Get inspired this March with six great exhibitions

Image: Best Before by Clare O'Toole

From dramatic landscapes of the Illawarra, to ceramic fried eggs, or the personal experience of living with dementia, the City of Wollongong is the place to be for art, culture, and interesting perspectives!

This month, be sure to check out these six, free exhibitions popping up around the Wollongong CBD.

At the Wollongong Art Gallery

Best Before by Clare O’Toole

2 March – 26 May 2024

Wollongong Art Gallery, Mercury Gallery

Pop Art is a fan-favourite for a reason – it’s as easily recognisable as a Minties wrapper or a tin of Carnation evaporated milk. Artist Clare O’Toole’s eye-catching works capture the nostalgic allure of pantry staples in vivid still life in her new exhibition Best Before.

Exploring themes of consumer culture and the everyday, Clare draws inspiration from legends, Andy Warhol and David Hockney, to create an original, Australia masterpiece.

Ante/Anti/Post: Here + Now IV - Curated by Alinta Maguire and Aneshka Mora

2 March – 26 May 2024

Wollongong Art Gallery, Gallery 2

"The here and now is a prison house.” - José Esteban Muñoz, Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity.

Colonialism, systematic violence against Blak, queer, non-white, and other minoritized groups, as well as land and non-human life, are all strong themes in this exhibition. This exhibition is more than just a critique on society but a call for people to move beyond/behind/amongst the legacy of European colonialism.

Artists: Monisha Kumar, Angry Girl, Stephanie Beaupark, Monty Hancock, Chip, Matthew Grayson and Sarah Carr.

Landscape Tells the Way: Illawarra – Curated by Riste Andrievski

9 March – 2 June 2024

Wollongong Art Gallery, Gallery 1

The Illawarra has been long celebrated by artists and writers with a creative history that extends back more than 60,000 years, through the cultural disruption of colonisation, and periods of boom and bust as different industries and people moved to the area and shaped the landscape around them.

This exhibition brings together 13 contemporary artists who share a connection to the region and features their unique perspectives on the local landscape, culture and history.

Artists: Riste Andrievski, Suzanne Archer, Sophie Cape, Elisabeth Cummings, Warwick Keen, Steve Lopes, Jo Lyons, Euan Macleod, Noel McKenna, Reg Mombassa, Idris Murphy, Lucy O’Doherty and Amanda Penrose Hart.

At the Library

The Long Goodbye by Julijana Griffiths

4 March – 31 March 2024

Wollongong Library, The LAB on Level 1

“I started taking an old film camera (1958 Hasselblad) and digital camera to dad's high care dementia area as a way to connect with him. I hoped in some way old memories would reawaken and that it would fill in the awkward silences, his forgotten words or when he spirals into another world.” – Julijana Griffiths.

As a photographer with a talent for capturing people’s inner lives, Julijana offers a unique glimpse into the emotional rollercoaster of caring for a loved one with dementia. Her thoughtful and melancholic images capture the challenges and grief of watching someone decline over time.

IAVA Exhibition: Visual Reference #3

9 March – 27 July 2024

Wollongong Library, Five Islands Gallery Space on Level 1

This is the third exhibition in a continuing series of contemporary art created by members of Illawarra Association for the Visual Arts (IAVA).

Featuring works from eight local artists and showcasing a diverse range of artworks, this exhibition can be viewed any time in the Five Islands Gallery Space on Level 1 of Wollongong Library.

Artists: Sue Bessell, Moira Kirkwood, Ian Brown, Rei Sato, Judy Bourke, Judy Donnelly, Sabina HR Choi, Gail Etheridge.

In the Wollongong CBD

Collective Treasures curated by Jes R. R Alexander

20 March – 1 May 2024

Church Street, Wollongong CBD, Curio Gallery (located along the Central Chambers Building)

Collective Treasures is a collaborative community art project featuring artworks by residents across Wollongong LGA for Harmony Week 2024. The artworks aim to showcase what participants treasure in their lives and were created over several community workshops held at Wollongong Public School Community Hub, Warrawong Public School Community Hub, and Wollongong Youth Services.

This project is supported by Council’s Small Cultural Grant program.