Here's what 2017 has in store...
Announcing Our 2017 Creative Program!
in News
Our 2017 Program
in News
We are so excited about the year ahead at Watch This Space!
The art, the artists, the community, the projects – they’re all going to be great, they’re all going to be here in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, and we can’t wait to show you! So here’s a sneak peek at what’s to come…
Music by our very own studio artist, Resin Moon
Artists featured in video and part of our 2017 Creative Program:
Theia Connell
Grace Herbert
Susan Gourley
Robert Hope-Johnstone
Rachel Feery
Lisa Stewart
Gabriella and Brent Wilson
Alice McIntosh
Nell Pearson
Mel Matveyeff
Madeline Bishop
Leela Schauble
James Langer
Elisa Carmichael
Joseph Burgess
And a whole bunch more! Stay tuned…
Limited Edition Bags & Aprons
in News
We have a new range of limited edition bags and aprons at the space that are beautiful, practical, locally made, locally designed and help support our space and what we do.
Designed by renowned artist, Beth Sometimes
Printed locally in Alice Springs by WTS with the generous help of local arts hero, Steve Anderson.
By purchasing one of these items you are directly supporting and nurturing contemporary art in Central Australia.
What a great present, right??
Also available in the space are CDs and 12 inch vinyl records of Resin Moon‘s Debut EP Salt. So many great things!
$20 Heavy Duty Bags
Designs:
NOT ANOTHER SUPER MOON?!
and
TERRIFIED OF UNSEEN ART CRITICS
$25 Aprons
with adjustable straps and large pocket
NOT ANOTHER SUPERMOON?!
2016 Lofty Winner
in News
Watch This Space is thrilled to announce the 2016 Lofty Award Winner
D O R I S K N G W A R R A Y E S T U A R T
Doris was honoured at the Saturday night event with special speeches presented by Kieran Finnane, Beth Sometimes and Dan Murphy. Kieran Finnane has penned this articlewith more thoughts and information about her significant contributions: a worthwhile read in understanding the ecology of the arts in Mparntwe and the particular political stance Doris brings to her life work.
A huge congratulations and thank you to Doris for all her incredible work
Artists in the Paper: Truckin' Life
in News
WTS recently housed three artists from Melbourne for its Travelling Artist in Residency program. Ellah Blake, Nic Diprose and Sienna Thornton ("Truckin' Life) held an intimate exhibition at the space, Sunset Viewing Area, at the end of the residency, attracting a great audience who seemed to thoroughly enjoy the show. Nic spoke to the local paper about their experience in Central Australia, giving a bit of insight into the work created and what to expect at the Closing event.
LOFTYS Line-Up Announced
in News
Our saucy MC for the night
✖ F L A N G I P A N I
◉
THE LOFTY WINNER’S TROPHY
made by our very own Chairperson
✖ Dan Murphy
◉
GUEST SPEAKERS
Beloved Previous Lofty Winners
✖ Renowned Arts Writer, Kieran Finnane
✖ Multi-disciplinary Artist, J9 Stanton
◉
MUSIC
✖ Sooji Kim & Dave Williams
✖ MS XAVIA
✖ RESIN MOON
performing with a secret sexy someone…
✖ The Not Real Cowboys – Lonesome Twosome
✖ E d w a r d F r a n c i s ( D J s e t )
✖ D J S e ñ o r P á t o
The Loftys, 2014
Call Out for Proposals & a bit about our new coordinator
Watch This Space in the newspaper
Applications for our Exhibition and Residency Proposals for 2017 close 31st October. Get your ideas in quick!
Call Out for 2016 LOFTY Nominations
in Call Out
WTS is currently seeking nominations for the 2016 LOFTY to be awarded on Saturday 26th December 2016
TO BE ELIGIBLE A NOMINATED ARTIST MUST:
- Have been or currently is a member of Watch this Space.
- Must show dedication and passion for their Arts practice, producing new works with a relevance to the physical landscape or cultural terrain of Central Australia.
- Demonstrate that their arts practise has made a positive contribution to Watch This Space.
To make a nomination simply email your application to wts@wts.org.au
Download the nomination form here
The Recipient of the Award will be announced publicly, be celebrated and promoted on the WTS website, will have the opportunity to create or curate an exhibition to be held at WTS in 2017 and will receive a cash reward of $1000.
Board members/curatorial committee members and staff of WTS are ineligible for the award.
A BIT ABOUT THE AWARDS
In 1991 Pam Lofts saw the need for a space for contemporary artists to exhibit their work in Alice Springs, and with a small team of fellow artists, was instrumental in the creation of Watch this Space Inc. Since opening in 1994 WTS Inc. has become a focal point for contemporary and experimental art, and artists in Alice Springs, and continues to be an important part of the cultural landscape of Central Australia.
Pam has continued, with dedication, to pursue her arts practice, consistently producing works of a high quality across a variety of media. Through her art Pam has made a significant contribution to the Artistic and Cultural dialogue in Alice Springs and Central Australia.
In honour of Pam, her art, and her contribution to the Arts, WTS is proud to announce the annual LOFTY AWARD for high endeavour in the Arts in Central Australia.
CALLING ALL CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS AND CURATORS
in Call Out
Ever thought about exhibiting, curating or undergoing an artist residency in Central Australia? Watch This Space is calling out to all contemporary artists/curators for exhibition proposals & residencies for our 2017 Creative Program
ARTIST RESIDENCIES
Positions available for 2017. Get in touch!
EXHIBITION PROGRAM
To exhibit between MARCH – OCTOBER 2017. Program open to artists of all disciplines and curators with great visions
APPLICATIONS DUE MONDAY 31 OCTOBER, MIDNIGHT
Watch this Space works to be a catalyst and conduit for conversations and experiments in the always-evolving languages of art. We support contemporary art dialogue in Mparntwe/Alice Springs both inside and outside a gallery space, encouraging, nurturing and promoting Central Australian and visiting artists.
Be a part of Watch This Space’s 2017 Creative Program
Watch This Space is a dynamic contemporary artist-run space with a long history in the desert of Central Australia. We support exhibitions for local and interstate, emerging and established artists with a focus on contemporary and experimental multi-arts disciplines. While we nurture broader contemporary themes, WTS also aims to stimulate discussion around issues that relate to our local context. Our program seeks experimental, innovative and conversation-inspiring art in all its forms. We offer professional and creative support, mentoring from our Curatorial Committee and the possibility to exhibit work offsite. The 2017 program also offers the opportunity to work alongside local community artists such as Tangentyere and Yarrenyty Arltere. We have a lively onsite studio community of local and visiting artists, large gallery space and outdoor performance area for exhibitions, happenings and events.
Exhibition Program
We are offering local, interstate and international artists, curators and community groups the opportunity to exhibit in our onsite gallery space. We welcome proposals for solo, collaborative or group exhibitions. Our gallery fee is $330 for 3 weeks or $165 a week if less than 3 weeks (inclusive of GST, not including $150 bond), however we recommend you take 3 weeks. Exhibiting artists will not only be given the opportunity to exhibit in our unique Central Australian gallery, but also benefit from the guidance and support of our Gallery Co-ordinator, Curatorial Committee and Board in developing their professional artistic practice.
Download a detailed exhibition information and application pack
Travelling Artist Residencies
Watch This Space reserves a studio for a visiting artist(s) with the aim of providing an affordable space for artists to focus, percolate ideas and develop work while deepening an appreciation of Central Australia. Residencies can include presentation opportunities but are not outcome-focused – we want to support, not pressure, our artists’ creative endeavors.
- Cost: $110 inc GST per month. Length of stay is negotiable in advance.
- Accommodation and transport is the responsibility of the artist to arrange.
- Residency fee includes studio access, wifi, amenities at gallery, 24hr access.
- WTS offers all residents creative, professional and practical support.
Your Travelling Artist Residency application must be submitted as a single PDF document to wts@wts.org.au, with all of the following information to be included.
- Contact details: Name, Address, Phone Number, Email, Website
- Cover letter explaining why you would like to do a residency in Alice Springs
- Preferred dates/month
- Five (5) images of recent work
- Artist CV
If residency is to be undertaken by multiple artists, please send information for all artists involved.
For more information on our Exhibition Proposal Guidelines and Travelling Artist Residencies please visit our website or get in touch wts@wts.org.au
Artists in the Paper
in News
Current exhibiting artist, Kristian Laemmle-Ruff, has been featured in the local paper by renowned arts writer, Kieran Finnane. Follow the link below to read about his exhibition Mind the Gap and Finnane’s insightful musings…
This fertile space between us
in News
By KIERAN FINNANE
Alice Springs is often seen as a town beset by racial division and conflict, but its creative culture can tell a different story. Looking back over three decades I find an already rich history of intersection and collaboration, in work by visual artists, writers and thinkers, designers and producers. This history shows the potential of re-imagining the future in this community.
This is an edited version of a talk that I gave recently at Watch This Space, the artist-run initiative founded in Alice Springs in 1993. I was speaking as the recipient of last year’s LOFTY Award, named in honour of the late Pamela Lofts, a founding member of the Space, its first coordinator, and an important desert artist. I was honoured to have the LOFTY acknowledge my contribution to the arts in Alice Springs through my writing. From the start I thought that the scope of whatever I did on this occasion should take a long view, a perspective gained through the two and a half decades that I’ve spent in Alice Springs. From there it didn’t take me long to arrive at wanting to address ‘this space between us’ – ‘us’ being as broad as the people of Central Australia, with the ‘space between’ implying the dichotomies of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal life and cultural production.
I have called the talk ‘The fertile space between us’, but how is the space ‘fertile’? you may ask. What’s the evidence? Most days a visitor arriving in Alice Springs might look around and think that it’s an almost vacant space or at best put it under the heading ‘can do better‘. Generally I would agree, and a good part of my meaning, in choosing the word ‘fertile’, is in its idea of latency – there is important work, and a great deal of it, to be done here. But the ground, ‘this space between us’ so rich in potential, has already yielded some fine fruit.
You can read the full article here [at Alice Springs News]
Call for Nominations: The 4th Annual LOFTY Award
in Call Out
Nominations are now open for Watch this Space’s 4th annual LOFTY Award.
The award recognises a Central Australian artist that has, through their own artistic work and engagement in the local and broader artistic community, contributed to the artistic conversation of Alice Springs and beyond.
The Lofty winner is awarded $1000 prize money, the unique hand-crafted ‘Lofty’ and the opportunity to exhibit in 2015 at WTS with all gallery costs given for free.
The Lofty Award is named after the late Pamela Lofts, one of the founding members of Watch this Space ARI in 1993. It recognises her dedication to her arts practice, consistently producing works of a high quality across a variety of media, and her contribution to the development and exhibition of contemporary and experimental art and the cultural dialogue in Alice Springs and Central Australia.
Previous winners of the award are Franca Barraclough, David Nixon and Kieran Finnane.
Download the TheLofty-NominationForm-2014
Nominations close 4:21pm on Friday 28 November.
The winner will be announced at a gala event on Friday 5 December.
The Lofty Award is generously sponsored by Brian Tucker.
Cleopatra’s Dress performs tonight
in News
A visually and emotionally stunning performance of dance showcasing the transformative power of one woman’s love of textiles and fashion, and how her great-granddaughter brings her love back to life. A marriage of love and textile that becomes beautiful art.Cleopatra’s Dress is performed tonight from 7pm at Watch this SPACE.
Sia Cox, whose great-grandmother inspired the dresses and dance, will talk about the inspiration for the work, and showcase the screen prints and circle skirts used in the production on Saturday 6 September at 10am.
More information: wts.org.au/events/cleopatras-dress
CALL OUT: Exhibition Proposals + Travelling Artist Residencies in 2015
in Call Out
Watch this Space ARI is now calling for artists and content for its 2015 exhibition and residency programs.
Watch this Space in Alice Springs NT is an artist-run initiative that focuses on developing and showcasing contemporary and experimental art in all its forms. It has been running since 1993, making it one of the oldest ARIs in Australia. Despite its modest population of only 25,000, Alice Springs hosts a vibrant and supportive arts community and culture.
Proposals for exhibitions are sought from local, national and international artists at any stage in their career.
Residencies for one month or longer can be applied for by residents living outside of Central Australia.
To apply or find more information about exhibition proposals and residencies click here.
Applications close 15 August.
DEADLINE EXTENDED for entries to SQUARED now due 11 July
in News
The deadline for entries to the 21st Birthday Members Show, SQUARED, has been extended to 11 July.
Artworks due by 22 July for 1 August exhibition opening.
Go to the original CALL OUT entry on the News page for details and entry forms.
Donate now for Free BBQ Cash Giveaway
in News
Donate now or before June 29 to make Free BBQ Cash Giveaway (FBCG) happen.
FBCG is a mini-arts festival and project to inspire Alice Springsians into art and action. Initiated by Alex Hullah and Josh Davis, the dynamic duo of Elephant Island. They are fundraising through Pozible, a dollar-for-dollar venture run by Creative Partnerships Australia. Overall, they need $10,000 for 9 separate yet inextricably linked projects.
$8480 has been raised so far. But they still need $2045 and only 5 days to do it in.
So support grass-roots artists in action and donate now! For arts sake!
It’s a double or nothing bet. If a funding campaign doesn’t reach the target it gets nothing.
http://www.pozible.com/project/181968 RAISED $1405 NEED $595
http://www.pozible.com/project/182252 RAISED $620 NEED $380
http://www.pozible.com/project/182201 RAISED $475 NEED $525
http://www.pozible.com/project/182238 RAISED $510 NEED $490
http://www.pozible.com/project/182287 RAISED $945 NEED $55
http://www.pozible.com/project/182320 RAISED $1285 TARGET MET
http://www.pozible.com/project/182421 RAISED $1025 TARGET MET
http://www.pozible.com/project/182327 RAISED $1050 TARGET MET
http://www.pozible.com/project/182237 RAISED $1165 TARGET MET
CALL OUT for 21st Birthday Members Show, SQUARED
in Call Out
Entries close 4pm, Friday 11 July [extended from 27 June]
It’s our 21st year and we are celebrating! How?
With a big group exhibition of works from YOU our awesome members.
Not a member and want to contribute? No problem. Read on.
Entry Requirements:
Theme: ‘Watch This Space’ – whatever that means to you.
Restrictions:
1) All works MUST be SQUARE in shape, maximum size 50 x 50 cm.
2) 2D works preferred. Square plinth-based works may be considered.
3) One entry per person, but you can enter up to 3 artworks with the one entry. [Generous offer!]
Entry fee: $33 inc GST (for up to 3 works), includes one year WTS membership.
Download entry form: WTS Members Show entry form
Entries to: wts@wts.org.au or PO Box 8405, Alice Springs NT 0871
Key dates:
Entries close 4pm, Friday 11 July.
Artworks to be received by 4pm, Tuesday 22 July.
Opening night – 6pm, Friday 1 August
Until Saturday 30 August
Position Vacant: Coordinator
Watch this Space is seeking a new Coordinator to run this dynamic contemporary arts organisation. Our 2014 Program is in full swing, and you will be working in an organised and welcoming environment. Read on to find out more!
Click here to download the full position description
Watch This Space is an artist run initiative and the only dedicated contemporary art space in a 1500km radius. We support local and national artists at all stages of their careers through providing exhibition space, artist studios, advice and advocacy. We currently receive three-year funding from the Northern Territory Government through Arts NT, yearly Visual Arts and Craft Strategy funding from the Australia Council, and generate additional income through our operational activities and private donations.
The Coordinator role is an exciting and varied job where you will coordinate all aspects of the exhibition program, special projects, develop new artistic initiatives and oversee all aspects of the art gallery, artist studios and outdoor performance space. You will be working autonomously for most day-to-day tasks. This is an incredibly rewarding role with a high degree of responsibility and the capacity to really contribute to the artistic and cultural life of our region.
The position is 35 hours per week and core working hours onsite at 4/9 George Crescent are Tuesday – Friday 11-5pm, however the remaining hours can be completed at a time that suits you. There is regular evening work involved in this role on average once a fortnight. Entitlements are pro rata and include six weeks annual leave and two weeks personal leave.
For enquiries please contact wts@wts.org.au or 08 8952 1949 during office hours Tue-Fri 11-5pm. Applications close 5pm, Thursday 15 May.
Keep In Touch
Keep In Touch
Opening Hours
Office Hours Tues-Fri 11-5pm
Gallery Hours Wed-Fri 12-5pm, Sat (when exhibitions are on) 10-2pm
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