnered Nelson various awards in heritage and tourism.

In 1995 Nelson was acting senior curator of Calthorpes’ House and Lanyon, both heritage properties in Australian Capital Territory (ACT).  He also represented the ACT Museums & Galleries in tourism and marketing until his departure to pursue his art full time.

Since embarking on a career in fine art in 1996 Kim Nelson has staged numerous solo exhibitions. He has also completed commissioned work for many organisations and individuals ranging from the National Trust of Australia to publishers Pan MacMillan through to private commissions for media mogul Rupert Murdoch. His exhibitions have been opened by the likes of Chief Magistrate, The Hon. Mr Barry O’Keefe QCAM, the late Renee Rivkin and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and his work graces the walls of corporations and offices such as the Australia High Commission in London and News Limited in New York.

Kim Nelson is committed to using his talent in assisting others, having gifted art and design to many major and minor organisations and charities such as UNICEF Australia, Hope for the Children (Rotary International), AMACC (Afghan Mother & Child Care), Koomarri Canberra, The Smith Family, NSW Volunteer Bushfire Brigade, CanAssist along with numerous local and amateur groups.  He also, from time to time, still curates exhibitions on behalf of others and is the creator of the regional arts website YASSarts.  In 2013 Nelson was awarded Yass Valley Citizen of the Year in the Australia Day honours for his work in the community and specifically for the YASSarts initiative

Though his work can be quite diverse he identifies most strongly with symbolism and the spiritual, drawing much inspiration from the great works of the past. "I seek not to emulate the styles and techniques of the past, but to reinterpret and develop them in the present and for the future."

Kim Nelson's Art is represented by:

Buratti Fine Art, 222 Queen Victoria Street North Fremantle WA                                                             www.buratti.com.au 

Kim Nelson Fine Art & Editions 67 Comur Street Yass NSW                                         http://www.kimnelson.com.au/kim-nelson-finer-arts-and-editions-gallery  

EXHIBITIONS - SOLO

1996		‘KIM NELSON’ - Anthony Rose Gallery, Yass
1997		‘NELSON/DOUGLAS’ - Cuppacumbalong Art Gallery, Canberra
1997		‘INTO THE LIGHT’ - Mallet Street Art Space, Sydney
1998		'WINTER’ - Griffith Gallery, Canberra
1999		‘RETROSPECTIVE - Ten Years of Cooma Cottage’ (Photographic exhibition)                                  - Heritage Week exhibition for the National Trust of Australia
1999		‘KIM NELSON’ - Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney
1999		‘A SACRED PLACE’ - The Sheep’s Back Gallery, Yass
2000		‘KIM NELSON: Recent Works - Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney
2000		‘RETROSPECTIVE: CAVAN - Open Gardens Scheme, Cavan Homestead, Cavan
2001		‘WORKS ON PAPER’ - Anthony Rose Gallery, Yass
2001		‘THE LINE, THE CROSS & THE CURVE’ - Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney
2002		'PICTURE SUNDAY' - Open studio at the artist's home
2003		‘The ODDFELLOW EXHIBITION’ – Sheep’s Back Gallery, Yass
2005		‘POSTCARDS’ - The Sheep’s Back Gallery, Yass
2005		‘ICON’ – Salmon Gallery, Sydney
2005		‘BEYOND THESE SHORES’  – GIG Gallery, Sydney
2006		‘METAPHOR’  – Salmon Gallery, Sydney
2006		‘WATERLINE’ & ‘SKETCH’ – The Sheep’s Back Gallery, Yass
2007		‘AS ABOVE SO BELOW’ – United Galleries, Perth
2008		‘THINKING OF FRIEDRICH’ – United Galleries, Sydney
2009		PENOMBRE – The Sheep’s Back Gallery, Yass
2010		OF EARTH BELOW – United Galleries, Perth
2010		OPEN STUDIO – Kim Nelson Fine Art & Editions, Yass
2011		OPEN STUDIO – Kim Nelson Fine Art & Editions, Yass
2012		'HOMELAND' - Kim Nelson Fine Art & Editions, Yass

EXHIBITIONS - GROUP

1999		‘ALICE BALE AWARD’  (finalist) - Glen Eira Regional Gallery, Melbourne
2001		URBAN TRAFFIC’ - Manyung Gallery, Melbourne
2001		'ALICE BALE AWARD’  - Glen Eira Regional Gallery, Melbourne
2002		‘CANBERRA ART PRIZE’ – Italo-Australian Club, Canberra
2002		‘(LAND)SCAPES’   (Group exhibition)  - Salmon Gallery, Sydney
2004		‘CANBERRA ART PRIZE’ – Italo-Australian Club, Canberra
2006		‘ITALIAN FESTIVAL SHOW’  – Domain Gallery, Sydney
2006		‘The LINAC ART COLLECTION’ – Shoalhaven Regional Gallery
2006		‘STORYTELLER’ (Group exhibition) – Charles Hewitt Gallery, Sydney
2007		‘PRESENCE - ABSENCE’  – United Galleries Sydney
2008		‘NUDE’ – United Galleries, Sydney
2008		WEETALIBAH’    –  ‘Weetalibah’,Yass
2008		‘UNWRAPPED’  – United Galleries, Perth
2008		SHIRLEY HANNAN PORTRAIT PRIZE– Bega Regional Gallery
2009		THE EASTER EXHIBITION– Forest Gallery, Durras
2009		YASSarts EXHIBITION - The Sheep’s Back Gallery, Yass
2009		‘30 x 40’ - United Galleries, Sydney
2009		BLACK SWAN PRIZE for PORTRAITURE’ - Perth Town Hall, Perth
2009		[not] WASTLAND – Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Canberra
2010		SHIRLEY HANNAN PORTRAIT PRIZE  – Bega Regional Gallery
2010		‘BLACK SWAN PRIZE for PORTRAITURE’ – Perth Town Hall. Perth
2010		‘COUNTRYSCAPES’ Country Energy Art Prize – Glasshouse Regional Gallery
2010		’10  OUT OF 10’ (Group Exhibition) – Anthony Rose Gallery, Yass
2011		‘BLACK SWAN PRIZE for PORTRAITURE’ – Perth Town Hall, Perth
2011		‘COUNTRYSCAPES’ Essential Energy Art Prize– Bathurst Regional Gallery
2011		SUMMER EXHIBITION - Buratti Fine Art, Perth
2012		‘WINDOWS ON THE SACRED’ - Buratti Fine Art, Perth
2012 2013		SHIRLEY HANNAN PORTRAIT PRIZE– Bega Regional Gallery JOHN GLOVER ART PRIZE - Evandale, Tasmania

Kim Nelson is proudly sponsored by