Artist Talk - Neerja Peters
2024-09-12 16:30 - 17:30 (Australia/Sydney)
Join us at NERAM for an in conversation between exhibiting artist Neerja Peters and NERAM Director Rachael Parsons as they discuss Peter’s current exhibition Ley Lines.
New Delhi based artist Neerja Peters finds creating paintings through geometry and colour articulation contemplative and meditative. Her distinct visual language evokes synaesthesia, perceiving beyond what is evident, leading the viewer to self-discovery, soul awakening, and divine knowledge. Ley Lines, Peter’s first exhibition in Australia, presents several bodies of work and includes drawing, painting and artist books, that demonstrates Peter’s spiritual expression through abstract geometry.

Image credit: Neerja Peters, The Self 8, 2023. Acrylic and archival ink on paper. Courtesy the artist.

OBJECTIVE SUBJECTIVE | Stories from the Field
2024-09-18 18:00 - 19:30
Coinciding with NERAM’s current exhibition OBJECTIVE SUBJECTIVE join us for Stories from the Field, a night of archaeologists sharing their curious adventures, spills and thrills of working in the field… listen at your own risk!!!
Speakers include:
Professor Martin Gibbs – A field team digs on its stomach: the gastronomic challenges of archaeological research
Professor Lloyd Weeks – Backfilling for Pottsie: the strange places a ‘just say yes’ policy can take a humble grad student
Adjunct Professor June Ross – Raiders of the Lost Art: rose coloured glasses and the desert
Bookings are required.

Credits:
A.J. Woolmer, The Mirror, (1870). Oil on canvas. Gift of Howard Hinton 1944.
Mirror, 4th century BCE, Greek world, bronze. MA1964.7.1. UNE Museum of Antiquities.

Opening Night
2024-09-27 18:00 - 20:00
Join us for the opening of three new exhibitions.
Drawing from the Collection
Women and Other Demons
All the Excellent Dolphins

Credit: William Robinson, Chookyard, 1979, pastel. Purchased 1981. The Armidale City Collection.

Drawing from the Collection
2024-09-27 18:00 - 2024-11-10 16:00
Good draughtsmanship is the foundation of all forms of art. Sourced from the NERAM collections, this exhibition features sketches and studies, to fully realised still lifes, portraits, and landscapes where the skill of the artist’s eye, realised solely by a drawing implement in the hand, is on plain view.
Drawing from the Collection highlights the variety and skill of more than 35 artists including Judy Cassab, Margaret Coen, Elisabeth Cummings, Nora Heysen, Lionel Lindsay, Angus Nivison, Lloyd Rees, William Robinson, Desiderius Orban, Guy Warren, and Margaret Woodward amongst others.
Opening night: Friday 27 September, 6-8pm
Image credit: William Robinson, Chookyard, 1979, pastel. Purchased 1981. The Armidale City Collection.

Women and Other Demons
2024-09-27 18:00 - 2024-11-10 16:00
Maria Pia Mosquera is a Colombian-born artist based in Sydney. Rooted in the aesthetics of medieval and Latin-American colonial art, her work wryly re-imagines the contemporary world through the lens of religious iconography, mythology and folklore, vestiges from a time when the power of the supernatural to intervene in our lives was taken to be self-evident.
Making use of oneiric imagery that challenges the macabre with whimsical humour and invites reflection on our everyday lives, the paintings in this exhibition re-imagine depictions of women in ancient stories in order to engage with contemporary society, which is only beginning to reckon with the misogyny that drives persistent violence against women.
Opening night: Friday 27 September, 6-8pm
Women And Other Demons Catalogue

Image credit: Maria Pia Mosquera, Taken II, 2023, oil on board. Courtesy the artist.

All the Excellent Dolphins
2024-09-27 18:00 - 2024-11-10 16:00
This new body of work by abstract artist Catherine Cassidy demonstrates her current focus on the long history of mark-making by generations of humans. The insistent history of marks, glyphs and images, and the urgent need to inscribe, record and re-invent our worlds.
The exhibition title is inspired by artist Judith Nangala Crispin’s perspective on neurodiversity and the artist: why be seen as “a disabled wombat when you are actually an excellent dolphin.”
A partnership with AK Bellinger Gallery

Opening night: Friday 27 September, 6-8pm
Artist talk: Saturday 28 September, 10.30am
All The Excellent Dolphins Catalogue
Catherine Cassidy Artist Talk Transcript

Image credit: Catherine Cassidy, Edge 12 Gold, 2024, polymers on wood panel. Courtesy the artist.

Artist Talk: Catherine Cassidy
2024-09-28 10:30 - 11:30
Join us at NERAM to hear from exhibiting artist Catherine Cassidy as she discusses her creative practice and current exhibition, All the Excellent Dolphins.
Image credit: Catherine Cassidy, Big Spring Kati Thanda, 2024, polymers, aerosol on polycotton. Courtesy the artist.

School Holidays | Jewellery Making
2024-10-01 13:30 - 14:30
Jewellery making
Let’s celebrate spring weather with some brand-new accessories! Come along to our jewellery making workshop where you can make friendship bracelets, necklaces, key chains and more! For our younger ones, elastic string and strips of cloth will be used for beads and charms, and for our older kids joining us, learn how to attach charms and fasteners to a chain for some extra special handmade bling.
Open to all ages 5 yrs and over, we encourage parents to accompany children under 8 years old. All materials are provided.

Dates | Tuesday 1st October

Time | 1.30pm – 2.30pm
Venue | Packsaddle Studio (located at the rear of NERAM )
Cost | Friends of NERAM/Culture Club Members – $27 , General – $31

Please phone NERAM 67725255 to cancel your place if you are unable to attend so that it can be filled by someone else.

Terms and Conditions

All bookings for workshops require payment in full at the time of booking.
A minimum of 8 participants for workshop to proceed, maximum of 15 participants.
Bookings close on Monday 30th September at 10am. No refunds can be made after bookings close.
If the workshop does not proceed, you will be refunded any cash amount.
NERAM events have a limited capacity and use a ticketing system. Bookings are essential.

School Holidays | Woven Wall Hangings
2024-10-03 10:30 - 12:00
Make your own woven artwork to hang on your wall or in your window! This holiday session is all about the fun of weaving and exploring patterns created with wool, cotton and other repurposed materials. Learn step by step how to weave a small wall hanging using brightly coloured threads or try out the special knots used to make a circular weaving to hang above your bed.
Open to all ages 5yrs and over, we encourage parents to accompany children under 8 years old. All materials are provided.

Dates | Thursday 3rd October

Time | 10.30am – 12.00pm
Venue | Packsaddle Studio (located at the rear of NERAM )
Cost | Friends of NERAM/Culture Club Members – $26 , General – $30

Please phone NERAM 67725255 to cancel your place if you are unable to attend so that it can be filled by someone else.

Terms and Conditions

All bookings for workshops require payment in full at the time of booking.
A minimum of 8 participants for workshop to proceed, maximum of 15 participants.
Bookings close on Tuesday 1st October at 10am. No refunds can be made after bookings close.
If the workshop does not proceed, you will be refunded any cash amount.
NERAM events have a limited capacity and use a ticketing system. Bookings are essential.

School Holidays | Stitched Wall hanging
2024-10-09 10:30 - 12:00
Stitched Wall hanging
Create your own stitched wall hanging using colourful precut cloth. Create a fun and original design to follow along with your stitched cloth, learning step by step how to transform this into something amazing to hang in your house! Needles will be used for this process, so please be aware of this if you have little ones who might need some more help.
Open to all ages 5 yrs and over, we encourage parents to accompany children under 8 years old. All materials are provided.

Dates | Wednesday 9th October

Time | 10.30am – 12.00pm
Venue | Packsaddle Studio (located at the rear of NERAM )
Cost | Friends of NERAM/Culture Club Members – $26 , General – $30

Terms and Conditions

All bookings for workshops require payment in full at the time of booking.
A minimum of 8 participants for workshop to proceed, maximum of 15 participants.
Bookings close on Monday 7th October at 10am. No refunds can be made after bookings close.
If the workshop does not proceed, you will be refunded any cash amount.
NERAM events have a limited capacity and use a ticketing system. Bookings are essential.

School Holidays | Creatures & Critters
2024-10-10 10:30 - 11:30
Creatures and Critters garden stakes
Decorate your garden with some handmade fluttering creatures and critters and dazzling jewelled stakes. Decorate and design butterflies, dragonflies, bees or any other creature we might find in our garden before placing this onto wire. Be taught how to transform these from simple drawings into beautiful decorative stakes to place into your garden at home.
Open to all ages 5 yrs and over, we encourage parents to accompany children under 8 years old. All materials are provided.

Dates | Thursday October 10th

Time | 10.30 – 11.30am
Venue | Packsaddle Studio (located at the rear of NERAM)
Cost | Friends of NERAM/Culture Club Members – $23 , General – $26

Please phone NERAM 67725255 to cancel your place if you are unable to attend so that it can be filled by someone else.

Terms and Conditions

All bookings for workshops require payment in full at the time of booking.
A minimum of 8 participants for workshop to proceed, maximum of 15 participants.
Bookings close on Tuesday 8th October at 10am. No refunds can be made after bookings close.
If the workshop does not proceed, you will be refunded any cash amount.
NERAM events have a limited capacity and use a ticketing system. Bookings are essential.

Creative Writing Workshop
2024-10-10 18:00 - 19:30
Object biofictions: creative writing and archaeology
Participate in an interdisciplinary workshop which combines archaeology, creative writing, and digital media! Learn about an ancient object and fill in the gaps in its story with your own imagination. We will use digital models and 3D prints along the way, helping us create microfictions that can live on the object itself. At the end of the workshop, you’ll be invited to participate in a research project we’re conducting on the idea of creative writing and archaeology.
Programmed in conjunction with the OBJECTIVE SUBJECTIVE exhibition at NERAM.
Facilitators:
Dr Ariella Van Luyn – Lecturer, Creative Writing at UNE
Dr Alina Kozlovski – Lecturer, Digital Innovation (Ancient History and Archaeology) at UNE and co-curator of OBJECTIVE SUBJECTIVE
Cost: Free, bookings essential
Participants under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult.

NERAM Nights: MASQUERADE
2024-10-18 19:00 - 22:00, 2024-10-19 19:00 - 22:00
Join us for a night of mysterious and sensual entertainment after dark. Dress to impress, slip on a mask and join the MASQUERADE, NERAM’s latest cabaret extravaganza directed by Melissa Killen. Grab a cocktail at the pop up bar and be delighted by the sultry show! It will be an evening of debauchery and allure.
Your tickets includes:
Drink on arrival
Canapés
Cabaret performance featuring professional and local talent.

16+ event
Performances on Friday 18th & Saturday 19th October
Bookings close Sunday 13th October

Opening Night Packsaddle
2024-10-25 17:00 - 20:00
Packsaddle is pleased to invite you and your friends to the opening of their 2024 exhibition, celebrating 39 years of fundraising for the New England Regional Art Museum.
Viewing starts from 5pm, with opening remarks Madeleine Tuckfield Carrano, Gallery Director and owner of Artsite Contemporary . The bell will ring (to signal that selling has started) at 6pm.

Packsaddle 2024 Fundraising Exhibition dates 25 October – 10 November.

Packsaddle Exhibition 2024
2024-10-25 17:00 - 2024-11-10 16:00
Packsaddle is an annual art exhibition that has been raising funds for NERAM since 1985. Each year the Packsaddle Exhibition presents a diverse range of paintings, original prints and sculpture by leading Australian artists, providing local collectors and art lovers the opportunity to purchase great artworks to start or build their own collections, while also supporting NERAM.
The 2024 fundraising exhibition runs from 25 October – 10 November with the opening night on Friday 25 October.
Opening Night Event: Friday 25 October
Viewing from 5.00pm | Selling from 6.00pm
Opening remarks by Madeleine Tuckfield Carrano, Gallery Director and owner of Artsite Contemporary

Packsaddle 2024 Program of Events

Saturday 26 October 10.30am: Packsaddle floor talk with Madeleine Tuckfield Carrano
Saturday 3 November 10.30am: Packsaddle floor talk
Sunday 10 November 1.00 – 4.00pm: Pick up Party for customers to collect their works

Packsaddle Talk: Madeleine Tuckfield Carrano
2024-10-26 10:30 - 11:30
Join us on the opening weekend of the 2024 Packsaddle Exhibition to hear from guest speaker Madeleine Tuckfield Carrano, Gallery Director and owner of Artsite Contemporary.
Living and working in Sydney, Madeleine Tuckfield-Carrano has travelled extensively around Australia, Europe, Asia and America, gleaning visual experiences that inform her art making. She has exhibited painting, photography, found object constructions, prints and works on paper, with more than 25 solo exhibitions, and numerous curated, group and finalist award exhibitions in Australia and Internationally.
Artist, Curator/Director of Artsite Contemporary Galleries, Madeleine Tuckfield-Carrano has been acknowledged as one of Australia’s leading contemporary painters and printmakers. Whilst she has multiple Post graduate qualifications including from The University of Sydney, Alexander Mackie College, Sydney College of the Arts, and with a Masters from the University of NSW, she would describe herself as a visual archaeologist layering observation, and meaning, into her own interlaced reality.
Tuckfield-Carrano works are held in Public and Corporate Collections including: National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT; Art Gallery of NSW Archive Collection; Art Gallery of Western Australia Collection; Australian Broadcasting Corporation Collection; National Gallery of Australia Archive Collection; The MAGAM Collection, Manly Art Gallery & Museum, Sydney NSW; Electricity Trust of South Australia; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chile; Tama Art University, Japan.

Drawing the Landscape
2024-10-27 10:00 - 13:00
Drawing the Landscape: en plein air with Isabelle Devos
Coinciding with the current exhibition Drawing from the Collection we have a Sunday morning workshop in landscape drawing. Join local artist Isabelle Devos in the Black Gully reserve at NERAM to learn how to capture the landscape en plein air.
This workshop is for beginners to intermediate levels, learning composition, lines, shading, using graphite and pen+ink.
What is en plein air? This term translates directly to in the open air, and is used to describe the process of painting or drawing a landscape outdoors.
If the weather is not good, the group will work in the Packsaddle studio from photos. Participants are asked to bring a photo of their favourite landscape just in case.
For adults and 16yrs +
DATE | Sunday 27 October
TIME | 10am -1pm
VENUE | Black Gully & Packsaddle studio NERAM
COST | General price $57 / FoN & CC member price $52
BRING WITH YOU | A5 or A4 sketchbook, photos of landscapes you would like to draw, picnic rug or outdoor camping chair, sun protection, hat for outdoors. BYO morning tea or tea/coffee is available at Six Counties Cafe at NERAM.
MATERIALS SUPPLIED | the following materials will be available to use or you are welcome to bring your own. A range of graphite pencils, 2H, HB, 2B and 4B (suggested brands: FaberCastell, Blackwing, Derwent). Black artist ink pen, eg: Pigma Micron, Artline. Kneadable eraser or other types of good erasers. Ruler.
Minimum number needed to go ahead is 8, maximum participants 14. Bookings close 9am Friday 25th October.

Image credit: Photograph supplied by Isabelle Devos

Packsaddle Floor Talk
2024-11-02 10:30 - 11:30
Packsaddle Floor Talk
Saturday November 2 @ 10.30am
Join NERAM director Rachael Parsons for a free floor talk on the works and artists that are in the 2024 Packsaddle Exhibition. Hear about the exhibition’s links to the official Royal Tour and artist Warwick Fuller, who was the Australian artist chosen by the King to join them on their tour of Australia and Samoa, and many other interesting facts and details.

HOME Program Exhibition Opening
2024-11-02 11:00 - 12:30
The HOME Program, in partnership with the Art Gallery of NSW and NSW Department of Education’s Art Unit.
EXHIBITION OPENING | Saturday 2nd November 11am – 12.30pm
VENUE | Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place, 96-104 Kentucky St, Armidale
Celebrating works by Stage 3 students from Drummond Memorial, Armidale City Public, Uralla Central, Bonshaw Public and Ebor Public schools.
This exhibition is part of the HOME program, a collaboration between the Art Gallery of NSW, NSW Department of Education’s Art Unit and Aboriginal communities and regional galleries across NSW. It connects schools to local Aboriginal artists, community, language and culture. In 2024 this program was delivered on Anaiwan country at the New England Regional Art Museum and Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place. This exhibition came together under the guidance of Gamilaraay artist Debbie Taylor-Worley and in collaboration with Widders Consultancy.

Talk: Occupation: Structures of the Berlin Brigade
2024-11-02 14:00 - 15:00
Occupation: Structures of the Berlin Brigade
A Visual Anthropology Research Project on the Built Environment
A politically and culturally conscious approach to urban preservation and development considers public memory and space as a cultural product. This comprehensive visual anthropology addresses how individuals relate to heritage sites over time and political change to offers insight for urban development and heritage management projects.
This photographic project deals with a set of buildings in the former American Sector of West Berlin. These political structures were used or built by the US occupational military following WWII, the Cold War, German reunification, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. (1945 – 1994). The sites share a unique historical context and geographic proximity, lending themselves to place-making research.
As the 30th anniversary of the occupational withdrawal of foreign military from Berlin is commemorated in 2024, I am revisiting this project produced as a masters research at the Freie
Universität Berlin. Gathering the experiences, ideals, and powers implicated at these sites across evolving eras, circumstance and purpose expand our perception of what buildings have meant and continue to mean individually and collectively.

Mike Terry is a photographer and visual anthropologist based in the New England Region.
He earned a B.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Utah in 2010 and was awarded A Fine Art, Music, Architecture and Dance Graduate scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD) in 2011 through which he earned a Masters in visual and media anthropology at the Freie Universität Berlin.
Mike has worked as a photographer and filmmaker for commercial and editorial clients internationally.
Since 2014 he has lectured at the Freie University Berlin and the Hochschule für Medien, Kommunikation und Wirtschaft in Berlin where He developed the masters course ‘Space & Place’. From 2017-18 he taught reportage and portrait photography at the F16 Schule für Fotografie in Berlin.
Before relocating to Australia in 2020, he worked as a visual & online producer for the studio of filmmaker Yulia Mahr and the classical composer Max Richter in the United kingdom. Currently, in addition to working as a freelance photographer and filmmaker he is Communications Leader for the School of Environment and Rural Science’s International Capacity Building Group at the University of New England.

Image: Teufelsberg, Berlin-Grunewald. Former US/British listening station. 2013 / 1985

Printing & Letterpress in the Museum of Printing
2024-11-09 10:00 - 15:00
Join the Black Gully Printmakers in the Museum of Printing for letterpress and printmaking demonstrations and displays. Try out the vintage typewriters, add a selfie to a hand printed WANTED poster or print your own Christmas card. Discover the historic F.T.Wimble Collection of type and printing equipment during your time at the Black Gully Festival.
WHEN | Saturday November 9
TIME | 10am – 3pm
WANTED POSTERS | A limited edition of WANTED posters are available to purchase & add your face or family image in while you are there. From 10am – 1pm or until we run out!
WHERE | The Museum of Printing (MoP) NERAM

NO BOOKINGS REQUIRED
If you haven’t visited the Museum of Printing before it is located on the lower level of NERAM, access via the carpark.
More information about the Black Gully Printmakers can be found www.blackgullyprintmakers.com.au

Black Gully Festival
2024-11-09 10:00 - 20:00
The always highly-anticipated Black Gully Festival is set to kick off on Saturday, November 9th, 2024, in the scenic Black Gully Reserve (behind NERAM on the south side of the creek). This free, family-friendly event celebrates the vibrant spirit of Armidale as the weather warms up, offering a day filled with music, art, environmental and community engagement. The festival promises an entertaining experience for attendees of all ages.
FESTIVAL PROGRAM

10.00am – 4.00pm – Makers and Community Markets
11.00pm – Welcome to Country and Official Opening

10.00am – 3.00pm Museum of Printing Open

10.00am – 3.00pm – NERAM Family Art Making
7.30- 9.00pm – Astronomy night with the Stars @NERAM cafe

MUSIC PROGRAM
Main Stages

10.00am – Ohmasoulmusic
10.45am – The Kelly Gang
11.30am – Welcome to Country / opening
12.00am – Tandav School of Dance
12.15pm – Khalill Tabor All Sheikh
12.30pm – Bella Frankie Music
1.15pm – The Briny Sea
2.00pm – Kirsty Larkin
2.45pm – Southswell
3.30pm – Buddy Knox
4.15pm – Partyline
5.00pm – El Adimra
5.45pm – Nascent
6. 30pm – Skele Jay
7.15pm – Florin Arc

Finish 8.15pm

Acoustic Stage (NERAM Cafe Courtyard)

10.00am – Maxine & Ben
10.45am – Barney St Band
11.30am – Keith & Luke
12.15pm – Firebirds
1.00pm – Ollie Twohill (Murwillumbah)
1.45pm – Bits of Buzz
2.30pm – Koivu

Finish 3pm
SLOW LIVING WORKSHOP PROGRAM

Clothes Swap – Clothes drop – 10.00 to 11.00am – Clothes swap – 12.00 to 2.00pm

Workshops @ The Community Garden

10.00-10.45 | 1:00-1.45 – Composting made easy
11.00-11.45 | 2:00-2.45 – Wicking bed demo
12.00-12.45 – Growing mushrooms

SUSTAINABLE LIVING ARMIDALE & FRIENDS WORKSHOP PROGRAM

10.00 – 4.00 – Tree of Life Painting – Save our Styx @SLA
10.00 – 4.00 – Platypus Play and Clay @ Bell tent
10.00 – 4.00 – Ephemeral Art @ Bell tent
10.00 – 4.00 – Craft, Climate and equity with Zonta @Zonta
10.00 – 4.00 – Rural Fire Brigade – Explore the Fire truck
10.00 – 4.00 – SNELC and Armidale Urban Rivercare
10.00 – 4.00 – Rising Tide Protestival Connection
10.00 – 3.00 – NERAM Family Art
Bug Walk and Talk – Collect and Identify the Locals! Two sessions (30-11.30 | 12.30-1.30) Meet @ Black Gully creek concrete ramp bridge.
Beyond Halloween: Bats in the Backyard Project. Two sessions (45 to 11.15 |12.30-1.00) @ Biodiversity, Conservation and Science tent
Energy-Efficient Homes: a chat about retrofitting for comfort and savings. Two sessions (10:45-11:30 | 2:00-2.45) @ Electrify Armidale
Manilla Solar – Be Part of Community Owned Renewables (1.00 – 1.45) @ Electrify Armidale
Black Gully Grassland Games and Friends (30-3.00) @ ANTaR Hand in Hand Peace tent @ the Tennis Court wall near the Community Garden.
The Story Telling Circle (30 – 2.30) @ Bell tent
Felted Soap Making Workshop (1.30 – 3.30) @SLA
Have you seen these threatened species? Rare wallaby, pademelon, and orchids (00 to 3.30) @ Biodiversity, Conservation and Science tent
Astronomy night with the Stars – (30pm to 9.00) @ NERAM Café
Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place – Open 10.00 – 4.00. All Welcome.

TALKS AND ACTIVITIES -Details
Aboriginal Cultural Keeping Place
The Aboriginal Cultural Keeping Place will be open all day from 10.00am to 4.00pm as part of the Black Gully Festival. Join live music in the pavilion with Cyril Green, Kathy Kelly and friends. There will be a sausage sizzle and opportunities to dance, take part in cultural learning in the Yarning Circle and explore the many artworks and points of culture. All are welcome. Walk across from the NERAM front grassland during the day via the side (western) entrance, follow the signs into the pavilion and surrounds.
Platypus Play and Clay and Ephemeral Art
Join Sue Eliot – Author of Young Children and the Environment.
Create with nature! Baskets of natural treasures will be available for children to explore the possibilities. Get involved in the Platypus pond and create clay creatures for the Platypus. Learn about this amazing creature. 10.00 to 4.00 at the SLA Bell tent
Dumaresq Rural Fire Brigade
Based in Armidale and one of the largest brigades in the New England District. They cover a large radius around Armidale assisting Fire Rescue and other Rural Fire Brigades. Their volunteers attend approximately 100 incidents a year ranging from grass and bush fires, structure fires, car fires, MVAs and other service and assistance calls. The also attend community events like the Black Gully Festival so they can educate the public on the dangers of bushfires and the regulations on burning during the Bushfire Danger Period. They will bring their big Fire Truck which the kids can explore. 10.00 – 4.00.
Rising Tide Protestival connection
Rising Tides Protestival event on Newcastle’s Nobby Beach will be the biggest yet — anticipating 10,000 people to turn-out over a 10-day period.
Climate Action and Sustainable Living Armidale support a New England Affinity group planning to attend. We are demanding the government immediately cancel all new fossil fuel projects, tax fossil fuel export profits at 78 per cent to fund community and industrial transition and end all coal exports from Newcastle by 2030. Come and find out about the Rising Tide Protestival and how you can participate and/or leave a handprint and message on our local banner that will be going to Newcastle. Currently the world is well on track for over three degrees of warming this century, and there has been no effective climate progress to reduce our fossil fuel industry [in Australia] this year — the hottest year on record. The time to STOP is now.
Zonta Says Now to Gender-Equal Climate Action
Come along to the Zonta Club of Armidale’s stall. Find out why girls and women across the globe are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. Talk to our club members about Zonta, and how Zonta aims to empower women and men to create a fairer future for everyone. We will be giving away handy information leaflets that can help you reduce your impact on the environment, and there will be fun activities for kids, with prizes, as well as a table full of second-hand books and craft items for sale. 10.00 to 4.00.
Armidale Regional Council
New information on waste and recycling, tips for water saving measures and how to prepare a grab and go pack if you are in bush fire danger. 10.00 to 4.00.
Tree of Life Painting – Save our Styx
A recent report by Forest Alliance NSW (FANSW) found that community surveys in forests were able to identify up to 10 times the number of endangered greater glider den trees, than Forestry Corporation NSW surveys. This includes in places like our local Styx River State Forest. Logging operations in the proposed Great Koala National Park (GKNP) are happening at four times the intensity than other State Forests in the state’s northeast.
Come and find out what has been going on about in our forests and make a Tree of Life Painting, sewing, drawing or writing for our Native Forest Protection quilt. 10.00 to 4.00 @ SLA and NPA.
Armidale Live inc
Armidale Live inc was formed to support all the Arts. At present it supports High Country Theatre, Saturday Magic Theatre and Renew Armidale.
Our most important project at present is the submission of a Precinct and Partnerships grant. The aim is to create an Arts, Culture and Education precinct focusing on the Armidale Mall.
We will be applying for enough money to buy available real estate, refurbish as necessary and repurpose a percentage of the space to an art, culture or education purpose. We have a number of partners in this venture including Armidale Regional Council and a lot of supporters. For a full explanation drop by our tent for a chat and to pick up a full explanation and maybe join us in this very exciting venture. 10.00 to 4.00.
Clothes Swap@ Black Gully
Join us for the Black Gully Festival Clothes Swap, a wonderful and environmentally friendly way to refresh your wardrobe, or you may find something special for a friend or family member. On the day bring along up to 5 quality garments, clean pressed and free from major faults.
The clothes drop off will take place between 10 and 11 am, at the Slow Living and UNE Life tents located at the Tennis Wall near the Community Garden. For each garment you bring you will receive a token which you will then be able to exchange for a garment at the clothes swap event, taking place from 12pm to 2pm. Any remaining clothes will be sold at the end of the day with all proceeds going to a local charity.
Bug Walk and Talk – Collect and Identify the Locals!
Water bugs are great indicators of stream health. Join resident Freshwater Ecologists from the Aquatic Ecology Lab at UNE on a walk along Black Gully to collect and identify (water bugs). Find out who live there and what they can tell us about the condition of their watery home. Everyone is welcome and feel free to pick the Scientist’s brains while you pick out water bugs! Two sessions 10.30-11.30 | 12.30-1.30. Meet @ Black Gully creek concrete ramp bridge.
Beyond Halloween: Bats in Backyards
Learn about the amazing world of insect eating bats and be part of a citizen science project recording the crazy ultrasonic calls of these tiny pest controllers in your own backyard. Senior Threatened Species Officer and confirmed bat nerd, Alicia Scanlon from the Saving our Species program will talk about the diversity of insect eating bats found around the Armidale region, what makes them such special creatures, what threatens their survival, how we study them and how you can help conserve them. Two Sessions 10:45 – 11:15 | 12.30 – 1.00. – @Biodiversity, Conservation and Science tent
Energy-Efficient Homes: a chat about retrofitting for comfort and savings
Join us for a practical discussion on improving energy efficiency and reducing electricity costs in your home. Explore solutions for different types of houses, from quick retrofitting tips to long-term investments, and discover incentives for boosting comfort and savings. Share ideas and learn from Michelle Campione-van Zetten (Environmental Planner, GeoLINK), Trevor Brown (Convenor, Electrify Armidale), and Matt Peterson (Founder, Automised Energy). All home energy questions welcome and resource connections provided. Two sessions 10:45-11:30 | 2:00-2.45 @Electrify Armidale tent
Manilla Solar – Be Part of Community Owned Renewables
The Manilla Solar Project is a community-led 4.6 MW solar + battery project to be located 2 km to the south of the Manilla substation. What is the talk about? Project directors Emma Stilts and Gerald Arends are inviting people to come along + have their questions answered about the project, operations and investment. This project is proudly funded by the NSW Government in association with Manilla Community Renewable Energy Inc. under the Regional Community Energy Fund. 1.00 -1.45 @Electrify Armidale.
Story telling Circle
Time to chill out on shady cushions and listen to your favourite story books being read by story telling friends especially for the little ones with Julie (Jules) Collins and friends. 1.30 to 2:30 @the Bell tent
Felted Soap Making Workshop
Felting is an ancient craft that was used prior to loofahs or washcloths for bathing and improving the condition of the skin. Using felted soap it is possible to get a creamy lather whilst conserving the bar of soap so it lasts longer. The felted wool is exfoliating and has antimicrobial properties. The felted layer shrinks with the soap and can be used for other purposes or composted after use. The felt makes gripping the bar or soap much easier, saving on chasing the bar around the bathroom and, in between uses, the felt dries out saving on cleaning residues left by the sink. For adults and children of all ages be running from 1:30pm to 3:30pm @SLA
Black Gully Grassland Games and Friends
Fun for all the family and peoples of all ages – Games games games. Meet new friends and join in the fun, potato sack and three legged races, aMazeing obstacle course, Giant Tug of War, many more old favourites and new 1.30-3.00 @ ANTaR Hand in Hand Peace tent @ the Tennis Wall near the Community Garden.
Have you Seen these Threatened Species of the Norther Tablelands?
Hear about a few of the most rarely seen threatened plant and animal species found on the northern tablelands, the tiny Parma wallaby and Red-legged pademelon, the Small Snake Orchid, the Ebor Goat Orchid and Metcalfe’s Greenhood. Have you seen them? Do you know what habitats they like? Do you know why they are threatened with extinction? Alicia Scanlon from the Saving our Species program will answer your questions. 2:00 – 2:30@ Biodiversity, Conservation and Science tent
Astronomy Night with the Stars –
Discover the wonders of the night sky with the UNE and Northern Tablelands Astronomical Society (UNENTAS) at this year’s Black Gully Festival! Their mission is to inspire a love for astronomy within both the university community and the broader Northern Tablelands region. Whether you’re a seasoned stargazer or a curious beginner, they aim to spark your interest and deepen your knowledge of the cosmos. UNENTAS organizes engaging events, from research and educational meetings to recreational star-gazing nights, all designed to bring the universe a little closer. They also proudly support the Physics Department in its public astronomy outreach and help maintain the equipment that lets us explore the skies. Join then at the Black Gully Festival as they explore the stars and beyond! From 7:30pm to 9.00 outside the NERAM Cafe.

The Black Gully Festival program is subject to changes at any time. Please refer to website for any updates or amendments.

Artwork Roadshow
2024-11-15 10:00 - 12:00
Arts National Armidale and New England Regional Art Museum invite you to a Fine Art Assessment and Conservation Advice Day with ACCREDITED VALUER Leigh Capel and ARTWORK CONSERVATOR Jennifer Taylor.
Think you have a priceless masterpiece at home? Curious about that old painting your grandma left you? Have you ben wondering if that artwork you bought has increased in value? You are invited to bring in 1-2 artworks from your private collection for an informal assessment and conservation advice from two artworld professionals.
Do you love Antiques Roadshow and having a sticky beak at other people’s stuff? Come and watch the fun.
Assessment and spectator tickets are limited, bookings are essential.
All assessment and conservation advice is informal and will be provided verbally. Participants may choose to engage Leigh Capel or Jennifer Taylor for formal valuations and conservation services through their official business services.

Opening Night
2024-11-15 18:00 - 20:00
Join us for the opening of five new exhibitions.
Clay on Country
Inner/Space: Helen Eager
Fusion: Max Powell
Wild Rivers: Lizzie Horne
Colourful Coventry

Credit: Helen Eager, Satellite, 2017-8, oil on canvas. Courtesy the artist and Utopia Art Sydney.

Clay on Country
2024-11-15 18:00 - 2025-01-28 16:00
Co-curated by Jo Foster and Neridah Stockley, and toured by Artback NT, Clay on Country, ceramics from the central desert, is an impressive survey of ceramic practice that includes over thirty artists and collectives. Some are established ceramic artists others are incorporating clay into their practice for the first time, all have produced accomplished insightful and contemporary works that reflect the culturally and historically rich and complex region where they live and work.
Opening night: Friday 15 November, 6-8pm

Clay on Country, ceramics of the central desert is proudly toured by Artback NT with support from the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program.
Image credit: Hermannsburg Potters, Antala-iperral weather, 2022, hand built terracotta, underglazes, 550 x 390mm. Image courtesy of Sara Maiorino.

Inner/Space: Helen Eager
2024-11-15 18:00 - 2025-02-02 16:00
This significant survey exhibition examines Helen Eager’s progression from interiors and still lifes to the pure abstract images that she is known for today. With works sourced from the NERAM collection, Utopia Art Sydney, and the artist herself, Inner/Space celebrates Eager’s passion for colour, light, and deconstruction.
This exhibition is the latest of a series NERAM has staged highlighting significant Australian women artists including Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Hilarie Mais, Barbara McKay, and Aida Tomescu.
A partnership with Utopia Art Sydney
Opening night: Friday 15 November, 6-8pm
Image credit: Helen Eager, Satellite, 2017-8, oil on canvas. Courtesy the artist and Utopia Art Sydney.

Fusion: Max Powell
2024-11-15 18:00 - 2025-02-02 16:00
For Glen Innes ceramicist Max Powell, fusion not only describes the ceramic process but the merging of ideas, influences and approaches. Fusion also illustrates the ceramic process of changing clay and glaze with heat.
Powell finds the natural world an endless source of inspiration and by observing the shapes, colours and surfaces is where he begins when creating paintings and ceramics. The simple act of looking and exploring reminds us to slow down and to disconnect with all the craziness of modern life.
Opening night: Friday 15 November, 6-8pm
Image credit: Max Powell, Dolomite water bowls – Ripple series, 2024, stoneware. Courtesy the artist.

Wild Rivers: Lizzie Horne
2024-11-15 18:00 - 2025-02-02 16:00
A journey to capture the essence of the wild rivers of New England on paper has taken Armidale printmaker Lizzie Horne far beyond local gorge country. A more than decade-long exploration of printmaking techniques with teachers and mentors in studios around the world has led her to a deep dive into sugar lift etching.
Horne has experimented with the medium to create a body of gestural, expressive works informed by the scale, movement and force of the New England awe-inspiring land and waterscapes.
Opening night: Friday 15 November, 6-8pm
Artist talk: Saturday 18 January, 10.30 – 11.30am
Restricted exhibition access 29 January – 2 February. Viewing by appointment only. Please call the Gallery on 02 6772 5255 to enquire.
Image credit: Lizzie Horne, Cloudfall (II), 2024, open bite etching, US. Courtesy the artist.

Colourful Coventry
2024-11-15 18:00 - 2025-02-02 16:00
Celebrating Chandler Coventry’s 100th birthday, this exhibition is a cracker for the kids showcasing some of the brightest and boldest artworks in the Chandler Coventry Collection. Coventry moved from Armidale to Sydney and opened his own commercial art gallery in the 1970s, later donating his personal art collection to NERAM when it was founded.
See gems from the Chandler Coventry Collection in a new way with this interactive display of colourful artworks accompanied by a variety activities – a scavenger hunt, dress ups, colouring in and more. Colourful Coventry is perfect for the whole family these summer holidays.
Opening night: Friday 15 November, 6-8pm
Image credit: Gunter Christmann, Attis, 1975, acrylic on canvas. Gift of Chandler Coventry 1979.
