What If…

Ten years ago, Sydney asked – what if the city’s public spaces were taken over by artists? In response they came up with their first Art & About program. Ten years later this event is one of the most loved on the Sydney calendar – taking art out of conventional venues and putting it in unexpected locations. Join in all the excitement and come along to one of the many events as part of Art & About Sydney this year from 23 September – 23 October.

AGDA is celebrating The Poster and calling for submissions to the 2011 AGDA Poster Annual.

The selected finalist posters will be exhibited from October 20 at the Gaffa Gallery in Sydney. The AGDA Poster Annual Exhibition is intended to engage the general public and creative industries with the finest works of Australian graphic designers.

Celebrate the art of the poster and its power to motivate and inspire. Be “inspired by music” and create ideological posters as a response to your cultural outlook.

Head over to the Poster Annual section now for full details!

The Refugee Art Project presents fear+hope, a group exhibition by asylum seekers who live within Australian detention centres. Our friends at Design Federation caught up with Safdar Ahmed & Anton Pulvirenti to ask them about this exhibition that kicks off at the Mori Gallery in Sydney on Monday, 20th June 2011. Here is a snippet of what they had to say!

How did the Refugee Art Project begin?

Safdar: Anton and I both come from a fine arts background. We met and became friends at art school, in the year after I had finished high school, and have always shared a passion for talking and thinking about art. Last year I was speaking to a friend (the co-founder of this project, Dr Omid Tofighian) about refugee issues and it then occurred to us that an art exhibition might be a great vehicle for understanding the position of refugees in Australia. We started to visit the Villawood detention centre for art classes shortly thereafter, and Anton soon joined us to assume a teaching role.

Anton: My involvement began with an invitation from Safdar to join the project. As a long time friend, he was well acquainted with my art practice. He was also aware of the thesis I am completing at The Sydney College of the Arts on my grandfather’s internment at Loveday camp during the Second World War in South Australia. He thought that going inside Villawood would help me shed light on my grandfather’s experience in Loveday of which little is known.

How did you meet artists inside the Villawood detention centre and who are they?

Anton: Safdar had already met some artists. I knew no-one on my first visit. I sat simply sat down, commenced a portrait, and soon made new friends! The artists are predominantly from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Iran and Iraq. They have all escaped some form of religious or political persecution.

Read the rest of the interview here.

What: The Refugee Art Project – Fear & Hope
Where: The Mori Gallery
168 Day Street, Sydney (5 mins from Town Hall)
When: 22 June – 8 July 2011
Open Tuesday, Thursday – Sunday, 11am – 5pm
Late night Wednesday, 11am  – 8pm
Cost: Free

икониThe British Council is calling for Australia’s most creative local talents to enter to win one of five awards to grow their skills in the UK.

Realise Your Dream has no age restriction. Candidates in creative careers such as visual arts, fashion, design, advertising, architecture, music, animation, digital media, performing arts, publishing and computer games are encouraged to apply.

To find out more, applicants should head online to www.realiseyourdream.org.au. Entries close 4 July 2011.

Graduates from TAFE NSW – Sydney Institute will showcase their creativity through photography at their first ever exhibition held as part of the 120th year celebrations of TAFE NSW – Sydney Institute and in conjunction with Head On Photo Festival.

Captured will showcase the works of graduates who are working all over the world in advertising, marketing, the arts, fashion and media. With each image you will enter their world and witness it through their eyes. So come and see their point of view, Captured forever in print.

What: CAPTURED – Graduate Photography Exhibition
When: Now until the 15th May 2011 – Mon-Sun 10am-4pm
Where: TAFE Ultimo Gallery
Address: Harris St, Ultimo (between Thomas St and Mary Ann St), Sydney
Cost: Free

COMIC-ISH is a new online comic-boutique, which offers varied ‘comic-ish’ projects with loads of quirky characters and not-so-traditional serial comic strips and comic nibbles.

Behind COMIC-ISH are two Melbourne based graphic designers (and couple) Igal and Sari Hodirker, who created COMIC-ISH out of passion to the illustrated word. “We wanted a place, for us and our readers, to have fun and a bit of a laugh. Basically it is a place for us to be creative, write our minds, doodle and scribble, do the Hokey Pokey and turn around. That’s what it’s all about.”

Amongst the different comics you can find Maximilian – a Russian anti-hero dude with bizarre superpowers and his cat Koshka, Dr. Rex a specialist who gives really bad advice, and Franz and Ganz – two angry dolls who are busy complaining about the world.

Come and have a look www.comic-ish.com

Fifty fist-sized teapots have met their fate at the skilled hands of a select group of established and emerging artists. With the fabulously diverse line-up consisting of painters, print makers, photographers, graphic designers, typographers, digital, textile, and street artists, there’s sure to be eye candy to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Artists include Bec Winnel, Aramas Ridge, Caitlin Shearer, Gimiks Born, Sam Octigan, TEZ, Alex Louisa, Ellen Stapleton, Eirian Chapman, Jessica Singh, Rebecca Murphy, Burntfeather, and many more fabulous Australian talents.

Everyone is welcome to attend the exhibition opening night on April 13th, 6-8pm, at Paper Plane Gallery in Rozelle, Sydney. There will be free refreshments, delicious hot and cold teas, and nibbles served throughout the evening.

These tempting teapots will be on show until May 1st.

Australia’s cult art magazine announces The Empty Exhibition, a group show to celebrate the launch of the 20th Issue of Empty magazine.

The artists selected reflect the diversity of styles that are published in the magazine. From photo realistic paintings, to surrealism, street art and documentary photography.  The Empty Exhibition will showcase a broad range of works from Erik Sandberg, Meggs, Nic Plowman, Beastman, Aaron Nagel, Andrew Quilty, Karim Hamid, Tamara Dean, Christian Rex Van Minnen and David Kassan.

The Empty Exhibition kicks off on 14 April at aMBUSH Gallery and then moves north to open at the National Grid Gallery on 29 April.  Two exciting openings at galleries well known for their support of young and talented artists and collectives.

Where: aMBUSH Gallery, 4A James Street, Waterloo Sydney
When: Begins on Thursday 14 April & continues until Sunday 19 April, 12-4pm daily
More info: www.ambushgallery.com

Five of Australia’s emerging street artists have installed a series of Streetware artworks, which will transform three City laneways from blank canvases to artistic spaces for the next three months.

Artists including Jumbo + Zap (recently exhibited at National Gallery Australia), Steve Gorrow (Insight founder), Emma Davidson, grrl + dog and Kat Smolynec have created giant comic gangsters, an urban angel, characters from 1960s and ‘70s children’s books, life-sized plastic people and Babushka dolls, bringing art out of the gallery and nto the public domain.

To coincide with the first annual Streetware art program, a Streetware Pop Up Gallery has also been opened in Alberta Street. The Streetware Pop Up Gallery will temporarily transform the unused vacant shop front in Alberta Street and all five Streetware artists will be participating in a two week residency at the gallery. Each artist will be selling their own unique artworks (canvases and zines) to coincide with their Streetware creations.

What: The Streetware Pop Up Gallery
Where: 21 Alberta Street
When: Until April 3 2011, Thursday – Saturday, 12-6pm and by appointment

Sands Street, Dungate Lane and Nithsdale Lane (off Alberta Street) feature the works of the Streetware artists.

To coincide with the City Art Public Art Strategy, the City launched the new City Art website www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/cityart/ encouraging greater communication between artistic communities and the City.

For more information about Streetware Temporary Art Project, please visit: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/cityart/special/streetware.asp

Media Contact: Natasha Bowron (02) 9246 7310 or nbowron {at} cityofsydney.nsw.gov(.)au

A Little Bit Audrey designs are inspired by the grace and timeless elegance of one of history’s biggest style icons, actress and humanitarian – Audrey Hepburn.

Blending the feminine, classic and whimsical characteristics of the vintage era with a modern individual edge, each A Little Bit Audrey headpiece is a one off design created with a moreish mix of silk flowers, feathering, tulle, sinamay, organza, silk, satin and lace swatches.

The headwear consists of hats, fascinators, hatinators, pillboxes, jewelled headbands and a range of jewellery and accesories that will take you from race days to cocktails by the pool at sunset.

Bordering on the dainty and delicate, right through to elaborate attention-grabbing head turners,  A Little Bit Audrey jewellery statement pieces are brought to life in a fusion of semi precious stones, swarovski crystals and enamel and glass foil beading embellishments sourced locally and overseas.

Designed and handmade in Sydney, Australia, each bespoke and ready to wear creation is named and archived to mark its individuality.