The Manly area will be turned into a temporary art gallery as 30 creatively designed and decorated Artboards are displayed for the entire world to see as part of Manly’s National Festival of Surfing from the 5th to 8th November 2009.

Not only will the Artboards create a great cultural and artistic spectacle right in the heart of Australia’s home of surfing – Manly Beach, but all the boards are also going to be auctioned with all proceeds being given to the Disabled Surfers Association & Surf Aid.

Surfing and Surf Culture is an integral part of this beach-side suburb and this Festival is one way of celebrating and sharing the lifestyle with those of you who surf and those who don’t.

The Manly Festival of Surfing encompasses entertaining events both on and off beach, for every skill level from beginners to pros, men and women, boys and girls, young and old. Manly with its beautiful beaches is a great spot to not only participate but admire this pastime and sport. It is all about pure enjoyment!

The bidding has started and you have until the 30th November 2009.

SMC3 is experimenting with different colours and more abstract images and installation. Winged creatures, tattooed monsters and classic cartoon characters, holding their weapon of choice or his trademark bottle of poison…

This is SMC3’s first solo show since 2006. Since then, he has participated in over 2 dozen group shows in Sydney and Melbourne. SMC3 is also experimenting with the idea of repetition seen in the pop art movement, but now has become an important part of the identity of street art. The same characters repeated in the streets all over the city. Same marks, to help identify the author of those images, repeat, loop.

What: Vagabonds boneyard by SMC3
Where: Oh Really Gallery
Address: 55 Enmore Road, Newtown
When: 9th September to 16th September 2009

Presenting works produced in Pine Street’s Outreach programs throughout 2009, this exhibition features both 2D and 3D artworks, from painting, drawing and printmaking to ceramics, mosaics, jewellery and multi-media.

The artworks are created by people from some of the most disadvantaged groups in our community, including people with mental and physical disabilities, people from non-English speaking backgrounds, people who are homeless, recovering from addiction, living with HIV, and those leaving rehabilitation and correctional centres.

Organisations participating in the Outreach programs include Bloke’s Business, The Bridge, CARITAS, Glebe House, Glebe Art Group, Guthrie House, House With No Steps, Northcott Ceramics, Northcott Painting & Drawing, Open Access Ceramics, Open Access Charcoal Drawing, Ozanam Learning Centre, Women & Families Affected by HIV.

When: 2 – 12 September 2009
Where: Carriageworks Foyer, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh.
Time: Monday to Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm, Saturday 9.00am – 1.00pm.
Launch: 3.30pm, Thursday 3 September at the Carriageworks.
Cost: Free

As inspired and original as the venue itself, The Darlo Bar will once again host the Thirsty Artist competition on Thursday 27th August at 7:00pm.

The night celebrates local Australian talent by exhibiting a selection of works completed by six diverse artists.

Asked only to create pieces which represent their artistic capabilities, be it photography or sculptures, the finalists each are placed in one of The Darlo’s hotel rooms where they can exhibit their finest pieces. Each artist is given total creative freedom within their space, including their choice of music and the arrangement of the room.

Guests are invited to mingle amongst the rooms whilst enjoying the $1 Hahn Superdry’s or the bespoke Thirsty Artist wine. The winner, selected by the Darlo staff, receives their very own case of Thirsty Artist wine with their winning piece printed on the label. The wine will be sold at the Darlo Bottleshop for $9 for the month of September.

This year’s finalists are:
– Stephanie Geddes
– Hedi Hereth
– Lucy Loneragan
– Kelly Geddes
– Alan Harris
– Jae Reno

The title of Thirsty Artist was last year crowned by Terezka Beck as the inaugural winner of the contest with her ‘baby elephant’ painting.

What: Thirsty Artist Competition
When: Thursday 27th August at 7:00pm
Where: Royal Sovereign Hotel, 306 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst
More Info: http://www.darlobar.com.au

With the launch of her first collection as recently as 2007 at Rosemount Australia Fashion Week, Donna Sgro has taken great strides in creating her fashion design label from the ground up. Reflecting her independent and creative attitude, Donna has designed a label that reflects a spirit that is quirky, playful, colourful and light-hearted.

Donna studied Fashion & Textiles at the University of Sydney, Technology, where she graduated with First Class Honours in 2007. While still studying she built a solid portfolio of achievement including having her work displayed in exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum and winning the Fresh Fruits Competition.

Prior to studying fashion design, Donna competed an Arts Degree at the University of Sydney, where she studied Art History & Theory and Philoshophy. It was during this time that Donna developed an extensive knowledge of modernist art movements and cinema – with surrealism, dada and futurism defining the background to her creative thinking.

Set in the theme of the Curious Deep Sea, help celebrate and send local fashion designer Donna Sgro to Paris! Special underwater deep sea screenings and music from hosts Jay Katz & Miss Death Featuring a Mini Market Installation from some of your favourite designers Donna Sgro, Made by White and Twiggy. Plus a Lucky door prize for the best dressed, Squid and Jellyfish Performers and raffles with great prizes!

What: The Octopus’s Garden Party
When: Saturday 5th September 2009 from 8pm
Where: Mumeson Archives
Address: Cnr Parramatta Road & Trafalgar Street, Annandale.

The City of Sydney is encouraging local artists and illustrators to explore what contemporary Australia means to them in this year’s ‘Multicultural Art Competition – capturing Australia’s Identity’ now open for entries.

The competition, now in its second year, is a City initiative showcasing artworks that acknowledge and promote Sydney’s diverse cultural background. This competition asks local emerging and established artists to draw inspiration from our cultural diversity by exploring their own ideas and experiences of what it means to be Australian.

The finalists will be announced at the exhibition launch at Customs House on 17th October 2009, with more than $4000 in cash prizes up for grabs, including $2000 for first prize. The artworks will be exhibited at Customs House Library from 17th to 30th October 2009 and at Pine Street Creative Arts Centre, a unique arts centre in the heart of Sydney, from 4th 22nd November 2009.

The judges will be looking for artworks that explore the diversity of Australian identity in an original way, are stylistically strong and adaptable to various formats.

Entries close at 5pm on Monday 24th August 2009.

For more details about the competition, including artwork specifications, judging criteria and submission forms, please visit www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/grants or call .

At 21, Alex Moon-age is already one of Sydney’s most exciting emerging artists. Her debut exhibition ‘There are other worlds they have not told you of’ will be showing at Palmer Projects May 7th- May 14th. The exhibition will include many of Moon-age’s works in various mediums, including— intricate drawings, collages, sound installation and wearable art. Also exhibited are selected photographs from her experience at the Fowler’s Gap art retreat with the College of Fine Arts, in which she spent her time getting lost in the Broken Hill landscape and becoming possessed by the desert spirits.

Moon-age’s work inhabits the space between imagination and reality, and between past and present. Influenced by the surreal nature of illustration in underground 1960’s publications such as ‘Oz’ magazine, Moon-age’s works appear both nostalgic and contemporary simultaneously. Her collages, harking back to the Dada collages of Raol Hausmann, contain pages of books, newspapers, sewing patterns and patterned paper, which are then reinvigorated and reconstructed within the frame of her work. Transforming the humblest scraps of paper into fine art thus heightens the tension between reality and illusion present in her work. Edgy and exciting Moon-age’s works show a deep understanding of the abstract reality of the subconscious, and the creative process.

Alex Moon-age debut exhibition
Palmer Projects gallery in Darlinghurst
Opening 7th May till 14th May 2009

Children are invited to get arty for World Environment Day and enter the City of Sydney’s third annual Children’s Fine Art and Digital Art Competition and Exhibition.

This year’s theme – ‘Green Transformers – Your Planet Needs You!’ – asks children aged 5 – 12 to explore the idea of people as ‘Green Transformers’, saving the world through environmentally sustainable solutions including energy, water, waste and biodiversity.

“The World Environment Day competition gives young people a chance to express their unique view of what we can do to create a more environmentally aware City,” said Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP.

This year’s competition has been expanded to include both fine art and digital art. Fine art entries can include paintings, charcoals, pastels, watercolours or collages. The new digital media category includes digitally composited or manipulated images, short animations and films.

The competition is open to entries from both individuals and primary school groups and offers a range of great prizes.

The individual category has three age groups: 5 – 7, 8 – 10 and 11 – 12 years. Each age group winner will have the choice of either a collection of fine art materials or an art course at Pine Street Creative Arts Centre.

The primary school category invites schools in the City of Sydney Local Government Area to create a group artwork. The winning school will receive six portable planter box systems plus teaching resources to help students learn about growing food. The school will also win a compost bin, worm farm, compost turner and training workshops.

Runners up will receive an environmental show bag and certificate of achievement.

Entries close at 5pm on 15 May 2009. Winners will be announced at the exhibition launch at CarriageWorks on World Environment Day, Friday 5 June.

The exhibition is free and will run from Saturday 6 June until Saturday 13 June at CarriageWorks (245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh). Opening hours are Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm, and Saturday 9am – 1pm.

For more information including judging criteria and entry forms, please visit: http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/pinestreet/ and follow the links.

An exciting new initiative that celebrates young artists and designers from around Australia who are passionate about responding to environmental issues through their work.

Public Viewing March 22nd 2009. 12pm – 4pm
The Harbour Terrace
Level 6, MCA Sydney
140 George Street, The Rocks

Week-long Exhibition. March 26th to April 1st 2009.
(Opening Thursday March 26th 6pm – 8pm)
Blank Space
374 Crown Street
Surry Hills

www.oxfam.com.au