Arts & Culture

The latest additions to Batemans Bay's Sculpture Walk have provoked a social media storm, with some critics labelling one a "dangerous rust bucket" and another "malnourished whale tails". For the small, hardworking Sculpture for Clyde committee, it could be seen as a kick in the guts, but volunteer Maggie Brennan prefers to look at it as lively public debate. "It's...

With the 2020 River of Art Festival scheduled to start in September, artists are being urged to enter their work in this year’s festival art prize. Working within COVID-19 restrictions, the festival’s art prize will be a highlight of the Eurobodalla’s annual celebration of the region’s rich artistic life. Now in its 15th year, arts events will be held from...

Bega Valley musicians Corey Legge and The New Graces are keeping each other company in country music top 10 charts this month. The New Graces – comprising band members Robyn Martin, Kate Burke and Melanie Horsnell – have been holding a place in the Australian Country Radio and ABC Country top 10 since the release of their debut album, "Seasons", in...

Finalists for the biennial Basil Sellers Art Prize have been announced, with the winner to be revealed on Friday, 9 October. The works of the selected finalists will be exhibited at the Basil Sellers Exhibition Centre in Moruya from Saturday, 10 October to Monday, 9 November. The Basil Sellers Art Prize is named after Australian businessman and philanthropist Basil Sellers,...

In spite of bushfires, floods and COVID-19, art is alive and well in the Bega Valley Shire. A new digital arts showcase launched on Saturday (1 August), promoting the region's artists, musicians and talent. The Bega Valley Regional Gallery (BVRG) launched Art Month Sapphire Coast 2020, a digital celebration of artistic talent from the region, while the gallery itself hosts...

The 2020 Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award has been won by Western Australian physiotherapist Cameron Richards from a field of 38 outstanding entries. Mr Richards has no formal art education and uses painting as a creative outlet. He used acrylic on canvas for the winning portrait entitled Miss Priya Premkumar. As a guest judge, National Portrait Gallery director Karen Quinlan...

Piano man Mike Baker knows what his audience wants. He helped build the Hume Conservatorium and Goulburn Club into wellsprings of music. When streaming services such as Netflix depleted live musicians’ audiences, and then COVID-19 social distancing struck another more recent blow, Mike replied with an elegant response. He streamed his own show into the homes of his audience. About...

It was truly a community effort that led to the unveiling of an artwork in Gundagai earlier this month that acknowledged the town’s deep respect for its aboriginal heritage and culture. For many people, the town is best known from Jack O'Hagan’s 1922 song, Along the Road to Gundagai, and the equally famous poem-inspired song, Dog on the Tuckerbox. But Gundagai’s...

Dhurga is one of the languages of the Yuin Nation, spoken on the NSW South Coast and Southern Tablelands, from south of Nowra to Narooma and west to Braidwood and Araluen. The Dhurga Dictionary and Learner's Grammar was recently launched in Moruya. Siblings Patricia Ellis, Kerry Boyenga and Waine Donovan have spent the past 20 years teaching Dhurga language in...

Primary school aged children can be kept entertained these school holidays with Eurobodalla Council's guided 'enviro treasure hunt' activity sheets. The free educational activities are tied to eight different locations: Surfside Beach, Barlings Beach, Tomaga Estuary, Mossy Point, Broulee Island, Shelly Beach, Congo Point and Narooma Estuary. The council’s environmental education officer, Bernadette Davis, said the activity sheets were developed...

Organisers of the River of Art festival in Eurobodalla are determined this year’s event will go ahead in September despite making changes due to the past summer's bushfires and COVID-19 restrictions. The arts festival will run in September to allow the NSW South Coast region to celebrate the event’s theme of 'resilience and renewal'. With no hard copy programs this year,...

Tiny banded kelp shells, pipis and seaweed beads speak to 32-year-old Krystal Hurst, a proud Worimi woman and jewellery designer, painter and print-maker who now makes Ngunnawal country home. Krystal spent many peaceful hours walking beautiful sandy beaches collecting the materials for a one-off, handmade, statement necklace measuring 50cm wide by 30cm deep. Her efforts have paid off and Krystal...

Far South Film has called for entries from regional filmmakers from around Australia for the inaugural Far South Film Festival. The festival will be screened online together with question-and-answer sessions from filmmakers and award announcements. Far South Film is an association of professional and emerging filmmakers in the southeast region of NSW. Founder and producer Hiromi Matsuoka said the festival...

Travellers on Kings Highway will be familiar with Braidwood’s "birthday rock", which has heralded birthdays, rights of passage and events for decades. But a social media firestorm has erupted across the community after locals used the well-known landmark to protest when the Seven Network's weatherman Sam Mac broadcast live from town in late June. Sunrise was recently accused of racism...

A Tumbarumba arts specialist is one of five regional artists and arts workers awarded a National Regional Arts Fellowship to support their endeavours in their local regions. Vanessa Keenan has been announced as the winner of a $10,000 First Timer – Creative or Professional Development Fellowship for a Regeneration Project that will reflect on the devastating bushfires of 2019-2020. She...

While most school kids spend their spare time playing Fortnite or making TikToks, Tumut's Rory Phillips has been playing the guitar and writing songs. He's been at it since he was seven. Now he’s partnered with the Bushwackers Band and Red Dirt Road Productions to create a 3-minute music video. The 13-year-old was Snowy Valleys Council Young Citizen of the...