Home program showcase

Home: Gunhigal Nguambang Wiradyuri Mayiny (Plains Country Wiradyuri People), 2020

18 December 2020 – Sunday 7 February 2021

2020 is the second year the Home program has run at Bathurst Regional Art Gallery. In 2020 students from the eight participating schools in the Bathurst region, Meadow Flat, Cudgegong, Bathurst South, Manildra, Wattle Flat, Sofala, Mulyan and Bathurst Public Schools, worked with Wiradyuri artist Aleshia Lonsdale in a video workshop to create a collaborative artwork in the form of a digital quilt. This artwork is currently exhibited online at Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.

Visit the exhibition online

• Meadow Flat Public School
• Cudgegong Public School
• Bathurst South Public School
• Manildra Public School
• Wattle Flat Public School
• Sofala Public School
• Mulyan Public School
• Bathurst Public School

Hope, 2020
Sofala Public School
mixed media

This collage was inspired by Karla Dickens’ artwork Holy Mother I, 2009 and the artist’s use of collage materials and concept that the Dark Madonna can guide you through difficult times.

In this artwork Gugaa (goanna) is heading home to its people in Wiradjuri country. As Gugaa gets closer to its homeland it hears the sounds of its people. It climbs up onto this rock and sees its people in the distance sitting together around a campfire. This gives Gugaa a great sense of peace and connection.

To create this artwork each student from Sofala Public School made images in either an abstract or realistic form to represent what helps them through challenges. This included music, mindfulness, each other, popcorn, the love of family, puppies, colouring, dirt bikes and buggies, rainbows, Turon River and ‘my’ garden. These were integrated onto the body of Gugaa as a symbol of their connection with Wiradjuri country.

Student statement

The students from 5 Mudha, Mulyan Public School, have been inspired by the work of Karla Dickens and local Cowra artist, Shani Nottingham. Students compared and contrasted the work of both artists and identified their shared enjoyment of the use of collage and repurposing materials. Students then went on to explore these ideas through the creation of their own artwork, conveying a sense of entertainment and light-heartedness layered with ideas of reducing and reusing.