Acknowledgement of Country

Dharug

Bayadyinyang budyari Dharug yiyura Dharug Ngurra.
Bayady’u budyari Dharug Warunggadgu baranyiin barribugu.
Bayady’u budyari wagulgu yiyuragu Ngurra bimalgu Blacktown City. Flannel flowers dyurali bulbuwul.
Yanmannyang mudayi Dharug Ngurrawa. Walama ngyini budbud dali Dharug Ngurra Dharug yiyura baranyiin barribugu.

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English

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this Land, the Dharug people, and their continued connection to Country.
We pay our respects to Elders from yesterday to tomorrow.
We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Blacktown City where the flannel flowers still grow proud and strong.
We will walk softly on this land and open our hearts to Country as the Dharug people have for tens of thousands of years.

Credit to: Dharug woman Rhiannon Wright, daughter of Leanne ‘Mulgo’ Watson Redpath and granddaughter of Aunty Edna Watson

Loading Events

Term 1 kicks off with our Summer Making program!

Led by western Sydney’s best artists and creatives, there’s something for everyone this Summer, with a range of workshops and experiences for children, young people, adults and families across weaving, drawing, illustration, craft and more.

Summer Making is all about getting together with your friends and family to create together and try something new.

Have a yarn and connect with Country at Elders in Residence, celebrate the work of senior artist and Elder Danny Eastwood and weave with Tarni Eastwood, capture the streets of our city with 2022/23 Blacktown City Art Prize winner Peter Rush, explore your creative side at Open Studio with Patrice Wills, get your markers ready to illustrate with Sam Absurd, and finally, round up the whole family and come along to our next Family Day!

It’s time to get creative this Summer!
Check out how you can get involved below.

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Elders in Residence

Elders in Residence

Grab a cuppa and have a yarn with local First Nations Elders on Friday mornings at Elders in Residence.

Acknowledging our place on Darug land, connect with stories of the deep past and First Nations culture.

Damper and beverages provided.

Please note that sometimes our Elders have other commitments and, as such, who is present each week may change. You are welcome to contact us directly on 9839 6558 to confirm who will be in attendance.

All ages welcome.

Fridays, 3 February to 31 March
10.30 am to 12.30 pm

Danny Eastwood Workshops

Danny Eastwood Workshops

Join Danny Eastwood for a series of workshops as part of his exhibition I Talk Through My Art and My Art Talks Through Me.

Presented as part of Elders in Residence, each week Danny will focus on a different medium to explore themes in the exhibition and in his life and career as an artist and cartoonist.

Try your hand at something new, learn some skills, and have a yarn with Danny, and his son, Jamie Eastwood, as they share intergenerational knowledge about their culture and art practices.

Bring your family and friends along to weave with Ngiyampaa and Guringai artist, Tarni Eastwood, at this one-off workshop presented as part of her grandfather Danny Eastwood’s exhibition, I Talk Through My Art and My Art Talks Through Me.

Free – places are limited and registrations are essential.

Suitable for all ages, no experience required.

All materials provided. Please bring an apron or suitable clothing for the painting and sculpture workshops.

Painting
Friday 10 March, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm

Drawing and cartoons
Friday 17 March, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm

Jewellery making
Friday 24 March, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm

Mould making and plaster casting for sculpture
Friday 31 March, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm

Painting
Friday 14 April, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm

Weaving with Tarni Eastwood

Weaving with Tarni Eastwood

Bring your family and friends along to weave with Ngiyampaa and Guringai artist Tarni Eastwood at this one-off workshop presented as part of her grandfather Danny Eastwood’s exhibition, I Talk Through My Art and My Art Talks Through Me.

Join Tarni as she shares her passion and knowledge of traditional and contemporary Aboriginal weaving techniques to guide you through weaving with hand-dyed raffia from Nula Weaving.

All experience levels welcome. Materials provided.

All ages

Saturday 18 March
10.30 am to 1.30 pm

Open Studio

Open Studio

Expand your art practice at Open Studio!

Artist and mentor Patrice Wills has been leading up and coming artists and creatives across Blacktown and western Sydney for the last few years and she’s back for another season.

Work on new and existing projects as you build on your skills and develop your personal artistic style.

Can’t make it on Wednesdays, or just can’t get enough? One-off Saturdays are back as Patrice is joined by Saqlain Binte Saleh for a weekend in the studio.

All experience levels welcome. Basic materials provided, canvas available for purchase.

Ages 16+

Wednesdays, 1 February to 29 March
Saturday 11 March
10.30 am to 1.00 pm

Summer Sketching with Peter Rush

Summer Sketching with Peter Rush

Capture the streets of our city at this one-off urban sketching workshop, Summer Sketching with Peter Rush.

Led by 2022/23 Blacktown City Art Prize winner Peter Rush, explore Blacktown and learn new techniques for bringing the urban landscape to life on your canvas. Peter will guide you on a tour of hidden lanes and arcades around Main St, Blacktown.

Spend time at each location to observe and draw local street scenes, buildings, green spaces and skylines. Experiment with drawing on found materials like cereal boxes, which Peter uses in his own practice.

Don’t forget to wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a hat and water bottle along. Materials provided.

All experience levels welcome.

Ages 16+

Saturday 25 February
10.30 am to 1.00 pm

Illustration with Sam Absurd

Illustration with Sam Absurd

Kids, we haven’t forgotten about you! Get your markers ready for Illustration with Sam Absurd.

Led by talented graphics and street artist Sam Absurd, discover techniques and skills to create a character to use in your next artwork or comic.

Sam will help you find your style and bring your imagination to life with bold drawing and illustration techniques. Learn how to shape faces, draw features and add your own personal touch.

Take home your creations to inspire you for future endeavours.

All experience levels welcome. Materials provided.

Ages 6 to 12

Saturday 25 March
10.30 am to noon

Family Day

Family Day

Have fun at our next Family Day!

Pop in to The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre to get creative, try something new, and have fun together as a family.

Make your favourite animals into a silly sculpture with paper plates, make your mark on a collaborative artwork, decorate and design a t-shirt for yourself or a loved one and go wild with chalk drawing.

Presented with artists Emmanuel Asante, Marietta Zafirakos and Elaine Butler.

No experience required.

All ages welcome

Saturday 1 April
10.30 am to 12.30 pm

Bios

With an interest in the urban environment, Sydney-based artist Peter Rush sketches familiar places and everyday life in an insightful way. An architect by trade, Rush works with materials that range from pen and paper to used cereal boxes to capture the mood, expression and texture of city streets.

Born and raised in the western suburbs of Sydney, Sam Absurd has worked within the field of aerosol art for over 10 years and during this period, through the help of local graffiti and street artists, has sharpened his skills in developing his own original style.

Throughout his progression as an artist, Sam has travelled and produced work for a diverse range of clients; from private commissions for households and offices to large-scale murals for government councils and universities spanning across Australia. Additionally, Sam has experience as a youth worker, passing on his knowledge of graffiti and street art techniques to the younger generations through the running of workshops and group projects for the local communities.

With a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, Sam continues to study as well as use his inspirations from nature to create works that focus on the juxtaposition of reality through the implementation of both an illustrative and surrealist style.

Tarni Eastwood is a Ngiyampaa and Guringai artist and curator based in western Sydney. She has a multidisciplinary arts practice working in photography, video, painting, weaving, sculpture and installation. Tarni emphasises the importance of weaving groups through its contribution to revitalise the culture whilst providing a safe space to pass down creative knowledge.

Emmanuel Asante is a Sydney-based Visual Artist, Workshop Facilitator and Guest Speaker. His art practice critically examines and reflects his identity as a young Ghanaian migrant to Australia, incorporating traditional African metaphors and cultural symbols to evoke visual-aesthetic experiences and modes of storytelling.

His artworks employ diverse media including pen, pencil, watercolour, acrylic and African fabric. These materials, particularly the use of fabric, plays on the signifiers of African culture and fashion, which circles back to the theme of identity in his work.

Marietta Zafirakos is a Sydney-based creative producer and facilitator. She graduated from Sydney College of the Arts, majoring in print media, before completing a Masters in Arts Administration. Her experience and interest lies in the process of art making within a gallery space. She most enjoys developing and facilitating creative workshops for children and families.

Elaine Butler is an Irish/Australian visual artist and mobile arts educator located in both the Blacktown/Hills Area of Western Sydney and in Wallerawang, Regional NSW. With 28 years’ experience in creative education, she offers a variety of art educational programs, classes, art kits and incursions designed to be unique, therapeutic, and inspirational learning experiences for everyone young or old. She is also a Mural Artist, qualified in Art Therapy, and a children’s book author & illustrator.

This project is presented by Blacktown Arts supported by Blacktown City Council and the NSW Government through Create NSW

Image Credits:

Family Day 2022, by Liza Moscatelli
Uncle Wes Book Launch 2022, by Hypereeel Brand
Danny Eastwood 2022, by Liza Moscatelli
Home West Festival Day 2022, by Liza Moscatelli
Open Studio 2022, courtesy Blacktown Arts
Peter Rush, by Joshua Morris
Family Day 2022, by Liza Moscatelli
Peter Rush. photography by Joshua Morris
Sam Absurd, courtesy of the artist
Tarni Eastwood, courtesy of Wirrim Studio
Emmanuel Asante, courtesy of the artist
Marietta Zafirakos, courtesy of the artist
Elaine Butler, courtesy of the artist.

I’m an Artist

I’m an Artist

Blacktown Arts supports artists through annual opportunities across prizes, exhibitions, funding opportunities, and studio spaces for local creatives.

Learn MoreI’m an Artist
Blacktown City Art Prize

Blacktown City Art Prize

Blacktown City’s annual acquisitive art prize open to artists across Australia, with a prize pool of over $23,500.

Learn MoreBlacktown City Art Prize

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