AUSTRALIAN National Capital Artists Inc. is holding an open day where people can enjoy food, drinks and music. ANCA boasts over 40 contemporary professional arts practitioners. At ANCA Dickson, 1 Rosevear Place, Dickson and ANCA Mitchell, 96 Hoskins Street, Mitchell, from 12pm-4pm, this Saturday, May 5.

CURRENTLY at the ANCA Gallery in Dickson is “The Agent”, featuring Megan Keating, Samuel Johnstone, and Matthew Boden, who will be giving artist talks at 1pm on May 5.

BALNAVES Contemporary Intervention artists Jess Johnson and Simon Ward will talk about “Terminus”, a virtual reality experience that leads participants into an immersive world within a world. The National Gallery of Australia, 2pm, Saturday, May 5. Registrations to nga.gov.au

“OBSESSIVE Impulsion” is a group exhibition curated by David Broker in which artists Jodie Cunningham, Michele England, U.K. Frederick, Ann McMahon and Suzanne Moss perpetuate grunge-god myths, blending domesticity with activism, with From Cobain to kitsch. At Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman Arts Centre, until Saturday, June 23.

CRAFT ACT’s shop now has hand crafted objects suitable for Mother’s Day that are available for sale in the Craft ACT shop and online craftact.org.au

“FAMILIAR Country” is an exhibition of a collection of all-new acrylic landscapes on wood board depicting the singular terrain and vast skyscapes of the NSW Southern Tablelands and rural ACT. “Gunning, Gundaroo, these places are not what many people imagine as typical fertile, coast-centric landscapes in Australia – they are often dry and unforgiving or moody under foreboding clouds,” Gordon says. At Kyeema Gallery, 13 Gladstone Street, Hall, May 6-27, official opening, 2pm, Sunday, May 6. All welcome.

A CLOSING event for Megalo Print Studio + Gallery’s  exhibition “Engage II”,  will feature speeches by Minister for the Arts and Community Events Gordon Ramsay and Stephanie Nott from Black Mountain School, some of whose Year 7 and Year 8 students are exhibiting etchings and drawings. 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston, 2pm, this Saturday, May 5. All welcome.

AARWUN Gallery is soon hosting its very first artist’s dinner with plein air artist Ken Knight, who will talk about his career painting the Australian bush from the field. The event will feature a pop-up exhibition at Aarwun Gallery over the weekend of May 25 only. Ken Knight dinner, at 11 Federation Square, O Hanlon Place, Nicholls, 6.30pm, Friday, May 25. Bookings to aarwungallery.com or 6230 2055.

DAVID Voigt’s exhibition “Out Of the Past – Into the Future” is now at Bungendore Wood Works Gallery. Among his many awards are the Blake Prize in 1976 for his painting “Blue Requiem”, the Blake Prize in 1981 for “Meditation” and the Wynne Prize in 1981 for “Hills of Ravensdale”. This is Voight’s seventh solo exhibition at the Bungendore gallery. The work, “Spacial Sequence” is a companion piece to “Blue Requiem” and is offered for sale by bid.  Kings Highway, Bungendore, until June 25.

PHOTOACCESS has two new exhibitions opening in the Huw Davies Gallery: “Synergies”, by Adelaide artists Beverley Southcott, Will Nolan and Jenn Brazier; and “(I’m) Wrapped (Up) In You” by Liz McCrystal. Brazier and Southcott will give an artist talk at 5.15pm, this Thursday, May 3, prior to the exhibition opening at the Manuka Arts Centre gallery, 6pm, Thursday, May 3. The exhibitions continue until May 27. Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-4pm and then Sunday, 12pm-4pm.

FORM Studio and Gallery in Queanbeyan has two new shows opening: “Softly calling”, still-life compositions by painter Hayley Lander; and “Steampunk”, which is Barak Zelig’s exhibition of surreal “readymade” sculptures. At Form Studio and Gallery, 1/30 Aurora Avenue, Queanbeyan, May 1–20. Opening at 6pm on Thursday, May 3. 

BEAVER Galleries a new exhibition by Denese Oates, a Sydney sculptor who works primarily in copper and corten, and Chilean-born printmaker Christina Cordero, whose imagery arises from a deeply personal realm. 81 Denison Street, Deakin, May 3-20, Tuesday to Friday, 10am-5pm and Saturday to Sunday, 9am-5pm. Opening 6pm, May 3.

M16 Artspace has: “H2O”, photographs by Tony Fleming;  “False Perspectives”, where artists Caroline Ambrus and Lucile Carson Follow the Yellow Brick Road; “Xperimental”, work from the Experimental Painting Workgroup;  and in Chutespace, Frances Spurgin’s “Is one day like another”. M16, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, May 3-20. Opening 6pm, May 3.