A varied and engaging exhibition program is presented here by our Arts and Culture team.
The program is based on existing arts and cultural activities, and by invitation to local artists or community groups from across our region.
Current Exhibition
Hidden in Plain View: Waverton Coal Loader, Wendy's Secret Garden, Lavender Bay.
An Exhibition by Bradfield Senior College Artists with the support of Planet X Youth Centre
15 August - 17 September 2018
The students of Bradfield Senior College have sought to bring a contemporary perspective to the historical layers of different sites in the Local Government Area of North Sydney. Students were inspired by a book by Paul Irish called 'Hidden in Plain View – the Aboriginal People of Coastal Sydney'. Students visited the Coal Loader, the Peter Kingston Walkway and Wendy’s Secret Garden, as well as touring Circular Quay as areas of focus on Sydney’s hidden stories during their Creative Industries Project.
The multiple histories and narratives of these areas have been interpreted through a variety of design and visual arts responses. Inspiration has come from the people who had historical relationships to the site as well as the flora and fauna, Aboriginal culture and environmental regeneration of the bushland and gardens. These locations and sites have the sense of being removed from the mainstream historical narrative and our usual view of our city.
This is the third year that Bradfield Senior College and Planet X Youth Centre have collaborated on exploring the local area for inspiration, with artworks being exhibited at North Sydney Council’s inTransit exhibition space. Through these excursions and project work, students developed a rich understanding of the local history and gained valuable experiences through working collaboratively, creatively and thoughtfully in response to historical and culturally significant sites.
Previous Exhibitions
Bloodlines and Coastlines - Gai-mariagal Festival Exhibition
6 July - 9 August 2018
The exhibition showcases ceramics and works on paper by Yaegl artist Jessica Birk and Bradfield Senior College students in celebration of ancestry, place and the legacy of Barangaroo; a courageous and powerful Cammeraygal woman.
Through artmaking and song Yaegl artist Jessica Birk and musician Michael Birk shared cultural knowledge with students, guiding them in their creation of artworks inspired by the personal story of Barangaroo and their own creativity. The student’s works will be exhibited alongside Jessica Birk’s artwork Bloodlines and Coastlines which North Sydney Council has recently acquired for its collection.
This project has been made possible through a partnership between artist Jessica Birk, Bradfield Senior College, the 2018 Gai-mariagal Festival and North Sydney Council.
Sandra Winkworth, the COAL LOADER STUDIO STUDIES, #itsnowalittleautumn
23 May - 2 July 2018
Sandra Winkworth spent 10 months at the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability as the Artist in Residence, during which time she amassed a collection of found objects from around the Waverton area. By incorporating painting, printmaking and digital imagery into her unique visual language these disused and found objects were transformed into joyful temporary DIY installations. What Sandra enjoyed the most during her time at the Coal Loader was the calm but very active environment around the studio. Every day she would be inspired by sunrise walks along the old BP site and Berrys Bay back to the window view in the studio of ships fuelling-up on the harbour. These often quiet moments allowed Sandra to produce thoughtful and delicate installation based works which reflect her interest in the natural world’s diversity and fragility whilst commenting on society’s veneration for artificial materiality. The works in this exhibition are a small collection of studies and playful considerations and an intimate and personal reflection of her time spent in the studio at the Coal Loader.
CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE
19 April - 21 May 2018
An exhibition by Primrose Park Photography exploring North Sydney and beyond.
Karen Au-Yeung, Kevin Braganza, Michael Bucknell, Heather Fernon, Simon Hall, Michael Lynch, Debra Mooney, Andy Rogers, Rod Sainty, Jean-Paul Versteeg, Sandy Watson, Karen Williamson, Peter White.
Primrose Park Photographers enjoy a wide range of differing interests and activities. In this spirit, Challenge and Response is a thoughtful and inspiring photographic exhibition that explores each member’s unique perspective in their area of interest and creative response to an individual challenge, reflecting the diversity of expressions within the community.
Primrose Park Photography, is a local informal non-competitive photographic cooperative located in Cremorne, NSW. The group offers a relaxed and friendly environment that aims to broaden and enhance photographic skills. Areas of interest range from Pinhole photography right through all the traditional processes to the whole digital world - cameras, scanners, software and printers. Primrose Park Photography hold frequent workshops and seminars for members and interested visitors, and organise outings and other activities to provide interesting photographic challenges.
ANAHITA’S DREAM
1 March – 8 April
Anahita’s Dream brings together 5 artists from the Iranian Women Visual Artists Collective - Australia including Nazanin Marashian, Sepideh Farzam, Farina Salehi, Azadeh Yaghoubi and Negin Chahoud who have developed new work calling on the Ancient Persian Goddess Anahita for inspiration. Anahita is considered as the 'Persian Aphrodite' and patron of women. She is goddess of fertility, protector of the waters, of animals, and goddess of war. She represents all aspects of life and death – the mother, the lover, the protector and destroyer. Anahita’s Dream recalls the power, beauty and sovereignty of this ancient goddess through classic and contemporary symbolism. This exhibition coincides with Norouz, the Persian New Year celebration linked to the moment of the spring equinox in the lunar calendar, a moment of reverence for the material and spiritual world that takes place as one cycle ends and a new one begins.
SNAP TO IT
17 Jan - 27 Feb 2018
Snap to It is an annual photo competition for Council's Bushcare, Streets Alive and Harbourcare Volunteers. It was initiated in 2008 to encourage community participation in the Bushcare program and to foster an interest in our local natural environment.
This year there were approximately 40 entries in the three categories; Community, Contrast and Critters.
The winners were chosen and awarded prizes by Mayor Jilly Gibson at the Bushcare & Streets Alive Volunteer Christmas party. The Mayors Choice entries have been specially presented in four backlit displays.
Snap to It competition submissions are a useful resource for Council as they are stored in a photographic library for the promotion of our volunteer programs as well as providing engaging content for the Bushcare Events Calendar.
If you would like to become part of North Sydney Council’s environmental volunteer programs, call 9936 8100 or email council@northsydney.nsw.gov.au
Aftertaste
5 December - 15 January 2018
Aftertaste is a group exhibition of images by five street photographers. Their aim is to create pictures that linger in the mind. Established fine art photographer, mentor and casual academic Lynn Smith presents Aftertaste in conjunction with four collaborators: Catherine Gilbert, Martin Smith (no relation), Mark Penny and Shawn Sijnstra. When describing the exhibition, Lynn Smith states that "a fine art photograph should reward the patient viewer, revealing a little more of itself each time you glance at it. The 18 images in Aftertaste were chosen for their ability to do this."
For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Team at North Sydney Council on 9936 8100 or email artsandculture@northsydney.nsw.gov.au
See Previous year's exhibitions below
2017 Exhibitions
2016 Exhibitions
Related Documents