lone white (1942- ) - Ceramist
Lone White is a well-known ceramist and highly vocal regional arts advocate who amongst other things has played a significant role in ensuring a strong, vibrant local art community continues to exist, subsist and grow in and around Cairns, Far North Queensland.
In 2011, she was presented with an Australia Day Award for Arts and Culture.
In 2011, she was presented with an Australia Day Award for Arts and Culture.
Life in denmark
Lone Vittrup White (nee Kalmayer) was born in Viborg, Denmark, in 1942. In her youth she first became enamoured with art and the art world when, following her friendship with the family of local artist Lasse Winslow, she was impressed and strongly influenced by the artist's unconventional lifestyle and worldly views. Lone studied languages for several years at Copenhagen University and also worked for awhile at an art gallery.
settling in Australia
Lone travelled and was keen to experience the world as much as possible. In 1964 while in Israel, she met an Australian, William Thomas White. They married in Denmark and by Christmas Eve the same year she immigrated to Australia. Her Australian citizenship was conferred in 1967.
After a six-year stint in Papua New Guinea, during which her interest in ceramics commenced, Lone and her family, including four children, made a permanent move to Cairns in 1976. She studied ceramics at Cairns T.A.F.E and undertook coursework at the Kelvin Grove College in Brisbane.
After a six-year stint in Papua New Guinea, during which her interest in ceramics commenced, Lone and her family, including four children, made a permanent move to Cairns in 1976. She studied ceramics at Cairns T.A.F.E and undertook coursework at the Kelvin Grove College in Brisbane.
supporting the region
Lone also became a prominent and active representative for the Parents and Citizens Association in North Queensland. This involved ensuring that, amongst other things, alternative languages were still taught in state schools, that school-reading materials were not censored by parents, and that the roads in Cairns are safer for children on bicycles. Lone has also worked hard for a number of years combating racial intolerance, promoting human rights and encouraging equal opportunity amongst all cultures and races in the North Queensland region. She has done much to reconcile racial differences and to ensure people in the region have access to legal avenues and services aimed at preventing racial intolerance.
In developing and expanding her love of the arts, Lone gained and continues to have, a reputation as an artist who uses ceramics as a medium to excite, inspire and confront people with uniquely different, internationally inspired, often bold shapes, designs, textures, and colours. She has made frequent trips to South East Asia, China, Japan and the Middle East to gather inspiration for her ceramic artwork and has won many awards and exhibited locally, nationally, and internationally.
In developing and expanding her love of the arts, Lone gained and continues to have, a reputation as an artist who uses ceramics as a medium to excite, inspire and confront people with uniquely different, internationally inspired, often bold shapes, designs, textures, and colours. She has made frequent trips to South East Asia, China, Japan and the Middle East to gather inspiration for her ceramic artwork and has won many awards and exhibited locally, nationally, and internationally.
awards and memberships
Beyond this personal interest, Lone has done much to support, encourage and actively promote the arts community in North Queensland. In 2011, she was presented with an Australia Day medal for Arts and Culture in recognition of her tireless work for the arts of the broader Cairns region.
Lone is a life member of the Cairns Art Society, the Cairns Potters Club and recently became a member on the Cairns Regional Council's Public Arts Advisory Committee. She is also a founding member and President of the Visual Arts Association of Far North Queensland (which promotes all forms of art in the Cairns region) and has played a key role in the establishment of the Cairns Regional Art Gallery, in the continued promotion of local artists, in securing a home for the Cairns Art Society (Cominos House), and strongly advocating the implementation of fair, open arts grants procedures for everyone in the Far North Queensland region.
Lone is a life member of the Cairns Art Society, the Cairns Potters Club and recently became a member on the Cairns Regional Council's Public Arts Advisory Committee. She is also a founding member and President of the Visual Arts Association of Far North Queensland (which promotes all forms of art in the Cairns region) and has played a key role in the establishment of the Cairns Regional Art Gallery, in the continued promotion of local artists, in securing a home for the Cairns Art Society (Cominos House), and strongly advocating the implementation of fair, open arts grants procedures for everyone in the Far North Queensland region.