Northern Rivers Community Gallery & Ignite Studios respectfully acknowledge the Nyangbal people of the Bundjalung Nation as the traditional owners of the land upon which the gallery stands.
We pay respects to elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge their living culture and unique role in the creative life of this region.
2024 - a year of community engagement, artistic excellence and a thriving creative precinct in the heart of Ballina.
This year has seen the continued growth and creative development of the Northern Rivers Community Gallery (NRCG) as a vibrant, dedicated, and engaged arts and cultural organisation. Our team has delivered an artistic program of excellence, supporting over 200 artists and delivering 85 exhibitions, public programs and creative events. NRCG is a vital and important arts and cultural hub for Ballina and the Northern Rivers region.
2024 exhibition highlights include a suite of high caliber exhibitions, featuring local, regional and national artists. Notable exhibitions include time and tide by seven pioneering Australian women printmakers, which will tour nationally in 2025; Lyndall Phelp’s installation Re-present examined 19th century ornithology through textiles, sculpture and works on paper; Sprung’s powerful Suburban Superheroes explored diverse representations of its ensemble artists through photographic portraits shot in iconic locations in Ballina and Exhale in Forward Motion curated by Fabian Pertzel presented works by queer artists from across the Northern Rivers. This year we presented the Byron School of Art Graduate Award - the recipient was Emma T Woodburn, whose exhibition Untold featured sculptures and assemblages inspired by the heritage listed NRCG building.
In 2024, Ignite Studios continued to build capacity, with an 81% increase in program participation, delivery of 62 public programs including workshops, artist talks, events and hires of workshop spaces to over 1200 participants. NRCG was awarded a Highly Commended Museums & Galleries NSW Imagine Award for the Ballina Contemporary Art Market and 2024 saw national film organisation Screenworks relocate their office to Ignite Studios. Key events delivered in 2024 include Together Arts & Community Wellbeing Day, Pop-Up Art Market and Community Clothes Swap delivered in partnership with Council’s Resource Recovery team.
NRCG is grateful to our community of artists, facilitators, visitors, and participants who have attended exhibitions and events throughout 2024. The gallery has a dedicated group of gallery volunteers, whose time and energy is invaluable to our everyday operations – we sincerely couldn’t do it without you all! Thanks, also to our 2024 project partners and sponsors, we have been blessed to work with so many wonderful arts organisations this year.
The gallery team is looking forward to an inspiring 2025 and working with our creative community to support a dynamic and professional arts and cultural hub in the Ballina Shire.
Imbi Davidson Gallery Coordinator
1 Creative Industry Capacity
Create spaces and initiatives where arts and cultural activity and entrepreneurship can thrive
2 Arts & Cultural Infrastructure
3 Engage our Audiences
Provide opportunities for cross-cultural, multi art form and intergenerational creative expression
4 Strive for Excellence
Develop high quality programs connecting audiences and community with contemporary arts and cultural experiences
Coordinated support of arts and cultural infrastructure to ensure cost effective future investment strategic directions
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january | february march | april
The Importance of Unassuming Things
september | october november | december
Ignite Studios supported a range of creative workshops, pop-up exhibtions, studio artists, and projects in 2024.
Established in 2018 as a multi-purpose arts facility, Ignite Studios encompasses for hire spaces, artist studios and artist in residence in the heritage listed former Ballina Fire Station. Ignite Studios has evolved and adapted to be a hub of activity and creativity in the heart of Ballina and continued to stregnthen and consolidate its service delivery, capacity and outcomes in 2024.
2024 has seen the ongoing development of Ignite Studios as a producer of quality creative workshops, engaging public programs and community events as well as supporting community recovery and becoming a centre for creative and economic opportunities for a range of artists and groups from across the region.
As a multi-purpose facility, 2024 saw Ignite Studios program participation increase 81% from 2023, facilitating 19 public programs and 43 external hires for over 1200 participants.
Ignite Studios creative programs supported economic opportunities for 78 artists generating income for artists, organisations, facilitators and other creatives.
2024 saw the activation of Ignite Studios and Gallery through delivery of a range of communtiy focused events including Together Arts & Communtiy Wellbeing Day, Pop-Up Art Market and Community Clothes Swap
The use and re-purposing of the former fire station sheds into a kiln firing facility and ceramics studio has neared completion. The ceramics studio will officially launch in 2025.
Ignite Studios continues to expand its service delivery, infrastructure and capacity as a valuable community resource and creative hub. 2025 aims to build on the successes of 2024 and deliver a successful program as well as engagement from our local community.
In 2024 NRCG delivered a range of quality creative workshops, and engaging community and gallery events.
An integral part of the NRCG annual program is the delivery of high-quality, artist-led public programs. Each year we engage professional artists, to deliver workshops, host and/or participate in artists talks or in-conversation events in the gallery or for other community events.
In 2024, NRCG delivered 85 exhibitions and public programs with our team producing 19 public programs, including workshops or events, artist talks and in-conversation series in the gallery, volunteer and member events as well as supporting 43 external hires of the Ignite Studios workshop space for a variety of creative programs.
In 2024, public programs delivered by NRCG include accessible artist-led gallery exhibition tours with Claudie Frock and Leona DeBolt and Sprung; very popular linocut workshops with Steven Giese and Rachel Dunn, Weaving
Circles with Jugan Dandii, and inclusive creative mending workshops with Pippin Nicholson.
In 2024, NRCG also delivered professional development sessions for artists and creatives with Exhibition Information session with Travis Patterson and Grant Writing Workshop with Shanti Des Fours. All workshops were well attended with positive and enthusiastic participant feedback.
Our public programs in 2024 included a range of partnerships and collaborations, delivering community engaged workshops and events with: ACON, Community Recovery Team, Social Futures, Resource Recovery Team and Sprung Integrated Dance Theatre.
Through the ongoing programming of a variety of workshops and events, Ignite Studios supports the employment of many artists bolstering their experience as not only exhibiting artists but as professional artist facilitators.
FEBRUARY
Exploring Colour through Mixed-Media
Claudie Frock & Leona DeBolt
FEBRUARY
Watercolour Workshop
Dave Sparkes
APRIL
ACON SALON
Exhibition Tour
MARCH
Linocut Workshop
Stephen Giese
Mending Workshop
Pippin Nicholson
APRIL
Weaving Circle I
Jugan Dandii
JUNE
Artist Talk
Lyndall Phelps
AUGUST
Weaving Circle II
Jugan Dandii
MAY
Together Arts & Wellbeing Day Community Event
JUNE
Pop Up Exhibition - Ignite Studios
Mayra Castro
Exhibition Info Session
Travis Patterson
OCTOBER
Artist Talk Time & Tide Artists
NOVEMBER
Navigating Arts Grants
Shanti Des Fours
NOVEMBER
Linocut Workshop Rachel Dunn
DECEMBER
Clothes Swap & Mending Workshop
Artist-Led Tour & Talk Sprung Dance Theatre
Pop-Up Art Market Community Event
Together Arts & Community Wellbeing Day - a day for creativity, community and connection.
The Together Arts & Community Wellbeing Day was a free, one-day, fun-filled arts and community event which took place in May 2024 at Ignite Studios in Ballina. Working in partnership with Ballina Shire Council’s Community Recovery Team, the program was funded with support from Australian Government and NSW Government through the Community Recovery program.
The event encompassed a half-day of culture, creativity with a range of playful and creative activities. Participants were able to try peaceful weaving with natural fibres with Aunty Tania Marlowe and Deb Cole from Jugan Dandii; get creative with Claudie Frock’s Let’s Stick Together Collage experience; dive into Virtual Reality Art Workshop or explore digital storytelling with
Social Futures’ Computer Clubhouse; or join in a DANCE THE ART: Inclusive Gallery Movement Tour with interdisciplinary performance artist Katie Cooper-Wares.
In addition to the workshops, resident artist at Ignite Studios Mayra Castro, opened the doors to her studio and welcomed visitors to see her at work, have a char about her artistic process and creative practice.
With over 200 participants and 5 artist facilitator employed to deliver workshops, the Together event bought together community members in a fun and inclusive way to celebrate creativity and connection, supporting positive mental health and wellbeing outcomes for all.
