Herstory....


Through my creative practice I am learning how to unlearn to be and become a good ancestor, to empathise, uncover/unlearn and create space and opportunities for dialogue, connection, compassion and positive social action and outcomes

I value creativity as…

  • an enabler of encounters, opportunites to inspire, sustain and perpetuate wellbeing , resilience, social  justice and self determination and to connect, collaborate and create positive change for people, the environment and local communities.
  • curiosity and play and a way to observe, empathise with and experience living, interact with others, nature and the environment.
  • a way to see and make visible what is missing- erased, forgotten or absent  – to share stories, learn, empathise with, and connect with and work for others
  • a catalyst for change, a call to action, a way to be innovative, agile and responsive to local needs, to find solutions and hope for a positive and regenerative future.
  • a way to challenge and transform narratives and ideologies that generate inequality based on gender, race and/or culture.

Projects include:

  • making, designing and growing things
  • design for social, open learning in health, education, the arts and for social justice.
  • craftivism- activism through craft, creativity and storytelling.
  • project/event/social media and exhibition management, steering committee/ project management in community and artist run spaces.

I am interested in collaborations and projects that focus on:

  • creativity and wellbeing
  • performativity, identity and storytelling through art practice
  • decolonising art and design narratives
  • creativity and healthy ageing
  • creativity for compassion, healing and social justice
  • social activism via the arts
  • localisation and regenerative futures.
  • designing and using digital spaces for collaboration and social change.

Below is a summary of some of my creative practice and projects. For more information  please see my resume via LinkedIn

Born in Cape Town, South Africa.  My cultural heritage has been whitewashed over many generations by colonialism and coloniality. But ironically, thanks to once applied  race categorisations of the South African apartheid regime, and a remnant reminders of this on my birth certificate,  I know that I am of so called “mixed heritage”.  I know that some of my ancestors were enslaved and from Java, and others were Dutch and some were probably KhoiKhoi/KhoeKhoe. This precious knowledge is known through personal stories of my parents and other relatives. In 1972,  my parents own values for equality and social justice and their desires for a “better life” for their three daughters conflicted with the apartheid regime. So my parents ( then in their early 40s) gave up all they had  to support their own wellbeing and a young family in Cape Town  – a home, extended, close family networks, careers, friends and livelihoods to migrate to Melbourne, Australia. What followed as I say… is a new herstory … here is a snapshot :

… my creative path and journey started with attending primary and high school and extra curricular music, dance, theatre activities in Melbourne

…relocated to Perth, Western Australia to attend University study theatre arts and literature… graduated … taught theatre and English in public and private secondary schools in Perth

…transitioned into IT/software development in education sector…met life partner…  relocated back to Melbourne, Victoria… travelled to USA…went to” art school” Monash University Faculty of Architecture, Art and Design

…travelled back to South Africa for first time since migrating to Australia…graduated with honours degree visual arts…transitioned into art practice +  tertiary education teaching art and design theory + project management in health industry for online decision support – medication management and prescribing and hand hygiene project + running a wine store + online/open learning design+studio assistant…

Much joy, some challenges and many adventures … moved to rural Victoria to be closer to  my mum and sistershort stint living and working in North Central Victoria.

been working remotely since way before the “COVID new normal” because it’s important to me to participate in and be local but also able to work global.

.returned home to north east Victoria, Bpangerang country, last year and continuing creative journey as artist and designer +adventuring more into permaculture living with the number 1 art roadie and our two Airedale terriers.


Learning design consultant

Ongoing

  • Educational/ learning/curriculum design quality review
  • Design for learning across modes (Digital /online/ hybrid/hyflex/open/f2f)- learning /educational design services to higher education/healthcare/creatives plus industry . Focus on  social learning,  collaborative, learner centred , lifelong learning  and social justice approaches to education and learning and development.
  • Educational diagrams, illustrations, audio/visual learning materials for online courses/ open education resources (OER)/Phd thesis/reports/ research papers/blogs/H5P/decision support guidelines/social justice/craftivist projects

2023
 
Woolly heart project, yarn bomb-crocheted hearts for long COVID sufferers.

2020

Learning design and illustrations for Daniella Greenwood and associates, The Mercy Way, a human rights approach to aged care.

Woolly heart project, yarn bomb- crocheted hearts as  lockdown letterbox surprises.

Face masks for the community- sewing face masks with the Chiltern Community House.

2019

Woolly heart project, making and gifting folk in my creative heart and soul network with handcrafted, felted and crocheted wool brooches and yarn bomb wool hearts in public spaces as random gifts of woolly warmth.

2018

Regional Arts Victoria, Artlands, Crafting the Merch- handcrafting scarves for Artlands 2018 conference merchandise.

Stitching about Menstruation- contributed to an artist run project based in USA, -messages about issues around menstruation for Australian women were stitched onto cloth pads for a large art installation.

April, 30 days of being socially active, craftivist project- hand stitching and posting social messages in local social spaces and writing letters and sending hand stitched emoji/gifts to friends.

July- August 2018 , Stitch-a-hug month, Craft Cubed 2018 , Craft Victoria satellite project.

2017/2018

Participated in 5000 poppies projects – Making handcrafted, crocheted poppies for Victorian RSL Remembrance Day poppy brooch sales 2018.

2014

Yarn bombing the Holbrook, submarine. Handcrafted and contributed crocheted pieces for the HMAS Otway Yarn bombing project for the town of Holbrook, NSW Community arts project.

Creative Victoria,  subsidy to participate in Digital skills of creatives online course, August 2022.

Regional Arts Victoria, Creative Recovery Network training, June 2022.(Department of Health and Human Services/Creative Victoria)

Regional Arts Victoria, Artlands conference and professional development  participation grant, 2021

Murray Arts, Art/work- residency May 2021.

Murray Arts, Unlocked micro-grant  September 2020.

Charles Sturt University, Faculty of Science Deans award for Learning Design 2014.

Charles Sturt University, Vice Chancellors award for excellence in teaching – First Year Teaching and Learning  Team Award  2014.

Sculpture prize 2007, Monash University,  Faculty of Art and Design.

2016

Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW.
Assessment – Graduate Certificate of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

 

Monash University, Department of Art Theory, Faculty of Art and Design and Faculty of Arts

2008

Introduction to Visual Language, Fine Arts and Design
Modernism and the Avant Gardes: Fine Arts/Visual Arts

2009

Introduction to Visual Culture, Arts/ Education/Science, Clayton Campus

2010

Introduction to Visual Language, Semester 1, 2010, Design and Arts
Contemporary Visual Culture in Film and Art, Semester 2 2010, Arts

2011

Introduction to Visual Culture, Semester 1, 2011, Arts

2021

 May 16 to July

An unopening (needle and hammer) collection, exhibition ,  Corowa Jewellery, NSW.
COVID is a beetch… this exhibition didn’t really “happen” even though it was  physically installed and the work exists!!
Check out my

2020

May-June

Home is where the protest is,
Online craftivist protest about safety and privacy in home during COVID-19, protesting right to say no to in home inspections during COVID-19 while space I was living in was for sale.

January

Illustrations for online learning and human rights aged care project, for Daniella Greenwood and Associates.

2018

July- August 2018 , Stitch-a-hug month, Craft Cubed 2018 , Craft Victoria satellite project.

2017

March 17-26- Castlemaine State Festival

Flowers for Oberon, Purple Hen House Studio, Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia.

2014

March to April

My precious ( I remember) , Yack Station, Yackandandah, Victoria, Australia

2009

Between, October, Yarra Sculpture Gallery, Melbourne Australia solo work and collaboration with Helen Braun (Review Sub-Machine, Kent Wilson)

Axioms and Idioms, June, Hand Held Gallery, Melbourne Australia, with Melanie Wolfe

2006

Hang Ups, (solo), October, The Greenhouse Gallery, Monash University Caulfield Campus, Melbourne.

2005

Wire in the Blood, (solo), July, Link Space Gallery, Monash University Caulfield Campus, Melbourne

2023
Finalist – Trails Sculpture Prize April 1 – May 1

Tastes of Art, Rutherglen, March 5-10 ( photograph)

2022
Australian National Brooch Show

2021

5-14 March Rutherglen Tastes of Art Prize, Arts Rutherglen, Victoria

2020

COVID cancelled Australian National Brooch Show

2017

Dogs in Art, 3-26 February, Backspace Gallery, Ballarat, Victoria , Australia.
2015 Exit: Brunswick Arts will never die 11 December, Brunswick Arts Space, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

2014

Two thousand and four, 10 Year anniversary Brunswick Arts Space, 17 October to 2 November, Brunswick Arts Space, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Used, 11-28 April 2014,Central Gallery Nhil, Victoria, Australia.

2010- 2011

Of Snowflakes and Spacetime, October to February Toyota Spirit Gallery, Port Melbourne, Australia

2009

This is Brunswick Arts, Brunswick Street Gallery, January, Melbourne

2008

Totem: dolls with souls September to October Melbourne Fringe Festival, Federation Square, Melbourne

2007

Places of Being, September/October Brunswick Arts Space, Melbourne
This is Brunswick Arts, December, Brunswick Arts Space, Melbourne
The Bigger Picture, November, Monash University, Melbourne

2006

depART, November, Monash University, Melbourne
I Heart SCU, August, Yarra Sculpture Gallery, Melbourne

Kathy Temin: is a successful International artist based in Melbourne , Victoria whose works are included in the National Gallery of Victoria’s collection of contemporary art. I had the pleasure and opportunity to work as Kathy’s studio assistant,  constructing, packing/shipping and installing her large installation work and helping with preparation for her retrospective exhibition at Heide Museum:

  • April to December 2009, and September to November 2008,
  • January 2008, November 2007

Indigo Shire Council, Creative Indigo, Arts and Culture Strategy Steering Committee- current.

Arts Rutherglen, Rutherglen Australia, Committee/media/social media promotions, Rutherglen Tastes of Art Prize subcommittee,  2020-2022

Brunswick Arts Space, Management Committee, Curation  and installation of exhibitions Melbourne, Australia -December 2007 to June 2010

Blindside Arts space, Management Committee- Artist Liaison and Exhibition Support/Grant writing , Melbourne, Australia -January 2007 to December 2007

2010

Curator, Little memories exhibition, Brunswick Arts Space, Melbourne
Exhibition installation team, Breathe, by sculptor and installation artist Liz Henderson, Gasworks Park, Melbourne
Artist studio assistant and exhibition installation team, Kathy Temin, My Monument Black Cube, Anna Schwartz

2009

Studio assistant and and exhibition installation team, of Kathy Temin, Survey show at Heide Museum of Modern Art

2008

Designer of exhibition catalogue and author of exhibition essay, Helen Braun, Evolution, August Yarra Sculpture Gallery.

2007

Curator, Places of Being, Brunswick Arts Space Melbourne

2006

Co- curator, I heart SCU, Monash University, Art and Design, 3rd year sculpture students, group exhibition, Yarra Sculpture Gallery