WAWA
Wonderful Aussie Women Artists:
Online Community
In September 2021 I launched WAWA (wonderful Aussie women artists), an online platform that brings the stories, history and artworks of Australian women artists from the past and present to the wider Australian public and beyond.
WAWA aims to educate others on the lives and works of Australian women artists, the gendered issues within the Australian arts industry, and the progressive work of other initiatives with similar goals. WAWA aims to create a community of likeminded people who are invested and interested in Australian women artists. WAWA aims to make this community as accessible, inclusive, and engaging as possible.
DOMESTICATED
Curator
Contemporary Feminist Art Exhibition at George Paton Gallery
Following the success of the student arts festival Mudfest in 2021, I was invited to curate an exhibition at the historically significant George Paton Gallery.
Domesticated is a multi-disciplinary group exhibition that playfully explores intersections of domesticity and feminism. The gallery space is taken over by a kind of surreal playground, bursting with lurid colour and nostalgia. But underneath deeper politics are at play.
The exhibiting of various artistic disciplines allows for multiple discussions on feminism and feminisms to take place simultaneously. Each artist uses different materials, techniques, and tools to examine their own understanding of gender and identity. Bringing these different perspectives together in the same space creates a conversation between each work rather than the delivery of a single argument.
Website | Exhibition Review | Exhibition Catalogue
MUDFEST
Visual Arts Creative Producer
Largest student arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere
In 2021 I was accepted to be the Visual Arts Creative Producer for Mudfest, a student-led arts festival run every two years by the University of Melbourne Student Union. In 2021, Mudfest ran online from the 5th to the 13th of August responding to the theme, HOME.
As Creative Producer I was responsible for the successful delivery of all visual arts projects. Overseeing 25+ artists and creative projects, including large scale outdoor installations, murals, and performance art, in addition to a more conventional gallery curation of 2D artworks. Two weeks before the festival was due to launch, we were forced to pivot to an entirely online format due to covid-19 lockdowns.
For me the most important aspect of my role was nurturing a community of emerging students artists. In the midst of covid-19 lockdowns, a lot of the artists felt disconnected from their fellow students and the university community. Approaching Mudfest with a community-minded perspective allowed for friendships and creative networks to flourish. In response, I developed and designed an interactive virtual gallery, published a dozen artist interviews, and developed a website featuring all artists' work.
Throughout the festival I prioritised authentic community connection, complete accessibility to people with disability, and inclusivity for all involved.
YOUR PLACE
Co-Curator
Group Exhibition at Brunswick Street Gallery
In March 2021 I was invited to co-curate Your Place with Jacqui Burnes, manager of Brunswick Street Gallery. In the midst of the pandemic, this exhibition allowed people to explore what feels like home to them.
Your Place explored the intangible sense of ‘place’ that comes from familiar and beloved surroundings.
A site steeped in nostalgia and memory, a base intertwined with personal and familial histories, or somewhere that instils an innate connection or sense of belonging, Your Place opened the door into our worlds – wherever we feel as if we have come home.
