“ELEMENTAL” is the name chosen by owner  Bob Stephens for Aarwun Gallery’s inaugural sculpture exhibition.

It  brings together sculptures from all over Australia and overseas in glass, ceramics, timber, and bronze as well as recycled and re-purposed materials. Opens 2pm, September 10 and runs to October 1.

Events:

BATEMANS Bay Writers Festival opens with drinks on Friday, September 9 and ends with a literary lunch on Sunday September 11, both featuring former Deputy Prime Minister, Australian Ambassador to the Vatican Holy See and now travel writer, Tim Fischer. Bookings and details at batemansbaywritersfestival.com or 0417 267 771.

MUSE CAFÉ in the East Hotel Kingston has ‘Basically Beethoven’. BYO instrument or dabble on the  walnut baby grand. Anything goes for this very informal event for any composer, tune or style.*free, 3-4.30pm, Sun 11 Sep.

THE 25TH ANNUAL Amnesty International Trivia Night will celebrate Canberra region volunteers that have supported the defence of human rights, tomorrow, Friday 9 September at the Hellenic Club. Organised by volunteers at the Amnesty International ACT and Southern NSW Branch, the event has run for 25 years. Bookings to eventbrite.com.au or tickets at the door.

THE COLLECTORS’ fair, Church of Christ hall, 82 Limestone Avenue, Ainslie will have exotic goods for sale, with coffee /tea and treats. Saturday, 10th September. 10am to 4pm.

CANBERRA Southern Cross Club’s Family Fun Day, at The Canberra Southern Cross Yacht Club, Mariner Place Yarralumla. From 11am to 4pm, Sunday 11 September. Free and all are welcome. Ample free parking is available at the Yacht Club and in surrounding area.

THE PORTRAIT Gallery will host the official Canberra launch of Robert Forster’s new book “Grant and I: Inside and Outside the Go-Betweens,”  which tells the story of the friendship and collaboration of Grant McLennan and Robert Forster, who gave Australia the indie rock band The Go-Betweens. 666ABC personality, Alex Sloan, will lead the conversation. NPG, today, Thursday 8 September 2016 at 6pm. Bookings to portrait.gov.au

Talk:

THE SATURDAY Paper’s chief political correspondent, Karen Middleton will host A Month of Saturdays – afternoon conversations bringing current affairs experts to the Gallery for engaging, real-time discussions about the topics that matter. Chris Richardson, economist and a director of Access Economics, National Portrait Gallery, 3pm Saturday Sept 10. Bookings to portrait.gov.au

“THE DOLLOP” is a weekly US history podcast with comedian hosts Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds.   Each week they tell a weird and disturbing story about people and times from the American past.  Canberra,  CIT Music Centre Thursday 8 September, 8pm, cit.edu.au

TOBY COLE’S “Handel Overtures” continue apace this as the singer/director  talks about his love of Handel in the lead-up to his production  of  “The Vow” in October. Handel Overture 3: Inside the singer’s head (5.30pm-7pm, 10 September). Audience members are invited to stay afterwards for a chat and a complimentary drink. Bookings to  canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Prizes and Awards:

THE National Portrait Gallery is calling for entries for the annual Digital Portraiture Award open until Friday, September 30. Now in its fifth year, the Award (which Opens on Dec 2) seeks to extend the traditional notion of portraiture to the digital realm and encourages creative thinking. Information on how to enter and examples of past finalists can be found here: dpa.portrait.gov.au

AUSTRALIA’S biggest student film competition, “Screen It” is open to registrations from students and teachers. The 2016 theme has just been announced as ‘Mystery’, and the competition is free and now open to all Australian primary and secondary school students, all info at acmi.net.au Entries close: Monday, September 19 (5pm, Australian Eastern Standard Time)

SYDNEY Conservatorium of Music is hosting the David Harold Tribe Symphony Award for 2016. Worth $12,000, resident Australian composers are invited to submit a new symphonic composition of 20 minutes or more, which will be judged by a panel of three prominent Australian musicians led by the Conservatorium’s Associate Dean (Education) and Head of School Professor Matthew Hindson. Applications close at 11.55pm on Monday, October 3 to music.sydney.edu.au

Arts business:

THE AUSTRALIAN National Botanic Gardens Cafe and Catering Services is calling for expressions of interest to operate Gardens’, visit the AusTender website at tenders.gov.au

THE GRIFFYN Ensemble is running a 100-day fundraising campaign to help support musicians to travel to Canberra, purchase sheet music, and work with collaborators. All donations are tax-deductable. Donations can be made through the Australian Cultural Fund with the following link: australianculturalfund.org.au

Film:

THE UNSINKABLE ANU film Group a special presentation of Foxtel’s ‘Secret City’ mini-series, screening across two nights on Friday 9 September and Friday 16 September. This is a great opportunity to see the series that shows Canberra in a whole new light. Bookings to anufg.org.au

THE NATIONAL Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) will host a fundraiser screening of new Australian film “Eight” today, Thursday 8 September. Director Peter Blackburn says, ‘Eight is an immersive one-shot feature film … looking at Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as it has never been portrayed on screen before.’ Eight will also screen on Friday 9 September. Bookings to trybooking.com/mcdy and trybooking.com/mcdi

BELCONNEN’S local film festival is back! Belconnen Community Service (BCS) seeks short films for screenings during the Belco50 celebrations for Belconnen’s 50th birthday. Submission Deadline: Friday September 30. Selected films will be between 1 and 10 minutes long. Selected films will be screened at two Belco50 events: Belco Now at the Belconnen Arts Centre on November 5, and Belco Flicks V – Belco50 in theatre@bcs, Belconnen Community Centre, on Tuesday November 8. Expressions of Interest due Friday September 30. Info and entry at belcoflicks@bcsact.com.au, or

Dance:

“BOLLYWOOD Fusion Dhamaka”, the Bollywood Dimensions Studio Annual Student Showcase will see  students and instructors in their fifth annual dance showcase, a two and a half hour celebration of dance styles from around the globe fused with Bollywood. ANU Arts centre, 7pm September 10, bookings to trybooking.com or  bollywooddimensions.com

“BE LOUD Be Heard!” is the theme for Ausdance ACT’s 2016 Youth Dance Festival, at the Canberra Theatre, September 8+9, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

“FEEL THE MUSIC” is a year-long dance program specifically created for people with hearing impairment, happening at Belconnen Arts Centre on eight Fridays of each school term. It offers a wide range of dance styles, live music, social dance gigs, and some performance. Inquiries to philip.piggin@belconnenartscentre.com.au or SMS 0417 417 182.

IN “TANGO Fridays” you can practise and improve your Argentine Tango on Fridays 7-9 PM at “Nuestra Practica y mas”, Woden Seniors Club (Hall 2). Entry $5

Concerts and Gigs:

CANBERRA composer Michael Dooley’s much admired ‘musical Tardis’ returns to Canberra in CD and performance form when he is joined by keyboard luminaries Aaron Chew, Andrew Rumsey, Sally Greenaway, Emily Leong and Stephen McIntyre for “Anachronisms—a composer’s journey through time,” Wesley Music Centre, National Circuit, Forrest, 7.30pm September 10, tickets at the door or trybooking.com

CANBERRA U3A Brindabella Orchestra is performing music from Bartok to The Beatles in “Spring Medley”, at North Belconnen Uniting Church, Conley Street, Melba, 2pm Sunday, September 11, entry by donation covers program and afternoon tea.

GRIFFYN SOLOS: Mythos Sat 10th September 7pm Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank Belconnen. Our final Griffyn Solos concert of the year features harpist Laura Tanata, and is on Saturday September 10 at Belconnen Arts Centre, bookings to griffyn.iwannaticket.com.au

ACO ARTISTIC Director Richard Tognetti plays in recital with one of his favourite performance partners, the “young, brilliant, and vivacious Russian pianist”, Polina Leschenko, Tuesday 13 September in Canberra. Bookings to aco.com.au

HARRY MANX has spent decades fusing eastern musical traditions with the blues, switching fluidly between conventional acoustic and electric guitars, banjo and the Mohan Veena, created by Harry’s Indian mentor Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. His original music blends East and West. At the Abbey, Gold Creek, Friday, 9 September, bookings to theabbey.com.au

PHOENIX PUB in Civic has as follows: Thursday 8th 9pm, Free Entry Cocktail Night with DJ Lok In. Friday 9th 9pm, Death Bells, Lapse, Lower Body. Saturday 10th 9pm, the Australian Beefweek Show, the Vee Bees, Sketch Method, Needledick.

FORMIDABLE Vegetable Sound System, hosted by  The Musicians Club, Canberra, will launch the album ‘Grow Do It’, at the Polish Club,  6pm, this Saturday September 10,  bookings to canberramusiciansclub.org.au

Theatre:

“THE FAITHFUL SERVANT”, by Tom Davis, is a new play with a spectacular staging, set in Mozambique, at The Street Theatre, September 6 – 18, bookings to thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.

“MISS BRONTË” is coming to The Q. Written by Mel Dodge, with a bit of help from Charlotte Brontë, it tells a story of ambition, forbidden love and the bond of family through Charlotte’s love-letters to her married French professor. The Q, September 9-10, Bookings to theq.net.au or 6285 6290.

TOMORROW, FRIDAY, will see a bright new Canberra Theatre Company – Lightbulb Improv –- spark into life with their inaugural show ‘Switched On’,  the brainchild of Amy Crawford, Lou Maconachie and Merriden Varrall. Smith’s Alternative Alinga st. Civic, 7pm Friday 9 September, bookings to smithsalternative.com or at the door.

Exhibitions:

CRAFT ACT’S NEW exhibition, ‘Citizens of Craft’ highlights all mediums, glass, textiles, metals, ceramics, wood and mixed media and many internationally renowned artists who live and work right here in the capital. Opening at 6pm this Friday, September 9, it’s  the largest members’ exhibition ever put on by Craft ACT, showcasing works designed and produced by 42 Canberra artists at varying stage of their careers, runs to  October 22.

“VESSEL,” the new show at Bilk Gallery in Palmerton Lane Manuka, will showcase: David Walker, Mark Vaarwerk, Inari Kiuru, Vito Bila, Alison Jackson, Mark Edgoose and Robert Foster, and is curated by Johannes Kuhnen. Sept 9 to Oct 8.

CANBERRA Glassworks Crystal Clear has  ‘Talking Glass & Science’ with Sui Jackson 4.30pm Friday 9 September, Engine Room. Jackson  will share some of his research, experimentation and insights during the final week of his residency. Entry is

PHOTOACCESS presents three new exhibitions showcasing local talent. ‘In the Landscape’ by Annika Harding and Amy Dunn, ‘River’ by Peter Ranyard and ‘New Paintings’ by Oscar Capezio,  opens today Thursday 8 September  at 6pm. Huw Davies Gallery Manuka Arts Centre. All welcome.

THE  Australian Rug makers Guild Exhibition is at Strathnairn Woolshed Gallery, Stockdill Drive Holt, to September 25.

NELL ANDERSON, a Canberra artist, is very well known for her atmospheric watercolours of the local countryside, farmlands, children and flowers is exhibiting her work in September at the Ginninderra School House Gallery, Sweet Copper Cafe, Gold Creek, until Sept 25, Thurs. & Fri. 10 am to 4pm. Sat. & Sun. 8.30 to 4.30 pm.

THE ANU Gold & Silversmithing Studio at the School of Art has an ongoing exhibition by its alumni. It’s a selection of works from over two decades of brilliant graduates, Gilbert Riedelbauch, Blanche Tilden, Oliver Smith, Phoebe Porter, Larah Nott, Halie Rubenis and Harriet Lee-Robinson. ANU Building 105, entry via Ellery Crescent Foyer Gallery, until Nov 1. Open to the public by appointment.

“FROM THE Red Heart” features paintings, drawings and ceramics developed from a dialogue between two artists, Sharon Field and ceramicist Cathy Franzi, who share a visual language and passion for Australian plants. Visitor Centre Gallery, Australian National Botanic Gardens, until Oct 9, 9.30 – 4.30 daily.

‘CLAYBODIES’ is an exhibition by 9 artists (Rick Beviss, Melinda Brouwer. Liz Crowe (in collaboration with Susan Moore), Linda Davy, Velda Hunter, Anne Langridge, Monika Leone, Jacqueline Lewis and Suzanne Oakman) from the Claybodies ceramicists’ group at Bungendore Wood Works Gallery, to  October 3. Octagon ArtSpace, Bungendore Wood Works.

“ABOUT: INRESIDENCE’15” is an exhibition showcasing work produced by Megalo’s 2015 artists-in-residence. Each year Megalo Print Studio + Gallery selects four local, one national and one international artist to undertake a residency in our professional printmaking studios. Dan Edwards (ACT) Cecelia Leddy (International Resident – Canada) Ellie Malin (National Resident – Victoria) Al Munro (ACT) Katy Mutton (ACT) Patsy Payne (ACT) at Megalo Print Studio + Gallery 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston, until Sept 17.

“LOOK!” is an exhibition of photo collages by Dr Sherene Suchy showcasing art in Belconnen’s public spaces in celebration of Belconnen’s 50th Birthday, “Belco50”. In gallery@bcs, Belconnen Community Centre, Swanson Crt Belconnen, weekdays.

HEATHER B Swann’s exhibition “Nervous”, featuring Banksia Men and other sculptures,  is on display at the NGA until November 20.

THE Drill Hall Gallery focuses on Brian Blanchflower’s ‘Canopy series’. “The most important ‘ingredient’ in my paintings is that which is not painted: the unseen, the unknowable, the unnameable,” Blanchflower explains. ANU Drill Hall Gallery, Kingsley Street, Acton, 10 am – 5pm Wednesday to Sunday, Admission free.

THE TWO bodies of work by artists John Forrester Clack and Tobias Oliver Clack in the new exhibition ‘Marking the Spirit’ are expressions of the process of seeking out the self and of the human physical and spiritual existence. NISHI GALLERY 17 Kendall Lane Canberra from to Sunday September 11.

AN ART exhibition by 5 local Canberra artists having their first group exhibition, Ladies in Painting “As it Happens……” at Yarralumla Gallery, near the nursery. Until September 30.

“ZHANG PEILI: From Painting to Video” is a collaboration built around the generous gift to CIW, by Lois Conner, of one of Zhang Peili’s last paintings from the 1990s, before he shifted his focus to media art. Developed with MAAP director Kim Machan, From Painting to Video presents Flying Machine (oil on canvas, 1994) alongside a set of Zhang’s early video works. Complementing these are two more recent installations. China in the World Building, Fellows Lane, ANU.

“FOUR STORIES” IS an exhibition celebrating four artists’ creative energy as they work in four diverse media areas and styles in ceramics, textile design and photography. At Watson Arts Centre, Aspinall Street, Watson, 10am – 4pm Thursday to Sunday, 8 to 18 September. The gallery is open from 10am to 4pm Thursday to Sunday.

“YVONNE Boag | Here and There” is at the Nancy Sever Gallery, 4/6 Kennedy St Kingston, running to September 18, Wed–Sun 11am-6pm. Boag is an artist with an impressive exhibition record in Australia, Europe, South Korea and Japan. She has held many artist-in-residencies and is represented in major public and private collections in Australia and overseas.

GOOD FRIENDS and Queanbeyan residents Glenda Weir and Angela D’Arcy have joined forces to present their first joint exhibition at The Q Exhibition Space this September, until 17 September.

THE exhibition title, “I haven’t made the work yet, but I’ll be there a week beforehand which should be plenty of time,” provides a precise account of Jason Phu’s approach to art-making. Byrd is a street artist and local legend whose work is rarely shown in galleries.”#Inurtiacreeps” brings elements of his mural practice into CCAS’s main space, where audiences can focus on the graphic patterns of life according to Byrd. Frazer Bull-Clark’s “The Big Shave” is based on Martin Scorsese’s grisly short film of 1967.  All at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman Arts Centre Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman Arts Centre 55 Ainslie Avenue, Braddon, A.C.T. Open Tuesday to Friday 11am to 5pm Saturday 10am to 4pm.

“MIKE Parr: Foreign-Looking” is the first exhibition to bring together works in all media across Parr’s voraciously experimental practice from 1970 to the present. This installation of performance, film, sculpture and photography provokes a challenging yet mesmerising experience. National Gallery of Australia, to Nov 6.

“MATERIAL POETICS,” curated by Caren Florance and Jen Webb, sees Caren Florance, UK Frederick, Katie Hayne, Nicci Haynes, Sarah Rice, Jen Webb and Jordan Williams (three of whom are poets) exploring how poetry can inhabit the heart of visual art practice, and how visual and material energies can animate poetic practice. ANCA Gallery, 1 Rosevear Place, Dickson, 12pm-5pm, Wednesday-Sunday until Sept 11.

EMERGING artist Susie Dureau presents scenes that are more than literal depictions of the landscape. “Wild Histories” opens at Suki & Hugh Gallery, 38A Gibraltar Street on August 6 from 3pm – 5pm (all welcome) and runs to Sept 26.

“DISSECTIONS” showcases the hyper-realist sculptural self-portrait of artist Sam Jinks, “Divide”, alongside the painted portrait of philosopher David Chalmers by Nick Mourtzakis, which was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery in 2011. Gallery 1, NPG to November.

THERE ARE two exhibitions at Beaver Galleries. Western Australian artist Crispin Akerman has earned a significant reputation for the elegant simplicity and fine balance he achieves within his paintings. The etchings of Bruce Latimer explore evidence of human presence within the natural world, ranging from signs of gentle transit in the landscape through to significant domination. 81 Denison St Deakin, to September 11.

“REFLECTIONS”, works from Canberra Glassworks and the Parliament House Art Collection, features nine internationally renowned glass artists who have created works that respond to the art, architecture and landscape of Parliament House. In the Presiding Officers’ Exhibition Area, Australian Parliament until September 11. Participating artists include Annette Blair, Lisa Cahill, Mel Douglas, Hannah Gason, Jeremy Lepisto, Ruth Oliphant, Emilie Patteson, Kirstie Rea and Harriet Schwarzrock. Free

THE NGA has “Diane Arbus: American portraits” | Open now until October 30. 36 of Arbus’ most iconic photographs are exhibited alongside a selection of photographs from the NGA collection. “Design and Nature,” glass and ceramics by Art Nouveau masters Louis Comfort Tiffany and Clément Massier and 80 objects from the NGA’s collection, is open now until March 2. And in the Contemporary Asian galleries is a new display focused on contemporary Chinese art has opened featuring provocative works by internationally renowned artists such as Ai Weiwei, Xu Zhen and Zhang Huan, open until November.

“TOUGH and Tender” presents raw and intimate photography from American and Australian artists from the 1960s to the present da. Photographs from internationally acclaimed artists Robert Mapplethorpe, Larry Clark, Nan Goldin, and Collier Schorr, and video performance by Chris Burden forms part of the exhibition, alongside contemporary Australian artists Rozalind Drummond and Warwick Baker. National Portrait Gallery, until Sunday October 16.

“AVARICE: auspice” is an amazing gold inflating/deflating installation by Jay Kochel, to be seen in Canberra Museum and Gallery’s outside Gallery 4 on Civic square, until Sept 18, viewable 24/7.

“MICHAEL Taylor: A Survey 1963–2016” at Canberra Museum and Gallery, curated by Deborah Clark, runs until Oct 2 at the Canberra Museum and Gallery. Taylor is one of Australia’s best expressionist painters, who has been painting for six decades. Since 1971 Taylor has lived and worked in the Canberra region – in Bredbo, Michelago, and, since 1993, Cooma.