WELCOME BACK

How heart-warming it has been to welcome back our creative community to Sturt after such a challenging few months. The Sturt Gallery and garden café are bustling with visitors once again and our studios are buzzing with the creativity of eager students of all ages.

Last week we hosted Frensham’s Year 10 students for two days of engaging Sturt workshops lifting the spirits of both students and tutors after so much disruption these past months. Students learned how to steam bend and make Shaker boxes with Sturt woodworking resident Eliza Maunsel; hand building ceramics with visiting master ceramics resident, Dr Julie Bartholomew; jewellery with Corinne Snare; weaving and macramé with Susan Walker; creative embroidering stitch-up books with Jo le Cheminant; and mixed-media with Slavica Zivkovic. 

Dr Julie Bartholomew has been working on her ceramic beehive project throughout lockdown, and now the studio has gone from silent to the buzz of excited students all back in pottery. This past weekend adult students were finally treated to Julie’s Ceramics and the Environment workshop, where they played with porcelain to create fragile flowers burnt in the kiln along with exploring sgraffito and other ceramic techniques. It is wonderful to have our Short Course weekends back after so much rescheduling. There are still a couple of places left in next weekend’s Developing Glazes workshop with Greg Daly and Kumiko Clock with Jason Bennet, information and bookings can be found at: https://www.sturt.nsw.edu.au/education/short-courses

There are only a few days left of the Sturt – 80 Years in the Making exhibition celebrating Sturt’s legacy as Australia’s oldest design centre. If you would like to learn more about Sturt’s incredible history and the pioneers who shaped this unique creative enclave in the Highlands please visit the exhibition before it closes on 14 November.

Next week we will start the set-up of the Sturt School for Wood students much-anticipated graduate fine furniture exhibition, Flow, ready for its launch on November 20. This year’s 12 talented students will have their graduation ceremony in Clubbe Hall and the exhibition will be opened by acclaimed architect, Richard Leplastrier. There is much excitement about the sophistication and elegance of their work and as with many of our Sturt fine furniture graduates, they are hailed as the finest furniture designer/makers in the country. Flow will run for two weeks only so make sure you mark the exhibition in your calendar. We are sure that the students would appreciate your support for their special day, so if you would like to attend the graduation ceremony or join us for a drink afterwards, book your place at https://www.trybooking.com/BVAGM

SUMMER SCHOOL 2022 - BOOKING FAST

Summer School places for 5-9 January next year are filling fast and we are very much looking forward to having our first Summer School in two years, due to unprecedented bushfire and pandemic cancellations. As a result, there is more enthusiasm than ever to learn everything from millinery to marquetry in Sturt’s uniquely immersive week-long Summer School experience. To find out more go to https://www.sturt.nsw.edu.au/education/summer-school

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

As we count down the days to Christmas, remember Sturt Gallery represents over 300 makers supporting Australian artisans in their practice. Sturt has been the home of master makers for 80 years and we have a wonderful new range of unique and beautiful hand-crafted gifts ideas to treat yourself or someone you love. Save the date for our Christmas Shopping evening, Friday 10 December where you can browse gifts, enjoy bubbles and live music in the Sturt garden. The Artisan Night Market has been paused for this year, but our shopping evening is still a very civilised way to tick off everyone on your Christmas list.

To keep up with all the latest news, exhibitions and events, follow us on Instagram @sturtgalleryandstudios or on facebook. We look forward to welcoming you to Sturt again very soon.

Kristie Phelan
Head of Sturt