Events:
ACT CHIEF Minister Andrew Barr will be on hand to speak about equality when Jason Roses launches Victoria Firth-Smith and Jane Duong’s book “Queerberra”, and their project of the same name, which celebrates local rainbow people and allies. Foyer, East Hotel, Kingston, 6pm, Thursday, November 16, the day after the plebiscite announcement. No tickets required. Books are for sale on the day or online at duongphotography.com
PSYCHIC medium and author John Edward will be talking at QT Canberra from 1pm–3pm this Saturday, November 18. Bookings to ticketmaster.com.au
THERE are over 200 separate events for this year’s DESIGN Canberra, such as open studios, open “Living Rooms”, and many, many exhibitions. DESIGN Canberra, until November 26, various locations in the ACT, details of all events and ticketing at designcanberrafestival.com.au
THE NGA is staging two more “Hyper Real Nights”, billed as an “art-after-hours adventure” from 6.30pm on Fridays, November 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
THE Korea Day 2017 festival will showcase Korean cuisine such as bulgogi, bibimbap, and kimchi Jeon, performances of Taekwondo, K-Pop dance, Korean traditional dance, a quiz on Korea and traditional plays. Brand new Korean cars and electronic home appliances will also be on display. Korean Embassy, 113 Empire Circuit, Yarralumla, 10.30am-4pm, this Saturday, November 18. All welcome.
Talk:
MUSE Café has “Question Time” with Andrew Barr, especially for SpringOUT, 3pm-4pm, Saturday, November 18, and Krissy Kneen will be in conversation with Gemma Killen about her book “An Uncertain Grace”, from 3pm-4pm, Sunday, November 19, both at East Hotel Kington. Bookings to musecanberra.com.au/events/
“RELATED Histories: Studying the Family” is a conference jointly organised by the National Centre of Biography at ANU and the Centre for Applied History at Macquarie University. At the National Library of Australia, November 28 and 29. Registrations to anu.onestopsecure.com
ARTIST and long-time former director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the late Hal Missingham, was farewelled on retirement in 1971 with a bound volume containing contributions from over 200 Australian cultural figures, now in the National Library of Australia’s “Treasures” gallery. Deborah Hart, Head of Australian Art at the NGA will conduct a Q&A with his son Peter Missingham and publisher/curator Lou Klepac at the launch of “Hal Missingham: Artist Author Photographer”. Conference Room NLA, 2pm, this Sunday, November 19. Free but bookings essential to nla.gov.au or 6262 1111.
AINSLIE and Gorman Arts Centres is presenting an artist’s talk by Alice Springs-based textiles artist, Elisa Jane Carmichael, the recipient of the centre’s Indigenous Residency for 2017, who has been engaging with the local community and working with “Project O” for Big hART. At Gorman Arts Centre, Main Hall, 12pm-1pm, Saturday, November 18, Free, but bookings preferred to agac.com.au
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:
THE independent Nancy Sever Gallery is moving from Kingston to the former Currong Theatre in B Block of Gorman Arts Centre. Familiar to the public as the long-time home to Jigsaw Theatre and later the Embroiderers Guild, the space will reopen from November 29 with new works by Canberra region artist, Michael Taylor.
FOUR Winds 2018 Easter Festival, Barragga Bay, March 28 to April 1. Early bird Tickets on sale along with the new the Four Winds Access Pass bookings to fourwinds.com.au or 6493 3414.
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. News is that someone has left a long lost YMS viola anonymously at the office door.
“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 Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman Arts Centre, 55 Ainslie Avenue, Braddon, 7pm, November 17. Both “winner’s tickets” at $250 and “guest” tickets at $50 are on sale at 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
THE Matt Withers Australian Music Composition Competition is on again, with the first prize doubling to $2000 and total cash prizes of over $3000, also there’s recording and performance opportunities too. Full details and entry forms at mattwithers.com.au
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
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
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 Vogue Femme with Max Burgess.
“THE Nutcracker” will be danced by Canberra’s own National Capital Ballet School at Erindale Theatre, Wanniassa, 7pm, Thursday, November 16, Friday, November 17 and Saturday, November 18. Bookings to trybooking.com/SCUS
Film:
THE National Film & Sound Archive is hosting the Canberra premiere of “Celia,” in which young girl fantasises about evil creatures to mask her insecurities This 1989 film vy Ann Turner was digitally restored recently as part of the ‘Restores’ initiative. The director will introduce the film and take part in a Q&A after
the screening, Arc Cinema, 7pm, Friday November 17, bookings to nfsa.gov.au
OPERA di Roma’s production of “Carmen” is heading up 12 new productions set to screen in the coming Palace Opera & Ballet cinema season. Set amidst the ruins at the Baths of Caracalla, this of a woman who values her freedom above all else not in 19th Century Spain, but on the border between Mexico and the United States, where President Trump has earmarked his famous wall. Palace Electric Cinemas, November 17-22. Bookings to palacecinemas.com.au
CINE Latino, Australia’s largest festival of Latin American cinema is coming to Palace Electric Cinemas, until November 29. The program of 26 titles includes an impressive nine film line-up from Argentina. The opening night film is Mexican director Roberto Sneider’s comedy “You’re Killing Me Susana”, featuring Latin superstar Gael García Bernal. Bookings to cinelatinofilmfestival.com.au
COLOMBIAN Oscar-nominated film director Ciro Guerra will be in town for the Canberra premiere of his feature “The Wind Journeys” at the ANU Film Group, Coombs Theatre, 2pm, on Saturday, November 18. There will be a post-screening Q&A session moderated by Dr Louise Sheedy from the National Film & Sound Archive. It is a free event, and is for people 18 and over. Bookings are essential to ciro_guerra_in_canberra.eventbrite.com.au
IMB Bank Sunset Cinema is back again. Among other family-friendly offerings is the kids’ movie “Captain Underpants”. On the Northern Eucalypt Lawn, Australian National Botanic Gardens, now running until Christmas. Bookings to sunsetcinema.com.au
THE Fourth Brazilian Movie Cycle will present movies that are “food for though”, opening with “The Way He Looks”, the story of a blind teenager, which is included in the SpringOut program this year. Embassy of Brazil auditorium, 19 Forster Crescent, Yarralumla, 6.30pm, November 16, 23, 30 and December 7. Entry is free and recommended for ages 18 and older. All films are subtitled in English.
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:
MARCELA Fiorillo’s studio presents a student piano recital offering students and teachers an opportunity to demonstrate their achievements and to build their experience and confidence. Wesley Music Centre, 5pm, Friday, November 17. Free entry, all welcome.CANBERRA’S most outstanding young pianists will perform in the ACT Keyboard Association Piano Competition Finals, Wesley Music Centre, from 2pm-6pm, Saturday, November 18. Tickets at the door includes afternoon tea.
“A Victorian Drawing Room Concert” will feature students David Reedy’s Voice Studio, and a number of well-known Canberra singers including guest artist, soprano Stephanie McAlister, as Dame Nellie Melba, performing favourite arias including “Home Sweet Home”. “Melba” will be joined by Reedy as Enrico Caruso. Wesley Music Centre, 2.15pm, Sunday, November 19. Bookings to trybooking.com/265948 or at the door.
MAISIE’S Choir is a creative ageing project initiated by Southern Tablelands Arts. The Choir has about 30 core members and meets every Tuesday morning in Yass Soldiers Club. They’ll join Canberra’s popular Dante Musica Viva Choir, in a free “Summer Lovin’ Concert”, at Yass Soldiers Memorial Hall, 82-94 Comur Street Yass, 1pm-3.30pm, Saturday, November 18. Tickets at the door.
FOUR Winds in Barragga Bay, Bermagui, has as follows:
- Singer/songwriters Beautifully Mad, Tony King and Nina Vox, with a Sydney band in an evening of songs from their new album “Silhouette”. From 7.30pm, Friday, November 17;
- Tony King will run a Masterclass, “The Craft of Song Writing”, from 10.30am-12pm, Saturday, November, 18;
- British soprano Emma Kirkby and lute player Jakob Lindberg will present a Masterclass, “The Art of Performing and Understanding Early Songs” from 1pm-3pm on Saturday November 18;
- And finally from 1pm-3pm on Sunday, November 19, Kirkby and Lindberg will perform solos from the Renaissance Period.
All in the Windsong Pavilion. Inquiries and bookings to fourwinds.com.au or 6493 3414.
PHOENIX Pub in Civic has as follows:
- “Piss Weak Karaoke”, Thursday, November 16 at 9pm;
- “Helena Pop”, “An Inconvenient Groove”, “The Wumpaz”, and “Lady Denman”, Friday, November 17 at 9pm;
- “Faux Faux Amis”, “Hi New Low” and “Kilroy”, Saturday, November 18 at 9pm.
Theatre:
THE Canberra Academy of Dramatic Arts is presenting its eighth graduating Advanced Diploma students in a showcase of scenes and monologues directed by Craig Alexander. CADA Theatre, 1/9 Lithgow Street, Fyshwick, 7.30pm, Friday, November 17. Bookings to cada.net.au/productions.html or 1300 908905.
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
“IMPROVENTION” is the annual festival dedicated to the art of improvisation and this year features 12 performances by artists from Sweden, France, Argentina, Japan, Finland, United Kingdom and Australia, along with the Canberra Impro Challenge. At The Street Theatre, November 17-19, bookings to thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223.
Exhibitions:
CURATED by Merryn Gates, “Affiliation: Craft and Design in the ACT Legislative Assembly collection” exhibits selected works from the collection, designed and made by accomplished local craft artists and designers. Recently, a suite of three ‘General Assembly Canberra’ brooches by Blanche Tilden and Phoebe Porter, which were inspired by Walter and Marion Griffin’s visionary design for Canberra, were acquired for this collection and are part of this exhibition.
QUEANBEYAN Art Society has an exhibition of drawings, portrait and miniatures. At the Queanbeyan Art Society Gallery, Trinculo Place, under the bridge on the Queanbeyan River bank until the end of November.
TRIBUTARY Projects is a new artist-run gallery and studio space, which now has an exhibition of abstract paintings by Melbourne artists Harry Hay and Simon Gardam. Curated by Oscar Capezio, the show runs at Unit 9/105, Molonglo Mall, Newcastle Street, Fyshwick, until November 26.
ANCA Gallery’s newest exhibition, “Bio Mimic”, showcases the work of five Canberra artists who are united through the themes of bio-mimesis and vessels—Alexandra Frasersmith, Angela Bakker, Danielle Day, Sarah Murphy and Tara Bromham. The show continues at 1 Rosevear Street, Dickson until Sunday, December 3.
JEMIMA Parker, screen manager at Megalo Print Studio and Gallery, has a new exhibition “There and back again”, is at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, 19 Furneaux Street, Manuka, 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.
M16 Artspace has four new exhibitions: “Tar Love: what lies beneath”, photographic prints and inkjet on fabric, by Chris Holly; “Bled”, acrylic and ink works on paper by Scott Pollock; “KW@N3$”, spray paint, collage, oil pastel, acrylic, screen-print and marker works on paper by Mimi Fairall; and in Chutespace, “Every Body”, mixed media by Janet Long. Opening at 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, 6pm, Thursday, November 9. All welcome. It then continues Wednesday to Sunday, from 12-5pm, until November 26.
ALSO at Belconnen Arts Centre, for the same period, November 17 to December 3, will be “Mess, Struggle and Renewal” by participating artists in “Ignite: Alternative Arts Academy” and Liz Faul’s futuristic show, “Fly Me to the Moon”. Openings to all BAC shows at 5.30pm, Friday, November 17, all welcome.
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 exhibition “On The Move” will feature selected student works and works by their mentor artists from the 2017 Sculpture in the Paddock Schools’ Program, accompanied by a series of photographs that tell the story of the art making. At “The Link”, in the Strathnairn Arts precinct at 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt, November 9 to December 13.
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). 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.
“SOUTH Coast Summer”, whimsical acrylic paintings by Wendy Macklin, inspired by the seaside, will be on show at “Curves” (top of the escalator) at Cooleman court, Weston Creek, until November 17.
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.
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.
“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.
BELCONNEN Community Gallery “Piece of Mind” series presents “The Abilities Within”, an exhibition exploring the journey from mental illness to recovery through painting, installations and fashion by designer and artist Audrey Hughie. gallery@bcs in Belconnen community Centre, Swanson Court until November 17, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.
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.
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.
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.
A large painting by artists from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands in South Australia has gone on permanent display in the Australian War Memorial. “Kulatangku angakanyini manta munu Tjukurpa” [Country and Culture will be protected by spears] is in in the orientation gallery, directly opposite the Gallipoli landing boat that took men of the 13th Battalion ashore on April 25, 1915.
HELPING to promote Design Canberra, artist Judi Power Thomson is holding an art studio sale this weekend, and also selling works by Dickerson, Blackman, Bonnin, Ryder, Michael Edwards, Judith White, Peter Griffen, and Aboriginal artists. At 272 Duffy Street, Ainslie, 9am to 4pm, November 18-19.
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