Events:
THERE are over 200 separate events for this year’s DESIGN Canberra, such as open studios, open “Living Rooms”, and many, many exhibitions. The DESIGN Canberra opening party will be held at Fitters Workshop, Wentworth Avenue, Kingston, 8pm, Friday, November 10. Tickets at the door and include first drink free. “Living Rooms”, will be held throughout Canberra’s inner south, Sunday, November 12. Free event. DESIGN Canberra, until November 26, various locations in the ACT, details of all events and ticketing at designcanberrafestival
UNIVERSITY House and the “Canberra Modern” team, Amy Jarvis, Edwina Jans, and Rachel Jackson, are celebrating Canberra as a unique modernist city with many unique mid-century places. The first major event is “Modern(ist) Love” by Tim Ross, at the Scarth Room, University House, 2pm. All welcome. The next day The Modernist Market, billed as a day of vintage fun, will be in the courtyards of University House on Sunday, November 12.
HOTEL Hotel is holding a lunch for “The Other Moderns”, with performances by Mother Tongue and players from the Canberra Symphony Orchestra. Profits will go to the Asylum Seeker Resources Centre. At the Mosaic room, Monster kitchen and bar, from 12-3pm, Sunday, November 12. Bookings to eventbrite
THE NGA is staging three “Hyper Real Nights”, billed as an “art-after-hours adventure” from 6.30pm on Fridays, November 10, 17 and 24. Patrons can drink and eat “Hyper Real” creations and then be entertained by the Australian Dance Party, electric violinist Mr Michael and spoken word poet, Omar Musa. Bookings and details to nga.gov.au
CANBERRA Youth Theatre is holding a “Night Out”, to raise money for the company’s 2018 artistic program. Tables of eight will enjoy night of games, quizzes, a raffle and more. Bookings to cytc
Talk:
MUSE Café has journalist and broadcaster Scott Bevan discussing his new book “The Harbour”, the ultimate story of Sydney Harbour, at East Hotel, Kingston, 4pm-5pm, Saturday, November 11. Bookings to musecanberra
Workshops and classes:
CIT Adult Short courses are held every first weekend of the month all year round at Canberra Glassworks. Costs apply. To find out more email education@canberraglassworks.com.au
Arts Business:
AUSTRALIAN and New Zealand art music composers have the chance to share in about $100,000 worth of funding to create a new commissioned work thanks to the APRA AMCOS Art Music Fund, now in its third year of existence. Applications are now open here and will close at 5pm on February 2018.
THE Young Music Society is holding a “MUSIC Amnesty”. Any items readers can identify that belong to the YMS would be gratefully welcomed back by their rightful owners – no questions asked. Phone 6251 8017 for pick up, or just drop items into the YMS office, or the Belconnen Arts Centre front desk.
“QUICK Draw” is a novel idea where the punter’s names are drawn from a hat and randomly matched with an artwork. There is a small gamble involved, as the price of a ticket buys a work, but no one knows what they will receive until their name is drawn. “Quick Draw” will be held at the Contemporary Art Space, Gorman Arts Centre, 55 Ainslie Avenue, Braddon, 7pm, November 17. Both “winner’s tickets” at $250 and “guest” tickets at $50 go on sale from 8am, Monday, October 23, to eventbrite.com.au
THE Collie Art Prize, the $50,000 biggest single acquisitive art prize in regional WA and perhaps across Australia, focusses on the theme of identity, and is now open to all Australians until January 12, to collieartgallery
NIGEL McRae, the host at Smith’s Alternative on Alinga Street, Civic, is keen to have more classical musicians take advantage of his “Classical Capers” open mic sessions. The next one will be from 7pm–9pm on December 13. Sign up at smithsalternative.com
PIANIST-composer Sally Greenaway has launched a fundraising campaign to assist in the recording of the music from her music theatre piece, “The 7 Great Inventions of the Modern Industrial Age”. To donate visit pozible.com
ROBIN Davidson’s theatre company, Rebus, will develop an interactive “Forum Theatre” performance about where things can go wrong when people with disabilities want to participate in or use the services of community organisations. They need your responses by December 3. Fill out the survey at questionpro.com or visit rebustheatre.com or phone 0403 815784.
JULIA Landford’s new Canberra NatureArt Lab is at M16 Artspace, in Griffith, Canberra. Courses and workshops start in October. Bookings are now open through the website natureartlab.com.au
PRIZE-winning botanical artist, Sharon Field, has set up a blog which considers ideas of “beauty” and “creativity” in botanical art and summarises what is coming up for her on the art scene. Visit sharonfield.com.au or follow her on Instagram at @sharon_field_artist
GARY France’s Groove Warehouse in Hume is expanding its percussion business and now offers daytime adult classes and keyboard lessons at 5/1 Sawmill Circuit, Hume. Information and enrolments to groovewarehouse.com.au
“MAMMA Mia!” The musical, inspired by ABBA’s classic songs, has seen over 60 million people all around the world pack in for the show. Tickets are now on sale for a new Aussie production that will premiere at the Canberra Theatre from November 24 to December 10. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre or 6275 2700.
AINSLIE and Gorman Arts Centres offers supported office accommodation for artists, creatives, as well as arts organisations and music-based organisations and individuals. Inquiries to agac.com.au
Literature:
“CHACONNE”, a novel by Canberra writer Diana Blackwood, will be launched at Wesley Music Centre at 3.30pm on Saturday, November 11, with songs by Purcell and Downland to be performed by Emma Griffiths (soprano) and Peter Young (harpsichord). Free entry. All welcome, but RSVP for catering purposes to andgmoti@gmail.com.
Dance:
AUSDANCE ACT Open Class is continuing with advanced to professional level classes on Wednesdays from 10am-11.30am at the Belconnen Arts Centre and an evening class on Thursday from 6.50pm-8.20pm at QL2’s Dance Studio, for intermediate to professional level dancers of all genres. This Thursday’s class is “Afro Funk” with Gretel Burgess.
PADMA Menon is now taking enrolments for the Term 4 “Moving Archetypes” course, “Siva: The Ascetic Dancer”. Bookings essential to info@movingarchetypes.com.au or call 0447 643646.
Film:
THE 2017 Jewish International Film Festival is in its 28th year and celebrates Jewish culture with films from 24 countries, including “Shalom Bollywood: the Untold Story of Indian Cinema” and “Jungle”, starring Daniel Radcliffe from “Harry Potter”, which is a survival story about Australian-based Israeli entrepreneur Yossi Ghinsberg. At Dendy Cinemas, to November 12. Bookings to jiff.com.au
THE Russian Resurrection Film Festival return to Canberra in its 14th year, with a retrospective celebrating the 80th birthday of director Andrew Konchalovsky. At Capitol Cinemas Manuka, November 10–15. Bookings to eventcinemas.com.au
REAL life is centre-screen in this year’s impressive British Film Festival. Palace Electric, to November 15. Program details and bookings at britishfilmfestival.com.au
THE National Film and Sound Archive of Australia has “Strictly Ballroom: Behind the Curtain”, a new online exhibition to celebrate 25 years since the release of Baz Luhrmann’s debut film in August 1992. Visit nfsa.gov.au
THE National Film and Sound Archive of Australia is celebrating 100 collections on its new website, with a 1980s special celebrating “everyone’s favourite decade – and all its excess and retro fabulousness”, at nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/1980s.
Concerts and Gigs:
POLIFEMY with Block Sounds and Walking the Dog and friends will perform a free concert at the High Court of Australia at 1.30pm this Sunday, November 11. The concert will feature original songs and instrumental works paired with the beautiful, wild and woolly results of their musical appropriation. Free but registration essential to hcourt.gov.au/
CANBERRA Youth Orchestra winds up its 50th anniversary celebrations with a performance led by James Morrison. They’ll be playing jazz and Latin favourites and under the baton of conductor Leonard Weiss, will also perform Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” and Copland’s “Appalachian Spring”. At Llewellyn Hall, 7.30pm, Saturday, November 11. Bookings to ticketek.com.au
THE Rotary Club of Canberra is holding its annual free “Seniors Concert” on the theme “Que Sera Sera”, at the Albert Hall from 2pm-4pm this Sunday, November 12. Guests are requested to register with Council on the Ageing by calling 6282 3777 for catering purposes.
THE Sydney Consort welcomes back baritone, David Greco who will join soprano, Belinda Montgomery for “Baroque Cuisine”, music by Corelli, Monteverdi, Purcell, Bach, Handel, Rameau, Royer and others. Wesley Music Centre in Forrest, 3pm, Sunday November 12. Bookings to https://www. trybooking.com/OOLI or at the door.
CARL Rafferty’s next concerts are by pianist Anthony Halliday, who perform music by Beethoven, Liszt, Ravel and Chopin at the Drill Hall Gallery on Saturday, November 11. Bookings to trybooking. Then again on Sunday, November 12, via trybooking.com
I PROGRETTI chamber choir presents “Illumination”, featuring rare jewels of the Renaissance, with accompaniment by Anthony Smith. Highlights include a madrigal by Giovanni Andrea Draconio, a villanella by Baldassare Donato, and works by Sebastian de Vivanco, Nicolle des Celliers d’Hesdin, Richard Dering, and Deryck Gerarde. At All Saints Anglican Church, Cowper Street, Ainslie, from 7.30pm, Saturday, November 11. Tickets at the door.
PHOENIX Pub in Civic has as follows: Thursday, November 9, at 9pm, Piss Weak Karaoke; Friday, November 10, at 8pm, The Mouldy Lovers, Brass Knuckle Brass Band, Brother Be; and Saturday, November 11, at 9pm, Mesa Cosa.
Theatre:
“LOVE/Chamberlain” is a “hyper-real fantasy portrayal of Courtney Love and Lindy Chamberlain” and shows the pair crossing paths on the Federal Highway at midnight on their way to consult an oracle. At Ralph Wilson Theatre, Gorman Arts Centre, to November 12. Bookings to eventbrite.com or tickets at door.
COMEDY queen and RuPaul’s Drag Race champion and self-proclaimed “clown in a gown” Bianca Del Rio (Roy Haylock), will be at Canberra Theatre Centre with his/her new comedy show, “Blame It on Bianca Del Rio”. From 7pm, Monday, November 13. Bookings to canberratheatre.org.au or 6275 2700.
“GUYS and Dolls” is at The Q in a production by Queanbeyan Players. Based on stories by Damon Runyon, the plot sees gambler Sky Masterson falling in love with Salvos missionary Sarah Brown, while crap-player Nathan Detroit keeps delaying marriage to his fiancé, Miss Adelaide. Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, to November 12. Bookings to 62856290 or theq.net.au
SUBSCRIPTION bookings for The Canberra Theatre Centre’s “Collected Works 2018” are now open at canberratheatrecentre.com.au or call 6275 2700.
CANBERRA Repertory has now launched its 86th season, billed as “a season with something for everyone”. Bookings to canberrarep.org.au
“BOYS Will Be Boys”, directed by Caroline Stacey, explores women in the world of high finance. The production will feature designer clothes, live music and a set by Imogen Keen, complete with revolving mirrors to help reflect the corporate world. At The Street Theatre, to November 11. Bookings to thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.
BUDDING Theatre is looking for men and women of all ages (18-90) to perform new comic monologues, children and youth for “The Christmas Channel”, both to run at the Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre in December. Email submissions@buddingtheatre.com to express interest and send a CV or outline of experience.
Exhibitions:
BEAVER Galleries has two new exhibitions: “Stories, Family, Place”, ceramics by Anita McIntyre; and “silver lining”, works on paper by Melinda Schawel. At 81 Denison Street Deakin, from Tuesday to Friday, 10am-5pm and Saturday to Sunday, 9am-5pm until November 19.
JEMIMA Parker, screen manager at Megalo Print Studio and Gallery, has a new exhibition “There and back again”, opening at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, 19 Furneaux Street, Manuka, at 6pm this Thursday, November 9 and continuing to November 19, when there will be an artist talk at 3pm. Opening hours Thursday to Sunday, 11am-5pm.
THE “3Ds” are three Canberra artists about to exhibit together. The three artists include Dianna Budd, who works with paint and collage; Dorothy Danta, who works with silver; and Dianne Firth, who is a noted textile artist. “3DS: Towards Abstraction”, at Canberra Grammar School Gallery, 40 Monaro Crescent, Red Hill, to December 2.
CANBERRA Spinners and Weavers have their 50th anniversary show, “Crossing Threads”, curated by Meredith Hinchliffe, at Canberra Museum and Gallery, Corner of London Circuit and Civic Square, to March 18, 2018.
ALSO curated by Meredith Hinchliffe, Tuggeranong Arts Centre celebrates 50 years of the Canberra Spinners & Weavers with an array of contemporary textile works in “50 Years looking forward”. Alongside the anniversary exhibition, “A Narrative: An Exploration of Processes and Materiality” showcases the work of Christine Appleby, Jessica Ashcroft, and Jennifer Barrington, recipients of the CSW Emerging Artists Support Scheme award at the ANU School of Art and Design. The exhibitions will continue until November 25.
THE NGA’s summer exhibition “Hyper Real” consists of 50 works in sculpture and video art by 32 artists, varying from the huge “Pregnant woman” by Ron Mueck to Patricia Piccininni’s fragile hybrid babies. National Gallery of Australia, to February 18, 2018. Bookings to premier.ticketek.com.au or 132 849.
“RING Master”, an exhibition exploring the notion and designs of the humble (and not so humble) ring, features rings by Helen Britton, Julia deVille, Johannes Kuhnen, Helen Aitken-Kuhnen, Carlier Makigawa, Godwin Baum, Julie Blyfield, Melissa Cameron, Cinnamon Lee, Chris Robertson, Sean O’Connell, Jane Bowden, Bin Dixon-Ward, Philip Noakes, Vincent Pontillo-Verrastro, Mikki Trail, Sam Mertens and Mio Kuhnen (and more). Opens at Bilk Gallery, Palmerston Lane Manuka, to December 24.
“YOU You” features the work of Japanese ceramicists who, having studied ceramics at university in Kyoto, now pursue their art under the tutelage of Japanese ceramicist Ryozo Shibata, a past artist-in-resident and exhibitor with Watson Arts Centre and Canberra Potters. On show at Watson Arts Centre until November 19, 10am to 4pm, Thursday to Sunday.
“TRIPTYCH” is an exhibition by three artists who share common interests in art, motherhood and life’s journey. The artists each work in different media but share a similar philosophy about artmaking and the importance of art in each of their lives. Strathnairn Homestead Gallery, 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt, to November 12.
PHOTOACCESS presents two new exhibitions by its artists in residence: The first, “Red Brick Road”, is an exploration of the Brickworks architecture, landscape and objects, using photography to trigger, layer and construct memory by Jane Duong, and, the second, “Cloakroom: Institutional” by Alex Hobba, is a reflection on institutional spaces and the invisible social assemblages that operate within them. Both are at the Huw Davies Gallery, Manuka Arts Centre, and open at 6pm on Friday, November 10. All welcome, and continue until November 26.
“OLD Eagle” is an exhibition marking a milestone for Kate Vassallo and James Lieutenant, in which the pair’s collaborative work will be exhibited alongside their individual studio practices. The title refers to the Dulux suite of greys, which they will together use to create a wall painting in the Megalo Gallery, 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston, Tuesday to Saturday, 9.30am-5pm until November 11. All welcome.
ANCA Gallery’s new exhibition “Naturescapes” by Melinda Heal highlights textiles made by using traditional Japanese resist-dyeing techniques that she learnt in Japan. The exhibition will be held at 1 Rosevear Street, Dickson, until November 12, on which day the artist will be running a drop in workshop between 12.30pm and 4pm in which participants will have the chance to create a small artwork of their own.
ARTIST and painting teacher, Michael Winters, once made an honorary citizen of the island of Leros in Greece, for his art activities, is wandering again, this time to the Orange Regional Gallery, where his unusual exhibition of three-dimensional landscapes, “Dissected by Time and Space”, will run to December 10.
CANBERRA ceramic artist Jo Victoria has drawn together her two academic disciplines, anthropology and fine art to present an exhibition of raw ceramic artistry in her new solo show “Whispering Earth” opening at Suki & Hugh Gallery in Bungendore to November 12.
“GLOW” is Kate Bender’s second solo exhibition at X Gallery in Bungendore, and continues her exploration of the representation of light in bold and luminous abstract paintings. 32 Gibraltar Street, Bungendore until December 4.
“SONGLINES: Tracking the Seven Sisters”, the story in arts of the women of Central Australia, at the National Museum of Australia, to February 25, 2018.
A DOUBLE-bill exhibition with works by Chrystal Rimmer’s “Famiglia: Oh Holy Father” and Sacha Pola’s “Legendary”, is in Nishi Gallery, NewActon, to November 26.
GROUND-BREAKING Australian audio-video artist Angelica Mesiti has launched an exhibition of five major works, including the National Gallery of Australia’s most recent acquisition, “The Calling”, at the NGA until March 2018.
THE ANU Drill Hall Gallery’s new show, “Liz Coats – Active Seeing”, coincides with celebrations for the ANU School of Art’s 40-year anniversary. As a former doctoral student (2009-2012) and vice-chancellor’s “College Artist Fellow” (2015) this major survey of Liz’s artwork will feed into these celebrations. The exhibition runs at the DHG, Kingsley Street, Acton, until December 17.
WOVEN textile artist, Jennifer Robertson, has installed “Crystal Imperfections as Agents of Deformation”, a dialogue with Prof Ian Jackson’s scientific research, produced under the ANU Vice-Chancellor’s College Artist Fellows Scheme. The work may be seen in the Research School of Earth Sciences, Jaeger 1 Seminar Room, 142 Mills Road, Acton, which is open during business hours. Visitors need to go first to the reception area of the Research School of Earth Sciences.
“EIRENE Mort: A Livelihood” marks the 40th anniversary of Eirene Mort’s death at the age of 98. Mort was a prolific artist, collaborator, teacher, writer, family historian and a ‘new woman’ pursuing a profession in the arts at the beginning of the 20th Century. Curated by Dale Middleby, this social history exhibition features an extraordinary array of artworks and artefacts created by her. Canberra Museum and Gallery, until February 25, 2018.
BELCONNEN Arts Centre’s current suite of exhibitions is as follows: “Unearthed” by Mirabel Fitzgerald; “The Price of Gold” by Stuart Whitelaw; and “Cut-Out” by Naomi Zouwer and Meredith Hughes. 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen until November 12.
“EX Machina”, curated By Alexander Boynes, with works by Nicci Haynes, Brian McNamara, Stelarc, Pia Van Gelder and Arthur Wicks, considers the role of the physical machine as artwork, at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman Arts Centre, Braddon, 11am-5pm, Thursday to Sunday until November 11.
WORKS by painter/printmaker Pamela Griffith and sculptor/carver Silvio Apponyi are in the Octagon ArtSpace, Bungendore Wood Works Gallery. The show continues until December 10.
MEREDITH Hinchliffe has curated an online exhibition of work by tapestry exponent Belinda Ramson, who died in 2014. This exhibition was mounted at the American Tapestry Alliance, visit americantapestryalliance.org/exhibitions/tex_ata/belinda-ramson/
“FINDERS Keepers: Collectors and their Stories MoAD at Old Parliament House runs from 9am-5pm, daily, until the middle of 2018. Entry is free after museum admission.
THE Australian War Memorial has as a permanent exhibition “The Holocaust: witnesses and survivors”, which includes over 85 collection items.
“TALKING Points” is a show presenting recent works from artist-designers connected with the gold and silversmithing program at the ANU School of Art and Design. Simultaneously staged at two boardroom tables in ANU house in Collins Street Melbourne and in the Torrence Meeting room at University House, ANU, the shows explore include “cross-cultural enquiry, material and sensorial concerns and the intersection of diverse visual languages”. Until November 12, daily 9am-5pm.
SECOND World War veterans —6500 of them—are showcased in a unique photography installation at the Australian War Memorial, “Reflections – honouring our WWII veterans”. The images will be archived and made accessible to the public as part of the Memorial’s online collection.
“A Change Is Gonna Come” is an exhibition focusing on the 1967 Aboriginal Referendum and the 1992 MABO land rights decision by the High Court. At the National Museum of Australia, until January 30, 2018.
“FEATHERS and Flotsam” is an exhibition by three local artists, Marion Schumacher, Helen De Jonge and Lesley Whitten, in Yarralumla Gallery, Cottage 1, Weston Park Road Yarralumla, to November 24.
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