TWO Aboriginal women artists raise awareness of contemporary issues in Indigenous culture with exhibitions in the PhotoAccess Huw Davies Gallery opening tonight, July 10, all welcome.

Kerry Reed-Gilbert¸ daughter of the late activist and writer, Kevin Gilbert, shows “Spirit of Country,” a collection of images resulting from her extensive travels across Australia in the course of her work as a writer, cross-cultural teacher, human rights activist and photographer.

Megan Cope shows “Blaktism,” a wry commentary on race and identity politics. 10 to 4 Tuesday to Friday and 12 to 4 weekends.

CANBERRA Museum and Gallery has a new survey of works by Darwin-based artists Therese Ritchie and Chips Mackinolty including many works produced at Werehaus Artists’ Collective, Green Ant Research Arts and Publishing and the original “hotbed” of protest art in the 1970s – the Tin Sheds at Sydney University. “Not Dead Yet” Developed by Anita Angel, curator of the Charles Darwin University Art Collection and Art Gallery, and features screen prints, posters, drawings, photographs, digital collage works and limited edition fine art prints and paintings. Until 14 September 14 at the CMAG, Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm Weekends from 12 noon to 4pm.

THE Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre is the location of paintings, glass, wood work, sculpture, jewellery and a coffin by Dreamtime Coffins, part of a NAIDOC Week exhibition run in partnership with Burrunju Indigenous Community Links. The show can be seen Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm and Saturday – 10am – 3pm. All welcome.

IN the “Black Chat” series at the National Film and Sounds Archive Theatrette this Friday July 11 from 5:30-6:30pm, the NFSA’s Indigenous Connections team Peter White, Brenda Gifford, Sophia Sambono and Andrea Briggs, will be looking at Indigenous representation within film and Australia’s audio-visual heritage. FREE event.

AUTHOR and curator Adrian Newstead will launch his new book, “The Dealer is the Devil: An Insider’s History of the Aboriginal Art Trade”, billed as the first definitive history of the Aboriginal Art Market, at Nancy Sever Gallery, Kingston this Saturday, July 12 at 3pm. Also opening on the same day will be “Caring for Country,” an exhibition of works by four major landscape painters, Queenie McKenzie, Freddie Timms, Gloria Petyarre and George Tjapaltjarri.

GALLERY@BCS’S RESPECT series continues with “Munyana,” a mixed media group exhibition of Aboriginal Art opening at 5:30pm tonight, Thursday July 10. All welcome. “Munyunga” means Eagle Hawk in Ngarigu language and the theme of the Munyunga Exhibition is “Kootopan” which means “One” or “Oneness”. The show continues at Belconnen Community Centre, Swanson Court, 9am-4:30pm Monday-Friday until July 25.

AS the poster shows, Canberra Philharmonic is bursting into life again with “Cabaret”, opening tonight at Erindale Theatre.  Let’s see how Philo goes with this perennial tale of decadent Nazi-era showbiz.

OLIVER Jeffers’ bestselling picture book “The Incredible Book Eating Boy” introduces Henry, who doesn’t like to read books, he likes to eat them. The story is told in song, movement and puppetry at The Street Theatre, until July 12, bookings to or thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223. Suitable for children 3-8 and their families.

THIS Sunday, July 13 at 3pm, pianist Robert Schmidli will be performing a formidable concert of Haydn’s Piano Sonata no.34 in e minor Hob XVI/34, Mendelssohn’s Prelude & fugue in e minor, Scriabin’s Vers la flamme Op.72, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in G Major Op.31 no.1 and Chopin’s Scherzo in b minor Op.31. Bookings to trybooking.com/EOGR or from L’Arche Genesaret (Tarlie Alcock) on 6282 9066.

“NATURE Mache” is an ambitious solo exhibition by local emerging artist Sui Jackson, now running at ANCA Gallery, 1 Rosevear Place Dickson, until July 27 and featuring hand-made paper which create landscapes using materials from the landscape.

THE Annual Canberra Gang Show is running at the Tim Murray Theatre, Canberra Grammar School, from July 12-19. Presented by Scouts and Guides ACT, this years’ show tells the tale of The Bean & Gone cafe attracts all types of customers. As the day goes by, all sorts of different people come and go. Each of them has a unique story to tell. Bookings to canberragangshow.com.au

BILK Gallery has a blokey exhibition opening tonight, Thursday July 10 in Palmerston Lane Manuka and running until August 9. “Bro..och” is billed as a collection of brooches for all, but especially for men. Nick Bastian, Simon Cottrell, Elisabeth Holder, Catherine Truman, Johannes Kuhnen, Helen Aitken-Kuhnen, Marcus Foley, Sue Lorraine, Phoebe Porter, Mark Vaarwerk, Kath Inglis, Cinnamon Lee, Losje Skala, Jill Hermans, Nellie Peoples, Eugenie Keefer Bell, Bifei Cao and Mio Kuhnen and determined to show off “a wide selection of brooches and pins ready to adorn the chests of Canberra’s most discerning men and women (because men shouldn’t have all the fun).” Tuesday by appointment/ Wednesday to Thursday/ 11.00- 5.00 Friday 11.00 – 7.00/ Saturday 11.00 to 4.00.

SHAUN Hayes will be offering a unique insight into the process of making ceramics during a two day workshop at Strathnairn Arts. Currently EASS Artist in Resident, Hayes will demonstrate making figurines using moulded components. The course will run on July 12 + 19 so you’d better get in quickly, bookings to strathnairn.com.au/relics-of-the-modern-world-with-Shaun-Hayes/

“PROVING My Existence” is Aaron Garlick’s first solo exhibition, exploring ideas of transition through the physical application of time. Garlick draws inspirations from classroom desks and the marks left behind by students (we’ve all been there). He is a recent recipient of the Design Institute of Australia encouragement award and CCAS studio resident. It opens at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Furneaux Street Manuka tonight, Thursday July 10 at 6pm and runs Until July 20, Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 5pm.

WATSON Arts Centre in Aspinall Street still has “EASS 2014,” until July 20, Thursday to Sunday 10am – 4pm. The show features the work of four emerging ceramic artists who graduated from the Australian National University School of Art last year: Julie Barnett, David Leake, Tanya Roberts and Fran Romano.