EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS

In 2023, we are excited to bring you a range of new exhibitions that feature work by contemporary Australian artists and makers at different stages of their careers, as well as locally and historically significant artworks with a strong connection to our site at Emu Plains. Our program spans across a variety of mediums including, sculpture, installation, collage, painting and video, and covers a broad range of themes relevant to the visual arts and cross-curricular areas.

BRIDGET CURRIE: MESSAGE FROM THE MEADOW

Penrith Regional Gallery is thrilled to present South Australian artist Bridget Currie’s new landmark solo exhibition, Message from the Meadow.

Currie draws on her diverse art practice, incorporating sculpture, furniture, film and sound into an immersive installation that aims to physically ground the visitor in a meditative space.

In this exhibition, spoken texts, sound and moving image accompany sculptures and environments. In this way, Currie draws upon space, tactile sensation and sound (ASMR) to explore how artworks can trigger sensory affect and encourage a deeper engagement to place and the self. Message from the Meadow also incorporates Currie’s new film, soft insides.

This exhibition will give students an opportunity to immerse themselves in an exhibition of human and non-human forms, while they explore the world of art and meditation from the artists perspective.

This exhibition was made possible through Adelaide Contemporary Experimental’s inaugural Porter Street Commission Art Award, supporting new artwork by South Australian artists.

Please visit our website to find out more about our current and upcoming exhibitions and discover which best link to your students’ learning outcomes. Where available, curriculum links, online media resources, teachers resource kits and study guides can be found at penrithregionalgallery.com.au/learning

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Suitable for Preschool – Year 12 and Tertiary Students

Term 1

DATES

3 December 2022 – 5 March 2023

PRICE

Free, bookings essential

LOCATION Lewers House

Bridget Currie, Object for slugs, 2015, digital photograph. Courtesy the artist and Adelaide Contemporary Experimental, South Australia.

Presented in association with Adelaide Contemporary Experimental, ‘Message from the Meadow’ was commissioned with support from the Porter Street Fund. This project has been additionally supported by the South Australian Government through Arts South Australia. ‘soft insides’, 2018 – 2020, is supported by the Guildhouse Catapult mentorship program.

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Suitable for Preschool – Year 12 and Tertiary Students

JEANNIE BAKER: DESERT JUNGLE

Join us for the latest exhibition of artworks by renowned children’s book author and artist, Jeannie Baker. Co-produced by Penrith Regional Gallery, this travelling exhibition has been scheduled to align with the publishing of Jeannie’s latest book, also titled Desert Jungle.

Jeannie’s vibrant and visually distinct works present a visual narrative that explores the complex biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert. Over one-third of the Australian landscape is classified as desert, and yet for most settler Australians, the desert remains a barren space. In this new story, Jeannie explores the Valley of the Cirios in Mexico, through the perspective of a young child and his grandfather.

In parts of the Valley, towering stands of Cardon Cactus – some of the largest cacti on Earth – and Elephant Trees, mix with Cirios and other unique desert plants as a ‘forest’, almost a desert jungle. These cacti and other plants form both subject and material for Jeannie, who incorporates clippings from plants in her intricate and stunning works.

During an historic moment, when the global community is grappling with the irreversible effects of climate change, Desert Jungle offers a moment of reflection and insight, to celebrate that which is unique, and cannot be lost.

The exhibition includes a drop-in maker space for all ages and is accompanied by a comprehensive learning resource for preschool and primary-aged students and educators.

Term 2

DATES

6 May – 7 July 2023

PRICE

Free, bookings essential

LOCATION Lewers House