ORIGINAL drawings and paintings by the artists of “The Picturesque Atlas of Australasia” will be on show at the National Library of Australia’s next big exhibition, “A Nation Imagined: The Artists of the Picturesque Atlas“, a staged partnership with the Art Gallery of NSW. “The Atlas”, published between 1886 and 1889, set out to document through illustrations, maps and text a settler-colonial view of Australia’s history, landscape and ways of life and became a catalyst for Australian impressionism. March 12-July 11, 9am to 5pm daily. Entry is free.

THEATRE firebrand and astute businesswoman Kirsty Budding has now transformed Budding Theatre, which she’s been running since 2014, into Budding Entertainment, a new production company and screen talent agency. Would-be film and TV artists, sign up here.

CARIBÉ Havana is coming to The Street Theatre with “life-affirming” Cuban jazz, dance, chanting and storytelling. Cuban dancer Adrian Medina intends to get wallflowers and hip-shakers alike dancing in their seats. At 4pm, Sunday, February 28, bookings at threstreet.org.au or 6247 1223.

TICKETS are now on sale for National Opera’s production of Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito”, opening in April 2021 at Llewellyn Hall. Peter Coleman-Wright directs, Dane Lam conducts the CSO and Toby Cole is chorus master. Starring will be Bradley Daley as Tito, Catherine Carby as Sesto, Helena Dix as Vitellia, Eleanor Greenwood as Annio, Mikayla Tate as Servillia, and Andrew Collis as Publio. Book here.

THE Fellowship of Australian Writers, Canberra & Region, which meets at 2pm on the second Sunday of the month at the NLA, is compiling an anthology of short stories and poetry entitled “School Days” and invites submissions from past and present ACT FAW members. It is limited to 2,500 words for prose and 50 lines for poetry. Free entry. Inquiries to jenniferj.warren@bigpond.com or 0408 434954.

QUEANBEYAN Police Station on Farrer Place is commissioning a “a long, thin painting” with an artist’s fee of $5000 for the public entrance of their new building due to open in April. The chosen artist/s will respond to the theme, “Queanbeyan is the meeting place of two rivers”. Inquiries to 0436 842057 or monaroadmin@police.nsw.gov.au

THE ACT Porcelain Association will exhibit hand-painted porcelain and ceramics by 12 of its artists portraying the beauty and diversity of Australian flora and fauna in a show at the Australian National Botanic Gardens from March 4 to 28. The exhibition will feature demonstrations of painting on porcelain at 2pm each Saturday and Sunday. All welcome.