Artists in Residence

Call for artists

The City of Stirling is calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for their new community art initiative, Artist in Situ, which aims to bring ephemeral artworks to public spaces around the City. The initiative, developed in response to the isolation and stress the community experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, will create uplifting new experiences for the public.

The primary aim of Artist in Situ is to connect the City’s residents and visitors with contemporary art practices. Artists will need to respond to the theme of “Smile” by creating ephemeral, site-specific installation artworks that enliven community spaces in a fun, imaginative way, igniting the curiosity of passers-by and bringing a smile to their faces.

Applications close 5pm Monday 10th October 2022. View The Artist Brief and Application Form here.

Jack Jnr Macale Loodgebuddunge @ Inglewood Library

Artist Jack Jnr Macale Loodgebuddunge spent two weeks as an Artist in Residence with FISH (Foundation for Indigenous Sustainable Health Limited) at Stirling Libraries - Inglewood in February 2022.

Jack was born in Subiaco but grew up in Fitzroy Crossing, in Junjuwa community, and moved to Biridu community in the early 90s when the land was given back. Jack has won The Kimberley Art Award (2008), York Society Art and Crafts Awards (2006), Gidgeganup Agricultural Society - Landscape (2006), Gidgeganup Agricultural Society - Traditional Indigenous Art (2006), and the Town of Vincent and Julie Bishop Art Award (2006).

The City of Stirling hosted two pop-up studios in May 2021 featuring five Artists in Residence!

The Community were invited to engage with the Artists during their residencies through a program of workshops, open studios and an exhibition at two exciting pop-up studio locations; Mount Flora Museum in Watermans Bay and the Inglewood Town Square. Artists journaled their Residency experience and shared this for the public to follow their journey.

View the details of each residency and the Artists below.

For more information in Artist Residencies email arts@stirling.wa.gov.au

Artists Elizabeth Marruffo and Campbell Whyte
Location Pop-up studio at City of Stirling Libraries - Inglewood. 895 Beaufort Street, Inglewood.
Residency dates 26 April to 31 May
Tale Town Inglewood Exhibition dates 8 - 26 June
City of Stirling Artists in Residence popped up in Inglewood, giving our community the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look as a children’s picture book came to life! Fine Artist Elizabeth Marruffo worked under the mentorship of award-winning children’s comics maker Campbell Whyte in the development of ‘Pup Pup is the Boss of the Stars’.
Our local community got the opportunity to meet the Artists and get involved with this residency program by creating a community installation, visiting the library and viewing their residency journals on display in the library and attending the Tale Town Inglewood Exhibition.
Artists: Carissa Wu, Mikaela Miller and Sophie G Nixon
Location: Mount Flora pop-up studio, 34 Elvire St, Watermans Bay.
Flowers featured prominently in the practices of all three artists of the 2021 Mt Flora Artists in Residence. Carrissa Wu, of Jotterbook Flowers, is a magician of the paper floral variety. Mikaela Miller adorns walls across the state with bright blooms, and Sophie Nixon develops detailed textile delights. During their time at Mt Flora, the Artists worked creatively, collaboratively and curiously to build a relationship with the species native to the surrounding Star Swamp Bushland. The intention for this themed learning process was to inspire new works, techniques, and foster a sense of experimentation, collaboration and community between the artists and the public.
Our local community got the opportunity to meet the artists and get involved with this residency program by attending a workshop or an open studio sundowner session.

Meet the Artists

Carrissa Wu

Website www.jotterbookflowers.com
Instagram @jotterbookflowers
Facebook @jotterbookflowers

Carrissa Wu is a young artist originally from Singapore, based in Walyallup/Fremantle. Informed by her training in Fine Arts and Art Therapy, she works as an artist, sculptor and small business owner crafting paper flowers. She is inspired by Australian native flora and plants around the world, using crepe paper and recycled materials to make flowers and run workshops from her studio-store in Stackwood. As an immigrant living on Whadjuk Noongar country, reflecting on the personal and cultural significance of flowers helps her to connect with the land and the people she is privileged to be a part of.

Sophie G Nixon

Website www.sophiegnixon.com
Instagram @sophiegnixon

Sophie G Nixon is an early career artist and Fine Art (Honours) Curtin University graduate (2019) living on Boorloo Boodja (unceded Whadjuk-Noongar land so-called Perth, Western Australia), and comes from a settler background. Nixon works primarily with second-hand textiles and occasionally plants to create gentle sculptures and ethereal installations. Currently their practice is interested in worn and damaged textiles, particularly garment and bedding: playing with colour, shape and composition to explore both physical and psychological acts of mending and repair.

Mikaela Miller

Website www.mikaelamiller.com
Instagram @mikmiller_
Facebook @mikaelamillercreative

Mikaela Miller is a young Western Australian artist living in Walyallup/Fremantle. Having trained in both design and community development, she works predominantly as a public artist, printmaker and as an arts facilitator, running workshops and coordinating community art projects. Mikaela is fascinated by the variety and distribution of species both around Australia and the world. Her practice explores how endemic flowers can be both a complex and highly accessible subject matter. She currently works in studio at Goolugatup Heathcote, however her bright florals and intuitive linework can be found across metro and regional WA.

Campbell Whyte

Website www.campbellwhyte.com
Instagram @campbellwhyte
Facebook @milktootharts

Campbell was born in Perth, Western Australia. He began making things not long after his birth and today, that rich tradition continues. Campbell’s artworks and public programs encourage and empower participants to explore their own relationships to place. Through creating nurturing workspaces, teaching foundational storytelling skills and an expert understanding of comics, Campbell has been teaching and inspiring children and adults across Perth for the last decade. Campbell’s award winning graphic novel series, Home Time has won numerous awards both in Australia and internationally.

Elizabeth Maruffo

Website www.elizabethmarruffo.com
Instagram @elizabethmarruffo
Facebook @milktootharts

Elizabeth is a mid-career artist from the small border town of Agua Prieta in Sonora, Mexico. Her painting and textiles practice engages with ideas of self-representation along with themes of collective grief, loss and love. Elizabeth currently lives and works in Perth, WA. She is the director of Milktooth Arts Space, has been a sessional lecturer in painting at ECU and is a founder of the Perth Comic Arts Festival. She has also been a finalist in numerous national art awards including the Portia Geach memorial art award and the Kennedy Prize.

For more information contact the Arts Project Officer on (08) 9205 8555 or email arts@stirling.wa.gov.au.