Month: June 2019

Brisbane is getting a brand new summer music festival!

Posted on by Matthew Wotherspoon

The teams who brought Australian audiences Beyond The Valley and Origin Fields have joined forces to deliver a show-stopping one-day festival this December in Brisbane.

Premiering at Brisbane Shows this December 28th, Wildlands will see a plethora of artists converge to bring a showcase of exciting dance, electronic and hip-hop performances to our sun-soaked doorstep.

The prestigious RUFUS DU SOL has already been announced as the first act, which is soon to be followed by a line-up of prolific talents from around the world.

The teams behind Beyond the Valley and Origin Fields have been the forerunners of Australia’s live music scene for a number of years now, bringing international acts like The Kooks, Chance The Rapper, Jamie XX, Stormzy, Mura Masa, Cardi B and more, to stages down under. 

Now, after much preparation and dedication, they are set to push the boundaries of creative line-ups once more, this time with their eyes on the sunshine state.

“Brisbane is such a beautiful city, filled with music lovers of all genres.
Beyond The Valley & Origin host so much amazing talent touring the country over New Years, that often don’t visit Brisbane. Each festival has grown so much over the past years, carving their own unique festival experience & collectively we thought it’s time Brisbane gets their own taste of our flair too. We’re really excited to create something just for Brisbane that will be totally different to anything currently on offer, bringing the best of the East and West Coast together for one very special day.”

– Michael Cristidis, Beyond The Valley

“The thing I love about Brisbane is that it’s so musically and culturally diverse. Being able to curate a broader musical programme with our partners at BTV has been one of the most enjoyable booking experiences I’ve personally have ever had. With the strengths of the two festivals, I feel, that we will be able to create an event that is unique to Brisbane as beyond the valley is unique to Melbourne and Origin is to perth.” 

– Saran Bajaj, Origin Fields


artisan gallery: connecting makers and spectators

Posted on by Chiara Torelli


The art and design scene in Brisbane is thriving, vibrant and diverse, and a cherished element of our community. Enabling our Brisbanite and Australian creatives to spread their wings has the potential to enrich us all, as the people at artisan have always known.

Founded in 1970, artisan is proudly referred to as ‘the Queensland home of craft and design’ by its members. A beautiful modern space at 45 Kings Street, in Bowen Hills, artisan supports and promotes craft and design practices through a year-round calendar of exhibitions, event and workshops, as well as its on-site store.

This not-for-profit organisation aims to share, celebrate and offer advocacy for local and nationwide creatives, whatever their practice; whatever their medium. Their focus is on community collaboration, heavily involving the audience in the work of the makers through their many workshops and their hands-on approach to art, exhibition curation and celebration.

artisan is operated by a team whose members are themselves makers and creators. They have a first-hand understanding of the struggles facing budding artists and the challenges of making your way in the art world. This enables them to offer targeted support to their many protegees, bringing out the best in them.

One of the avenues through which artisan supports Australian makers is via their stunning on-site store. Home to the handmade and unique creations of over 100 Australian artists, this beautifully designed and curated space is more gallery than store, with jewellery, ceramics, glass, fabric, weaving and ornaments available to be perused and purchased.

This is the perfect place to buy one-off, handcrafted and thoughtful gifts for friends and family, or yourself and your home. The items here are all lovingly made with either traditional artisanal skills or contemporary design and manufacture practices, but most often a delightful combination of both. What’s more, purchases made at the artisan store truly make a difference to a maker’s experience.

The friendly staff at the store are intimately acquainted with each of the items on display, including their makers and their stories. Ask them about pieces you are interested in to gain insightful glimpses into the creative processes behind them, helping you to choose personal and pertinent gifts that will be cherished for years to come.

artisan also supports and celebrates its members through its full-on calendar of exhibitions and events, housed in the on-site gallery or workshop space. If you’re keen to get involved with your local creative community and support artists nationwide, why not head on down to check out some upcoming events?

Exhibitions

AGENCY BY DESIGN: Expressive Design for Disability
Main Gallery
11 May – 13 July

This exhibition explores the full breadth of designing for disability, with a focus on individual expressive and physical needs, which cannot be met with a one-size-fits-all attitude. The exhibition includes jewellery, apparel, ocular prosthetics, furniture and technology.

HELEN WYATT: I WALK THE LINE
Small Object Space
11 May – 13 July

Helen Wyatt’s wearable jewellery designs are centred around a visualisation of edges, borders and fences as transitional sites between nature and culture.

MAKE IT: TOOLS, TECHNIQUE & TIME
Main Gallery
20 July – 14 September

Man’s intimate relationship with tools and creating is investigated in this exploration of the thousands of years of evolution behind each new item in our toolbox.

Workshops

The workshop calendar at artisan is so exciting and diverse; I don’t even know where to begin. The workshops are quite regular and frequent but tend to sell out quickly, so make sure you get in there early if you see something you’re interested in!

BRASS & TIMBER BANGLE with Kirralee & Co
When: Saturday 29 June 2019
Time: 1:00pm

Play around with a variety of workshop tools, including a mandrel for bending brass, a vice, Dremel and a drill press, as well as materials such as steel wool and epoxy glue, as Kirralee Robinson walks you through the creation of your very own brass and timber bangle.

BOOK SMITHING with Sam Parsons
When: Saturday 13 July 2019
Time: 10:30am

Repurpose illustrations from old books using simple stitching methods to embellish, personalise and add texture. Create artwork to frame, take home or offer as a gift.

SCIENTIFIC GLASS TALK & DEMO with Jarred Wright
Date: Saturday 20 July
Time: 11:00am

Learn about the dying art of scientific glass blowing, and watch one of the last few practitioners in action!

CREATIVE GLASSWARE SANDBLASTING with Jo Bone & Aaron Micallef
When: Saturday 27 July
Time: 10:30am

Work with these two established artists to master the processes of stencilling, masking and sandblasting, creating your own personalised matching glassware to take home.

LEATHER SANDAL MAKING with The Shoe Camaraderie
When: Saturday 7 September
Time: 9:30am – 5:30pm

Spend the day creating your very own leather sandals from scratch while enjoying tea and coffee in the morning and cheese and wine in the afternoon.

For more information go to https://artisan.org.au

Innovative designers marry style and function at Kirralee and Co.

Posted on by Chiara Torelli


Bridging the space between art and functionality, the four designers and woodworkers who make up Kirralee and Co. have burst onto the interior design scene with their reclaimed timber homeware.

Working from a solar-powered shed near Ipswich, Queensland, they come together to create design-orientated, minimalist and sustainable solutions for living and decorating in the home. Their user-focused functional sculptures manage to both embellish a room and elevate the useable area, creating eye-catching spaces in which functionality is never sacrificed to style.

The timeless quality of the minimalist lines and mid-century design results in wooden pieces that grow and change as we do, enhancing both our living spaces and lifestyles.

The pieces are created from locally sourced unwanted wood, with which the designers interact intimately when designing. Each item is crafted in response to the wood’s natural character, bringing out its inherent strength and properties. From eye-catching wood grain to a poetic imperfection or a distinctive curve, the finished object is a direct response to the original material.

Founding member Kirralee Robinson began this particular journey in January of 2018. She started creating collage works from timber and cotton string, building on her previous woodworking experience in the belief that timber never stops teaching. She was particularly entranced by her engagement with the built environment and began taking night art classes, which challenged her to extend her creative perceptions into a three-dimensional space.

From here, Kirralee and Co. were born, marrying environmental and social values with intelligent design. If you’d like to find out more or browse through their creations, have a look here http://www.kirralee.co/gallery.

In her personal work, Kirralee questions the very nature of shapes. She asks: what is the quality of shape? What are the elements of shape? How can they be manipulated while maintaining the integrity of shape?

Her abstract pieces deconstruct and reconstruct shapes and their elements, bringing into focus the interaction amongst shapes and spaces, as well as exploring the interplay between different mediums.

Kirralee’s photography displays similar inspirations, searching for lines and dimensions in everyday objects, their shadows, and their synergy with their environments.

Does the magical world of Kirralee and Co. entice you? Fear not! Kirralee herself will be hosting a workshop at Artisan (45 King Street, Bowen Hills, QLD 4006), on the 29th of June from 1 pm. Budding designers will practice metal bending and working with reclaimed timber components as they design and create their very own brass and timber bangle. You’ll get to experiment with a variety of workshop tools, like a mandrel, vice, Dressel and drill press, and play with materials such as steel wool and epoxy glue.

All the materials, equipment and tools will be provided, as well as some light refreshments. For more information about the workshop, go to https://artisan.org.au/blogs/workshops/brass-bangle.

The Maryborough Story Bank and the Value of Heritage

Posted on by Chiara Torelli


Maryborough is a town rich and varied in heritage. Rival to Brisbane for the prestigious status of the new state capital, it was the second most important port on the east coast, a hub for the passage of goods, people and information. This fascinating history also makes Maryborough host to a surprising number of ‘first and oldest’ claims.

Today, this heritage is still visible in the charming streets and the iconic architecture which make up the enchanting City Heart and Portside precincts. Visiting Maryborough is one of the most immersive heritage tourism experiences in Queensland.

The Fraser Coast Regional Council is dedicated to the region’s culture and heritage, prioritising the exploration of its diversity and the furthering of culture initiatives throughout the area. This is where the heritage-listed building which was home to the Australian Joint Stock Bank, comes into the story.

331 Kent Street, formerly the Australian Joint Stock Bank, was also the birthplace of PL Travers. The imaginative and fun-loving creator of Mary Poppins spent a magical childhood living upstairs in the Bank Manager’s quarters and playing in the streets and riverside haunts of Maryborough. Relocating to England at the age of 25, she changed her name from Helen Lyndon Goff to Pamela Lyndon Travers and began writing the first of eight Mary Poppins books.

In 2015, the Council acquired this beautiful and storied building, vowing to restore it to its forming glory, and reuse it as a creative space celebrating its heritage.

Due to open in 2019, the Story Bank will be an innovative, interpretive centre, paying homage to the life and works of PL Travers, Maryborough’s unique social and cultural history, and the stories of the Butchulla people of the Fraser Coast, most significantly through an ode to the Legends of Moorie Jarl. Written by Wilf Reeves and his sister in 1964, this was the first Aboriginal children’s book, commemorating the stories and legends of the Butchulla people. I find it very appropriate to celebrate the first Aboriginal children’s book alongside the local authoress who dedicated her life to honouring childhood.

The Council’s vision is to assemble a bank of stories, a home for storytellers to pass on the cultural heritage of the Fraser Coast communities. The aim is for stories to continue to be deposited well into the future, and withdrawn and perused by locals and visitors alike. The Story Bank will feature interactive displays, artists-in-residence opportunities, workshops, design features, and meeting places for creative pursuits of all kinds.

The Council is seeking expressions of interest from Queensland-based artists for a slew of quirky and mind-bending commissioned pieces, such as interactive bookcases with hidey-holes; a Village of Fairytales carved into the spines of books, replicating Cherry Tree Lane; a Very Little People display in the nooks and crannies of a cabinet of curiosities; and a Staircase of Stories, making use of the interplay of light and shadow to create other-worldly sensations.

To get involved in this weird and wonderful project, or to find out more, have a look at the commission guidelines: http://www.ourfrasercoast.com.au/Portals/0/Story%20Bank%20Art%20Collection%20-%20Guidelines.pdf?ver=2018-10-12-013455-977, and keep an eye on Brisbane Art Guide’s updates, http://bneart.com/story-bank-art-collection/.

The Blind Leading the Blind: Artist-Run Initiatives

Posted on by Chiara Torelli

No one understands what drives an artist as much as another artist. So who better than artists themselves to provide the spaces and opportunities for others to experiment and create fearlessly? This is the principle behind Artist-Run Initiatives. ARIs are projects, organisations, and galleries run by artists, for artists, enabling creatives to experiment with, innovate, develop and present their work in a collaborative environment.

Brisbane is home to many ARIs. Outer Space, Wreckers ArtSpace, The Wandering Room, Diagram and ArtWorld Studio Gallery are all safe havens for artists to express themselves, but Boxcopy is the only ARI in Queensland to be a member of All-Conference, a national coordination network of fifteen artist-led organisations.

Through positive and constructive peer-to-peer networks and diverse and innovative artistic programmes, All-Conference pushes an experimental and cross-disciplinary art agenda throughout Australia. The fifteen member-ARIs often collaborate, building a supportive platform for creative exploration on a large scale and advancing the practices of living artists.

In this vein, Boxcopy strives to provide a platform for experimental and innovative creative practices, with an extensive programme of curated exhibitions by both new and established artists, a diverse range of events, two artistic publications, and discussion forums focused on the role of art in the lives of both artists and audiences. Here, artists are enabled to develop and present new work in a wide range of media, from moving image, to sound, performance, and installations.

The ethos behind Boxcopy has always been one of experimentation, collaboration, and a D.I.Y attitude to contemporary art practices, stemming from its own D.I.Y origins: it was founded as a collaborative project by seven art school graduates, from the basement of their Queenslander in New Farm.

Today, Boxcopy is one of the longest-running ARIs in Brisbane, having been the ARI-in-residence at the Metro Arts Centre, before moving to the historical Watson Brothers Building in Brisbane’s CBD, then Normanby Fiveways, on Petrie Terrace.

This June 8th, Boxcopy’s yearly silent auction, The Annual, is taking on a significant role: Boxcopy has recently moved to a new home! Celebrate their move to 16 Merivale St, South Brisbane, by joining their housewarming auction, and bid silently on artwork donated by a variety of local artists, with the support of both local and national art institutions and galleries.

Join their mailing list here: https://boxcopy.org to receive the catalogue in advance! All proceeds from the sales go directly to paying the artists and writers involved in the upcoming programme.

ARIs are creative communities where artists are enabled to support artists, and promoting and getting involved with these initiatives is the best way to empower the local arts scene. Going direct to the source and helping artists provide for each other means they are indeed being given the space they need to grow their practices and launch themselves into the world, benefitting from the experience of those around them.

A Nightingale’s Song

Posted on by Chiara Torelli


As autumn and winter descend upon the Sunshine State, we may need to start looking elsewhere than the sky for our fix of colour and joy. Look no further than Alice Nightingale!

This recently opened store is the domain of Alice Veivers, a Brisbane born and raised clothes designer and maker whose mission is to fill our streets, and our hearts, with sustainable, bold, cheeky, humorous and beautiful fashion. Summer sunshine and exuberance await through these doors!

Alice was always good with her hands, and pairing them with her creativity, she equipped herself with an unfailing recipe for spreading joy.

Leaving school early to complete her Diploma of Fashion Design, she started Alice Nightingale in 2009 when she was only seventeen, selling quirky and unique handmade clothes to friends and at local markets.

Alice quickly came to the attention of a broader audience in 2011, when she attended her first Finders Keepers market. She’s never looked back!!

Through these events, she has become part of a supportive, creative community of designers, artists, creators, and locals, helping her develop her business and grow into her brand and ethos.

Alice Nightingale is characterised by a bold, feminine, and quirky aesthetic, awash with colours, striking and playful patterns, good humour, and vintage flair.

The designer finds inspiration in her love of Australia’s landscapes and wildlife, combining her enthusiasm for camping and exploring with her passion for making and creating.

Alice painstakingly handmakes every garment in her home studio, ensuring each piece is one of only a handful. From start to finish, through sourcing fabrics, pattern making, printing, embroidery, and sewing, Alice’s attention to detail and design permeates each creation, setting her apart from most designers and producers in Brisbane.

Something else which makes Alice stand out from the crowd is her focus on environmentally sustainable practices. She uses exclusively second hand, vintage, and locally produced fabrics, making her unique and one-off pieces environmentally and socially responsible as well as fabulous.

Adding print, embroidery, and other decorative elements to the second-hand fabrics, Alice renews reclaimed materials, thus reducing her demand for new fabrics and pressure on raw materials.

Sustainability and the environment have always been an essential aspect of Alice’s ethos. Her business model is geared towards low emissions, low waste, and high quality, helping her to steer clear of landfills and contribute more than just joy to our planet.

Alice is currently working on a project she affectionately calls Re(sh)use. Dismantling old and discarded shoes, she uses reclaimed fabrics and thread, alongside her creativity and ingenuity to remake them into brand new ones. Talk about upcycling!

You can find Alice’s eclectic and quirky range online at alice-nightingale.myshopify.com or in her new brick and mortar storefront at 22 California Lane McLachlan St, Shop 4 (Fortitude Valley), as well as at a variety of markets around the city.

What’s more, on June 1st, Alice Nightingale turns ten! Join the artist and a few top-notch entertainers for Aussie Trivia, workshops, and some great food and drink to celebrate one of Brissy’s best local makers. The fun will kick off at 5 pm at Alice’s store – see you there!