STEALBANKSY. STAY THE NIGHT, STEAL THE ART

The Art Series Hotel Group has received global media attention after challenging its guests to steal a $15,000 Banksy artwork which they got to keep if they removed it from the hotel without being caught.

Just one of a handful of signed and authenticated Banksys available in Australia, the famous street artist’s No Ball Games piece was stolen from The Blackman after just five days of hanging. The cunning Maura Tuohy pretended to be from an Art Series Hotel agency and told hotel staff she was asked to drive the painting to another hotel. Following intense questioning she then took the artwork out of the hotel, put it in her car, and returned 15 minutes later to brag.

The heist was a success and followed several failed attempts by other hotel guests including the hacking of three CCTV cameras focused on the Banksy, a listening device being placed underneath the desk at Reception and guests phoning Reception with housekeeping issues in an attempt to get them to step away from the painting. The campaign has received global attention and been extremely active in social media all around the world.

Guests who still want to get a chance to steal a Banksy of their own have until the 15th January to come and stay the night and steal the art. The next Banksy on offer is the iconic Pulp Fiction (this will be the last artwork).

Visit www.stealbanksy.com.au for more information.
Twitter: @stealbanksy
Facebook: facebook.com/artserieshotels

Hawthorn Mosman launched their exciting new Clicquot Summer Lounge on the 24th November designed by Coco Republic. The Clicquot Summer Lounge is the perfect spot to relax and celebrate summer, Champagne and good company. Chef Scott Parsons has carefully matched a selection of perfect bites to complement each of the Champagnes available.

We are super excited about this fantastic collaboration between these three amazing brands, the Clicquot Summer Lounge will run from now until February 2012 and will prove to be the ultimate summer venue.

Heesco for Art Series Hotels at Outpost

OUTPOST, on Cockatoo Island, is the largest street art festival in the Southern Hemisphere. Running until December the 11th it has transformed the gritty industrial spaces of Cockatoo Island into an explosion of urban art, with more than 150 artists from around the globe creating original works on site.

Curated by Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and aMBUSH Gallery the festival features exhibitions and forums that promise to immerse visitors into global street art culture.

Must-sees include George Shaw’s Oi You! collection boasting works by Os Gemeos, Swoon, Faile and the world’s best known and most influential street artist Banksy.

Award-winning Mongolian/Australian street artist Heesco is working with event sponsor Art Series Hotels; he has been spray painting during live events and working on large works – such as the Tassie Devils piece below. Art Series Hotels have also been running forum talks on Sunday afternoons on stimulating topics such as how to collect street art, the politics of street art and the future of the genre.

Escape the mainland and immerse yourself in street art on Cockatoo Island.
The Outpost Project is on at Cockatoo Island until December 11. Entry is free with a ferry ticket.

MiCK, a dynamic new contemporary art space, opened last night in the
beating heart of the Sydney art scene at 44 Gurner Street, Paddington. The
gallery will exhibit both emerging and established artists, Australian and
international sculptors and boast a welcoming library and reading room for
local art lovers. The gallery is the vision of Director Megan Dick who
brings more than 10 years of commercial gallery management and private art
brokering to MiCK. Congratulations to Megan and the team!

View upcoming exhibitions at www.mickthegallery.com

The 25th of November at The Byron at Byron will see many mustachioed men, and their supporting ladies, enjoying a Sports Charity Lunch as a culmination of the Resort’s month-long support for Movember. The delicious three course meal created by chef Gavin Hughes, with proceeds going to the charity to raise awareness for men’s health including depression and prostate cancer, will be graced by celebrity sportsmen and feature an auction of money-can’t-buy prizes. Celebrity guests include legendary NRL coach Wayne Bennett, world’s greatest Ironman Trevor Hendy and professional triathlete Peter Jacobs. Network Ten’s Brad McEwan will act as MC. Tickets to the event are $100 with proceeds going to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health. To purchase tickets call 02 6639 2000.

Representing Sydney designer, Johanna Johnson has been a bit of a treat of late. The bridal, red carpet and high fashion designer recently dressed TV’s favourite glamazon, Christina Hendricks. Hendricks strolled the red carpet in a 100% hand beaded gown which the designer had lovingly designed for the actress from scratch.

It makes our jobs a lot easier when the star says things like “This is the best I have ever looked…” and “It was the first dress I tried on”.

Johanna started her day with a live interview on Nova Breakfast, quickly by Channel 7, Nine and Network Ten news. Johanna had her very first appearance on the 7pm Project, and then woke up to her own photo the next day on the front page of The Age and in The Sydney Morning Herald.

Well done to Johanna Johnson and her team!

The ever-amazing Adam Cullen has painted a one-off Tassie Devil artwork to be auctioned in support of one of Australia’s most endangered species – the Tasmanian Devil. Bidding has started and all proceeds from the sale of the work and donations will go directly to the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal.

The artwork will be housed at The Cullen Hotel in Prahran, Melbourne until the end of November.

To bid on the Adam Cullen original, visit or call The Cullen on 03 9098 1555 / www.artserieshotels.com.au/tassiedevils
To donate directly to Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal visit www.tassiedevil.com.au/tasdevil.nsf/folder/_makeadonation

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer (FTBC) took to the runway at this year’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Sydney on Saturday August 27. Singer Paris Wells opened the show to a packed out audience of fashionistas, with black and white looks from the FTBC collection and retail partners Cue, Metallicus, Secrets, Seafolly, Cotton On Body, Peep Toe and Seduce. Each of the brands will donate a minimum of 25% of each product sold in the collection to FTBC.

As one of the hottest shows on the Fashion Festival calendar, a performance from dance troupe Ev& Bow kept guests captivated mid parade before ambassador Zoe Naylor and several brave survivors graced the runway in spectacular ball gowns.

The Mint Partners’ mouths are watering. Newly appointed Jonah’s Executive Chef Alfonso Alés has launched his new southern European inspired menu featuring dishes like Spanish Iberico ham on toasted sourdough with salmorejo and extra virgin olive oil, scallops in “chaud-froid” with apple and celeriac remoulade, caviar and lime-sour cream sesame tuile, Peking-Aylesbury Duck with slow roasted root vegetables, citrus fruits and honey braised pears and for the chocolate aficionados – ‘All about Chocolate’ made from 70% dark chocolate, presented as a spicy soup of layered rich ganache and served with soft chocolate ice-cream, chocolate pouring sauce and a crispy tuile.

Impossibly picturesque, Jonah’s Restaurant & Boutique Hotel has been a ‘must’ destination for Australian and international jetsetters for over 80 years. Located just 45 minutes from Sydney, the Relais & Chateaux property offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean from a collection of luxury suites and world class restaurant.

hunter-valley-winemaker-launches-semillon-blanc-20110713-1hcvc.html

Have you ever wondered what the next big thing would be with Australian Wines?
The Mint Partners is excited to share that McGuigan Wines has the answer, launching a new wine style – The Semillon Blanc.

Taking the traditional style of Semillon and adapting it to modern expectations, this evolutionary wine style focuses on the current tastes of wine drinkers, appealing to those who love an aromatic, flavoursome and crisp white wine while using an unsung hero, and one which McGuigan are one of the best in the world at producing – Semillon.

McGuigan Wines launched the wine at a Semillon round table with industry leaders and heavy weights. With 12 Semillons on trial, it was a great session trying all the different styles of Semillon that Australia produces.

Take a look at Huon Hooke’s article on the new wine in Good Living, The Sydney Morning Herald