Arts

For the next four days, Cairns will move to a vibrant, artistic, and cultural beat celebrating the rich traditions, creativity, and contemporary talent of Queensland’s First Nations peoples at the 14th annual, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF), 13 to 16 July 2023 ... Also taking a cue from this year’s curatorial theme is CIAF’s new-look, two-day Symposium that will be held on Friday 14 July and Saturday 15 July at Bulmba-ja Arts Centre...

All About Care’s "Brushstrokes of Harmony" Art Exhibition was officially opened on Friday afternoon at Nhill Gallery Central. The exhibition signifies that all creative minds and art forms belong and have a place. Nhill Gallery Central has become more aware of the broader community art world.

From the excitement of the woodchop to prized cattle and champion sponge cakes or marmalades that used secret family recipes, it was an event that survived and thrived. Now, one of Queensland’s proudest regional traditions – The Maleny Show – and those who made it great, will feature in a special documentary film.

The grand finale of NAIDOC Week in Tennant Creek today promises to be a memorable event, with the winner of the 2023 Australian Idol competition taking the stage. Royston Noell, a 24-year-old Thanakwith and Wagadagam man from Mapoon in far north Queensland, was crowned as the first winner of the series since 2009 back in March.

When Film and TV producer Muffy Potter first clapped eyes on Porcupine Village in Maldon, she knew she’d found her dream location for the comedy series Gold Diggers, currently airing on ABC and iView. Doubling as ‘Dead Horse Gap’, Porcupine Village provided a fully immersive location to film a boisterous and irreverent take on the early gold rush era.

Four exhibitions highlighting the depth and cultural significance of artworks held in Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery’s three permanent collections are open for viewing. The Gallery is home to the nationally significant Lionel Lindsay Gallery and Library Collection, the Fred and Lucy Gould Art Collection and the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery – Toowoomba City Collection.

Two buses and a small truck are carrying the 70-member Sydney Youth Orchestra and an ensemble of assistants on a 10 day – 6 town tour, beginning in Dubbo, then Wilcannia, Broken Hill, Mildura, Deniliquin and finally Cowra.

The White Cliffs Craft group organised a Resin workshop led by local, Tallon Towers. From jewellery to coated rocks, there was an amazing array of creative projects.

Nancy Whittaker. Last Sunday it was my delight to chat to Mark Wardle, who is the inaugural featured artist in the new MANet* Arts Focus Gallery ... Mark is quite the renaissance man as he is so much more than a genius creating works of art out of any well-seasoned wood he can find, including on his wood heap.  

One of a number of treasured works from National Gallery of Australia’s collection to visit. A $174 million masterpiece by French impressionist Claude Monet will be heading to the Tweed later this year, just one of many artworks shared with regional galleries under the Australian Government’s Sharing the National Collection initiative.

Rhea Pfeifle. It felt as though the music from the Orenda Trio and the Sarabande Early Music group was overflowing from every nook and cranny of 5 Payne Road ... With their expert rendition of complex and evocative works by female composers Clara Schumann and Luise Adolpha Le Beau, and a captivating finale featuring Brahms, the Orenda Trio brought each piece to vibrant life to the very appreciative audience.

Following on from films shot in the area over the last several years, Backyard Ashes, Stakes, The Merger and the short Inside Water, another production is once again making its way to country NSW, this time in Narrandera. The feature film, "When The House Is Empty" directed by Timothy Hills, is being shot in Sydney and Brisbane as well as the Narrandera area.

The streets of Ganmain came alive for the weekend for the second ever Ganmain Arts Festival. The festival featured art in different forms such as sculpting, painting, photography and even an ecofabric creator.

Australia’s largest regional writers festival explores the theme of 'Wild Imagination' - Featuring more than 120 writers, thinkers and commentators ... The festival also offers  writers’ workshops, an engaging program for children and several feature and satellite events in venues across the Northern Rivers.    

There will be plenty happening from Thursday July 20 and running for 10 days in Warwick and surrounds. An easy 20 minute drive north of Warwick and you’re in Allora "The best little town on the Downs".

Renee Pettitt-Schipp is the author of the award winning collection of poetry  The Sky Runs Right Through Us and her latest offering, The Archipelago Of Us, is her first work of prose ... Renee recently chatted with Australian Rural and Regional News contributor Serena Kirby about her early interest in writing, her love of poetry and what she has in the pipeline as future works.

Get ready to embark on a transformative journey through the artistic realm of Merri Hogan, a remarkable and accomplished artist whose talents know no bounds. With a seamless transition between mediums, Merri has captivated audiences with her sculptures, paintings, writings, photographs, and more.

Of the two budding NT government art galleries, one is making news: The one in Darwin, because construction is under way. At the opposite end of the Territory, and of government attention, there is no news about the Alice Springs “national” Aboriginal gallery because its senior director, Tracy Puklowski, is not able, not willing, not permitted, not whatever to answer media questions.

The Maldon in Winter festival kicks off tonight (Friday 23 June) with the long-awaited for Kangaroo Art Trail coming to life! Twenty-four life-sized kangaroos lovingly decorated by an array of local artists and community groups are creatively displayed in shop windows along Main & High Streets in Maldon throughout the festival.

Maldon Primary School students have decorated kangaroos for the Kangaroo Art Installation. This art installation is part of the Maldon Winter Festival. Students decorated three kangaroos using a variety of mediums. Students in all grades contributed to the kangaroo artwork.

One of the standout stalls at the recent High School Market Day would have to be the leather goods made by one of the students under the business name Rennie’s Leather Works. Thomas Hicks has been creating the leather goods now for almost two years and spends about 10 hours a week creating wallets, purses and belts that not only get sold at High School events, but also has started doing a stall at the fortnightly local Community Lawn Sale.

The winners of the fourth annual Rural Aid Spirit of the Bush photography competition have been announced. Five of the twelve winners were captured in Queensland, four in Western Australia and three in New South Wales ... "A powerful love of livestock and the land really shines through in this year’s pictures": Rural Aid CEO John Warlters.