Westside Stories - Little Galleries
Summer Exhibition Nov 2022 - Feb 2023
As you make your way around West Torrens, be sure to keep an eye out for the little pink roofed galleries - found in parks, along the river, near cafes and even in front of Hamra Centre Library.
These Little Galleries have become a much loved part of the West Torrens landscape, exhibiting the works of talented artists themed around fascinating Westside Stories.
This Summer, the Little Galleries exhibition is themed around Summer in West Torrens. You'll find 8 creative and thoughtful artworks that spark moments of joy and celebrate Summer.
Little Galleries
Little Galleries are exactly what they claim to be. A small space - 500 x 600mm gallery - for exhibitions of small art created by amazing artists. Lovingly hand made by the talented team at the Camden Men's Shed.
Check out the Little Galleries map to help you find all 8 locations.
HINT: They're hard to miss with their bright pink roofs drawing your attention.
Please enjoy these beautiful diverse Westside Stories artworks in the Little Galleries exhibitions while exploring West Torrens.
1. Hamra Centre Library - front garden bed, Hilton
ARTIST - Ingrid Wescombe-Down - I am a self-taught exhibiting crafter and painter of miniatures.
Inspired by Nature and memories of simpler times, I attempt to tell a story or set a scene, usually on pieces of slate, small river stones and Jacaranda pods.
Your PLACE/space – My PLACE/space – Our PLACE/space is REAL not a suburban myth!
Starting small and thinking big allow us to grow with Nature rather than overpowering it.
Memories of Summer holidays with family and friends have changed over time, although the concept has not.
Yards today are smaller, while local parks provide enough diversity for all walks of life and every ‘palette’.
Invitations to ‘come & play’ remain the same-but-different: Summer fun in familiar settings and simple pleasures in life bringing people together.
For sales contact d.wd@bigpond.com.
2. West Torrens Memorial Gardens, Hilton
ARTIST - Rob Miller - I would think of myself as a street artist. I have been making street art for many years and placing objects around the areas I have lived.
Summer - My favourite summer holiday thing was to walk my dog from Beckman Street tram station to Glandore tram station.
I loved walking the path with all the trees and plants. One day I decided to make my first bear sculpture trail.
I put all the bears on posts, it looked a pretty sight.
The bears were smashed and I wondered why? I started to make the link between the destruction of the trees and my bears. I decided that we need to start caring for things instead of smashing them!
THE BEAR and THE TREE
The bear is symbol of the tree, out reaching limbs. Climbing in hope.
The bears are like trees, smashed to pieces with ease as our suburban blocks continue to shrink.
It is time for us all to think.
To purchase a bear, email Rob Miller rob194@bigpond.net.au
3. Mellor Park - playground path, Lockleys
ARTIST - John Whitney - I have been a teacher, and then a professional artist for more than thirty years; both as a practicing artist (exhibitions, commissions) and as an Artist in Residence in schools, councils and regional town through South Australia, producing murals, public art and running drawing workshops.
SUMMER: Once situated on/near this site was the Lockleys Cinema.
Often on a hot Summer's day we would take the family to the movies, to both see the movie and escape the heat in the air conditioned cinema. Lockleys Cinema provided a unique experience with its "olde worlde feeling" including basic seating and "nostalgia walk" movie posters wall - and with two movies per session, it was great value.
Ice creams were a must on these hot Summer days - for us, nut coated choc tops or Peters Dixie tubs.
4. Weigall Reserve Playground, Plympton
ARTIST - Sue Tully - Throughout my life I have been attracted to visual arts and continually drawn, painted or worked with mixed media.
I am currently focusing on developing and expanding my art practice, hence my participation in the Westside Stories Little Galleries Project.
I take most of my inspiration from nature and the subjects I paint are many and varied.
A place of freedom for all seasons! - Whenever I think of Summer in West Torrens, I automatically think of West Beach, having spent my first three years living there after returning to Adelaide. I still visit weekly as it holds a special place in my heart!
I find the beach both peaceful and cathartic as well as lively and fun. It is a place where you can be alone with your thoughts, or spend time creating memories with family and friends!
What do you like to do at the beach?
Contact Sue Tully via Instagram @art.by.sue.tully.
Internal woodwork by Malcolm McLeod.
5. Holland St/Winwood, Thebarton
ARTIST - Megan O'Hara - I am a professional exhibiting artist, awarded first prize in the Waterhouse Natural History Art prize in 2004. I am currently a contracted teacher in the art department of Adelaide High School. My artworks and practice are inspired from natural forms, colours, patterns, symbology, and shapes in nature, from the macro to micro creating Metapatterns that I create from observation and research, connecting to the world around and within me.
For me as an artist is to be connected in community and country,
My philosophy is 'art is life and life is art.’
Summer in West Torrens - I live and walk in the West Torrens area along the streets and the Torrens river, observing natural forms in nature -living alongside industrial work areas and design. In Summer, after work hours, the light and the dry heat intensifies the abstract nature of this contrast along the river and it becomes quite surreal and abstract.
Facebook: Megan O’Hara Artist
Contact on sales: 0404 084 776
6. LoveOn Café, Mile End
ARTIST - Andrea Przygonski - I’m an Adelaide-based artist who trained at Adelaide Central School of Art, AC Arts, School of the Art Institute Chicago and UniSA. I hold a Bachelor of Visual Arts and a Master of Visual Arts. Merging analogue and emerging technologies and materials, I express my ideas through a broad repertoire of media. Reflecting on the self, on my relationship to the natural and built environments and reactions to contemporary issues are the driving forces behind my practice. Fundamental to my visual language is a unique colour palette of abstracted forms and repeated motifs.
Dunes – West Beach was once part of a vast dune system which has all but disappeared due to extensive coastal development. The original dunes stretched the entire length of the metropolitan coastline, were up to 20m high and went inland 300 metres. As a kid, I visited the dunes often. They were wild and gigantic, soft and warm. Yet at the time I was unaware of the significance of this place to the traditional owners, the Kaurna people. The dunes were an important source of food and shelter.
For more details on Andrea Przygonski:
7. Apex Park - West Beach
ARTIST – Joanne Mildenhall is a printmaker whose work is very organic and deeply rooted in a connection with nature, memory, and encourages the exploration of multiple techniques and processes. She is passionate about promoting and encouraging art and creativity and believes that Art has a way of encouraging you to forge a connection between your mind and your body.
Summer in West Torrens – every season is reflected at Breakout Creek, , Karrawirra Parri (River Torrens) and none more so than summer. I have spent many hours quietly observing the wonders of nature and the human interaction with it. The tall Eucalypts lining the path along the river’s edge. The glistening water of the river jumping for joy over the rocks, sparkling like tinsel in the sunlight. A family of Pacific Black Ducks preening themselves thoroughly, flapping their wings and splashing water everywhere; like a bubbling waterfall. My artwork investigates these things and more and asks the question….. What do you see?
For more details on Joanne Mildenhall:
8. Admella Place - Thebarton
ARTIST - Alison Smiles - I am an artist and lecturer in visual arts at Adelaide College of the Arts, with my formal training being focused in ceramics . My practice aims to connect with people by producing functional pottery, as well as telling stories big and small in my sculpture-based work. I also work alongside Caren Elliss, my partner in life and in our own creative project LUDERE, where we develop ceramic objects and furniture utilising textile, wood, metal and ceramics.
Summer in the west: Summer is a time when the three backyards of myself and beautiful neighbours come to life in a hive of activity. Home-grown tomatoes become sweet passata with a legion of family members, many hands, chatter and love. Furniture gets carefully polished and produced, pottery comes to life transformed by the kiln, beer gets bubbling, mead steeped and fermented, weights lifted, dogs walked as the sun begins to dip into a deep orangey glow, and all the while, birds are watching our activities with a judicious eye.
For more details on Alison Smiles:
Want to know more stories of West Torrens?
The West Torrens Historical Society has compiled an amazing breadth of diverse and fascinating stories that will add many layers of new meaning to the streets, parks, shops and areas that you know and love.
Keep an eye out for future Westside Stories, Little Galleries exhibitions.
For all enquiries contact Di Caught.
Check out Little Galleries of the past.