Fabienne Marguerite painting on show at Art Space, Lydiard Street, 2023

Community Art Pathways

When you ask a creative person what they want more of, and what would help them develop a better artistic practice, many of them say they want opportunities to show their work. But many artists and creative people are at varying stages along that journey. So the City of Ballarat has developed a series of Community Art Pathways our community can join at whatever point makes sense for them. This is all part of our wider objective to help create environments where our creative community can thrive.

Here’s how to use the Pathways.

Select the avenue you think is right for you, review the terms and conditions and what’s involved, then apply! The selection process is different for every pathway, and our team of staff and community members help to decide who gets a chance to show their work.

You can apply as many times as you like, but make sure you send us your most informed and well written application. And don’t forget to attach lots of images or examples of your work.

This is not just for visual artists. We’re keen to see applications for music, performance, spoken word, dance and anything else, as long as it is appropriate to the space and selection criteria. So review the terms and conditions, and application forms, closely.

We actively encourage applications from creatives of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander descent, CALD and minority groups. It is hugely important to the City of Ballarat that the complex voices from across our community have a chance to speak, create and make.

Art Hub
Artist in Residency

The City of Ballarat’s Creative City Artist in Residency program aims to support local artists, creative micro-business and makers that live, work or study in Ballarat and surrounding region.

With Arts Hub centrally located on Lydiard St next to Art Space, Art Gallery of Ballarat and the Post Office Gallery, the successful artist/s will be visible to passing foot traffic and be in the heart of the city’s creative district.

The key objectives of the Artist in Residency program is provide artists with a location and time to develop work and explore new creative ideas and encourage connections and engagement between creative practitioners and the broader community.

Applications now closed.

BALLARAT IS KNOWN FOR ITS HISTORY OF FINE AND VISUAL ARTS.

From the Art Gallery of Ballarat’s 135-year-old motto of ‘not for self, but for all’, right through to emerging street and ephemeral artists, there is a continued thread of visual arts in Ballarat.

A wave of visual art influence swept through the city in the mid-1980s, fed by the irreverent students and teachers who passed through the doors of the-then Ballarat College of Advanced Education. Classmates of the era are still practising locally today, and the impact of their shared history continues to resonate.

Steve Sedgwick, Tarli Glover and Margie Delahunty Spencer share an uncanny connection in their style and treatment of paint. Each has their own interpretation, style and direction, but their works reveal a deeper common language.

“There were a lot of artist studios spread throughout Ballarat when we were at school,” explains Steve.

“There were less rules, and a lot of empty spaces. Many of our lecturers had studios in town. There was a history of space being harnessed, and we just thought it was normal.”

For Margie, it was a really exciting time: “There were always impromptu exhibitions happening.”

The trio reported that their freedom during their years of study meant that students formed groups that produced a myriad of different types of works – some groups continued on for decades after the students graduated. Other groups conducted performances, wrote creatively, created sculpture and kept the artistic expression of the city alive.

“I always felt that at the time even though there was a huge artistic pool in Ballarat, we were still pretty much underground,” said Tarli.

“Today art is a lot more out in the open.”