Members of the University of Canberra Faculty of Art and Design and their collaborators explore the meaning or the experience of 'phase'.
The word "phase" has a number of loosely related definitions, associated with time and change; with making things happen in gradual stages; or with being in (or out) of harmony.
The current point of history, globally, is one of rapid and typically unplanned change: one phase has ended, and a number of phases are swinging into operation. Many feel 'fazed' by the changes and the prospects they bring; many fear what comes next in this sequence of events.
In this exhibition, members of the faculty and collaborators explore the meaning or the experience of 'phase', and aim to interrogate, illustrate, elucidate, or illuminate something fresh about the term.
A series of framed composite digital works by Brenda Runnegar representing pets and favourite animals as majestic figures in historical paintings.
These anthropomorphic images are derived from photographs which Runnegar has taken of pets and animals, which she has endeavoured to match with appropriate historical early American Folk Painting.
As a Multimedia artist Brenda Runnegar specialises in painting, sculpture, photography and textiles. Her forty-odd year-long practice is characterised by the use of the surreal and dreamlike.
She completed a Master of Fine Arts by research in 2007 and has worked professionally as an Educator, Arts Administrator, Gallery Manager and Project Manager in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Since 1981 she has exhibited in numerous prestigious group exhibitions and has had eighteen solo exhibitions.
Her most recent work has involved experiments with digital imaging.
This exhibition by Helen Heslop consists of a series of quilt and collage works created from photographs taken of landscapes in the South Coast of NSW.
Helen Heslop says:
"I spent time on Yuin Country as part of ANU's Sharing Stories community program in 2025/26. Time spent on country, listening to stories from local elders and artists, was a gift: giving me time to understand more deeply indigenous thinking and culture, intergenerational trauma and steps to healing. It helped me start to unravel my own place in the Australian context: as an immigrant from a former colonial country in Africa and as a woman from a long line of ancestors engaged in colonialism. Our șite-based investigations — of the Bundian Way walking track, Severs Beach and the Davidson Whaling Station — shed light on the indigenous and colonial history, land use and, under the surface, the trauma inflicted by colonial enterprise."
Ideas of dispossession, perspective, exploitation and enduring colonial structures are explored using a reparative aesthetic, to enable the viewer to walk gently together through these stories. Quilts, as a medium, symbolise safety, comfort and security. Heslop's artworks tap into the long history of radical textiles, where women's art making has been deeply associated with social change, activism and truth-telling.
Weekly walks in the bush, the constant watching of people and birds, the love of carving, and a lifetime as an artist have combined to create the artworks in this exhibition by Christine Upton.
Christine's passions include native birds and flowers, patterns, circles and colours. Her journeys include both the physical and the emotional responses to her surrounds. There is always something that stimulates Christine's imagination including: her need to make social comments, her need to pay homage to nature, and her need to play.
Christine uses birds to tell stories and abstract blossoms and circles to explore the idea of memories. Her latest work involves the depiction of memories and their association with blossoms that fade and disappear over time. This concept has been evolving since 2016 when she first started playing with the idea. It has involved responses to teenage years with a mother with memory loss, to losing a soul mate, and to just the understanding of memory itself.
"All of my work involves exploration and play as without these, for me, art would simply become a boring production line that creates visual images."
Fenja T. Ringl presents hand-printed works on paper and ceramics that explore the intricate forms of Australia's flora and fauna, the landscapes they inhabit, and the environmental 'archives' — layers of memory and material — that shape understanding of past and present.
The exhibition marks the culmination of five years of experimental printmaking following a scientific career in archaeology and palaeo-ecology. Through an artistic lens, Fenja revisits her earlier environmental research and draws upon new encounters with nature's beauty and the fragility of ecosystems, particularly focused on the mountain landscapes of the local region.
Explored through detailed subject studies, a 'deep time' lens, and through creative interpretation, the exhibition's central themes are distilled in its title: habitat speaks to the complexity and interconnectedness of ecosystems and landscapes, while histories refers to the transience and inevitable reshaping of those environments.
Join us at Smith's, upstairs or down, every Tuesday night for a jazz jam lead by a variety of luminaries from the local scene.
Instrumentalists and singers, experts and talented amateurs, all are welcome to join us on Tuesday nights for an open jam. Each week selected luminaries from the local scene will get the jam going. if you'd like to run a jam, please email Smith's at smithsalternative@gmail.com.
Backline provided: Drums, piano, guitar and bass amp, double bass, vocal mics.
Entry is free (a pot will be passed around to help cover costs), but this is no boozy gabfest. Please come prepared to listen and enjoy and keep conversation sotto voce.
Photographer and media commentator Mike Bowers has dived back into the Fairfax Photo Archive to produce this deluxe second edition of 'Fit to Print'. Join him in conversation to discover new images, new ideas and why these images continue to strike a chord.
'Fit to Print' features over 150 images from the Fairfax Photographic Archive. In this expanded edition, curator Mike Bowers draws on his favourite images from the 2025 exhibition longlist and National Library of Australia curator Allister Mills writes about the materiality of the glass plate negatives that form the archive of over 18,000 images.
Hear from Mike in conversation with Michaela Kalowski about the beginnings of photojournalism and this stunning collection of images from 1890s to 1940s Australia.
Mike Bowers is a photojournalist with over 37 years' experience. He currently hosts the Talking Pictures segment on ABC TV's Insiders. He has covered 13 federal election campaigns, and photographed conflicts in Cambodia, Kosovo, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea and the Middle East.
Michaela is an interviewer, moderator and presenter. She's the curator of Big Weekend of Books, ABC Radio National's on-air writers' festival which began in 2020.
Dive into the world of storytelling, imagination, and discovery as we bring tales to life through interactive storytelling sessions.
Bring your children along for a fun, engaging and educational morning every Wednesday. Hear a story, act it out, sing a song, and a scavenger hunt to help us find Archie the cat hiding somewhere in the East Block building!
Storytime comes alive with sensory toys and playful activities, making it a welcoming and stimulating experience for babies and children of all abilities.
This program will run weekly on Wednesdays, except for ACT school holidays.
All learners 0 to 6 years are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
National Archives of Australia are compliant with the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework.
Bespoke Utopia brings together leading Canberra artists whose practices embrace the principles of slow design, offering an alternative to the norms of post-capitalist production. Showcasing the depth and diversity of the region's art and design community, the exhibition highlights creative practices that celebrate care, craftsmanship and long-term thinking.
In today's post-capitalist economy, contemporary design often functions as a driver of overconsumption. Much of popular design is classified as ephemeral, disposable or temporal, categories that reflect the broader issue of planned obsolescence. These approaches carry significant ethical and environmental implications, particularly in the face of accelerating climate change. Bespoke Utopia invites audiences to critically consider how these design practices shape our world and to reflect on their long-term consequences.
The artists featured in this exhibition prioritise thoughtful, responsible making over rapid, large-scale manufacturing. Drawing on traditions of craftsmanship and handmade processes, their work positions slow design as both a philosophy and a form of creative activism, one that contributes to broader cultural shifts towards environmental and social sustainability. Through sustained engagement with materials, form and process, the exhibition highlights how deliberate, mindful design can foster more enduring and environmentally conscious ways of living.
The open jam where you can party like it's 1899.
Luminaries from the local old timey/folk/acoustic scene will gather at Smith’s to lead an open session of Americana/old timey music.
ChiChiz lights up every Wednesday with their signature trivia night - a free, fast‑paced, queer‑friendly midweek ritual where the cocktails are cold, the questions are cheeky, and the competition is delightfully unhinged.
Expect pop culture chaos, drag‑level drama, bonus rounds that keep you guessing, and prizes that make showing up absolutely worth it.
Whether you're a die‑hard trivia nerd or just here for the vibes, Wednesday at ChiChiz is where Canberra comes to play.
Trivia Night is back at 88mph, and this time they've brought in the big guns. Ken from the Hellenic Club - one of Canberra's most beloved trivia hosts - has made 88mph his new home. Expect a mix of general knowledge, pop culture and music, with prizes on offer every week!
Enjoy midweek specials on beers, wine and pizzas all night. Walk-ins welcome, or book a table to secure your spot.
