9 Ante Portas

Synopsis

If there is nothing quite so powerful as the force of a woman on a determined path to achieve her goals, then sure there is nothing more powerful than nine women as a group encouraging each other along such a path.

In Brisbane, in mid 2008, a group of women friends met at the wake of a friend who had died of diabetes-related causes. Egged along by this timely reminder of their mortality, they resolved to unite in a collective effort to push through their personal barriers and achieve their long-held desires.

Reasoning that they were about to unleash their latent talents on an unsuspecting world, the nine friends registered the group under the name 9 Ante Portas (since they saw it as taking them through the gates to their objectives). Their first target was to hold an art show during Brisbane’s Show Week in August 2009.

To this end, they spent the following year preparing a collection of their work – art, photography, sculpture and, in the case of writer Jane Grieve, a compilation of her popular humour columns in her first book which she has called Slippin’ on the Lino.

It was not an easy year by any means. But each woman faced down her demons one way or another and with the support of the group – and a barrel-load of fun - came up trumps with an outstanding art show in August, as planned.

The inaugural 9 Ante Portas Exhibition was launched to an overwhelming response on Saturday 8th August at Gallery 54, Paddington, Brisbane by Tim Fairfax. The Governor of Queensland, Ms Penelope Wensley, was in attendance along with a huge crowd of friends and supporters; a greater crowd, in fact, than the Gallery would comfortably accommodate but no matter, the crowd out on the street had a ball. People were unanimous in their enthusiasm about the fact that this was a group of women “having a go.”

The group, which intends for their art show to be an annual event, has raised approximately $5,000 for Diabetes. Jane Grieve will be donating 5% of the profits from the sale of Slippin’ on the Lino to Diabetes Australia – Queensland.

Woman power.