Painting of a photograph of Kombi vans (painting by Jeanette Fry).
Photo by
James Manley
Walking into a car club, you don’t necessarily expect the walls to be adorned with art.
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It’s such an unusual sight, many say “you’ve got to be joking” when they see the art.
That’s according to Red Plate Club secretary Kevin Winch, the man responsible for the unusual combination.
The Red Plate Club, based in Shepparton, is a club for vehicle enthusiasts of all kinds.
Established in 2014, it’s intended for those who wish to put club plates on their vehicles.
Club plates are designed for vehicles at least 25 years old, and offer significantly lower registration fees, no stamp duty on the permit, and usually cheaper insurance.
However to be eligible for club plates, you need to be a member of a car club.
The group has grown over time and now has more than 3000 members from all over Victoria.
It’s not just for those with cars. It also includes owners of trucks, motorcycles and even tow trucks.
Acrylic on canvas of a magpie (painting by Kay Woodward).
Photo by
James Manley
So, just how did all this art come to be there?
Mooroopna Education and Activity Centre’s art group has a stall each year at the Shepparton Show, of which Mr Winch is president.
He liked the art so much he bought some.
Aware there aren’t many places for local artists to display their work, he came up with the idea of putting some of the art on a spare wall in his shop.
“We’ve got to support our community,” he said.
Mr Winch loves the unique range of artwork that is on display, including paintings, drawings and photographs.
There’s even a picture painted with Vegemite.
“That’s what I love about it, that they’re original,” he said.
“It’s a big variation of styles, not one particular style.”
A picture painted using Vegemite (by Jeanette Fry).
Photo by
James Manley
Over time, the MEAC artists have been joined by other artists, with anyone welcome to submit their art, which will generally be displayed for around four months.
They’ve even had someone from Geelong interested in displaying his art.
Mr Winch expects the number of artworks to grow, with some of the art to also be on display at the Shepparton Show.
The Red Plate Club can be visited at 18 North St, Shepparton.
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