2025

2025

9 December 

SYDNEY’S HISTORIC PLAQUES

Sydney Grammar School – Royal Australian Historical Society Green Plaque 91

The Macquarie Wall – Royal Botanical Gardens Royal Australian Historical Society Green Plaque 84

 

ART GALLERY of NEW SOUTH WALES – Naala Badu, North Building

The Nelson Packer Tank – Mike Hewson: The Key’s Under the Mat
Make yourself at home in an underground art park.

Kaldor Public Art Project 38
Thomas Demand: The Object Lesson
Key works from the Kaldor Collection feature in an exhibition space created by Thomas Demand.

8 December 

SYDNEY HISTORIC PLAQUES

The First Traffic Lights – Royal Australian Historical Society Green Plaque 77

Judges House  Royal Australian Historical Society Green Plaque 32

KOREAN CULTURAL CENTRE Sydney 

KAAF ART PRIZE 2025

5 December 

THE CORNER GALLERY  Stanmore

Interlude – Paintings by Eva Baer

More of Eva’s artworks at be viewed at: https://www.evabaer.com.au/

30 November

STRATHFIELD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Heroes & Villains

Program Highlights:

  • Beethoven – Coriolan Overture: Experience the raw intensity and emotional depth of Beethoven’s powerful overture, depicting the tragic fate of the Roman general Coriolanus as he struggles between loyalty and revenge.
  • Mozart – Symphony No. 41 (Jupiter): Mozart’s final symphony, often regarded as one of his greatest achievements, radiates grandeur and triumph, with its intricate counterpoint and brilliant, heroic themes—an unforgettable musical journey to the heights of classical perfection.
  • Beethoven – Symphony No. 3 (Eroica): The ultimate symbol of heroism, Beethoven’s Eroica captures the story of an idealized hero, whose struggle and triumph resonate through the symphony’s powerful movements. A work of unparalleled depth and boldness, this symphony redefined the very nature of classical music.

24 November

IRON BARK GALLERY Strathfield Library 

“This selection of artworks can be viewed as a study of subjects and interests drawn from the local Inner West areas of Burwood, Strathfield, and their surrounds—places Oscar has called home for decades. Spanning over ten years, these works draw inspiration from a range of experiences and settings: suburban life, rapid urban development, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the often-subtle social undercurrents that shape our communities.
While not conceived as a formal series, and not intended as literal representations, these are anecdotal paintings—personal observations rendered and narratively adapted to reflect a shared, relatable terrain. Each piece is shaped by the artist’s perspective but also serves as an open landscape for the viewer’s own interpretation.”

14 November

Exploring along Macquarie including many Royal Australian Historical Society Green Plaques

ST MARY’S SINGERS

Formed in 1991, the group performs both at the cathedral for various liturgies and in concert, singing a wide range of choral music. 

The performance, a tribute to Ted Grantham, a former choir member, included Mozart’s Missa Solemnis in C and Haydn’s Te Deum.

6 November

Explored along Kent Street including:

Royal Australian Historical Society Green Plaque 63. Glover Cottages

Royal Australian Historical Society Green Plaque 44. Australian Gas Light Company

Royal Australian Historical Society Green Plaque 75. Queen Victoria Building (Police Office)

SYDNEY PEACE PRIZE 

2025 Navi Pillay

22 October

ST MARY’S CATHEDRAL 

What a treat it was to attended an evening organ recital at St Mary’s Cathedral during the week.
 
St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney has regular, free organ recitals for everyone to enjoy.
 
 
 

21 September

Strathfield Symphony Orchestra | Earth & Sky

Embark on a breath-taking musical voyage as our orchestra brings to life the awe-inspiring elements of nature—river, mountain, and sky—through vivid soundscapes and powerful compositions. This concert explores the majestic beauty of landscapes, from serene rivers to towering peaks, and the boundless expanse of the heavens above.

  • Maria Grenfell – River Mountain Sky: Immerse yourself in this evocative contemporary work, where flowing melodies represent the endless movement of rivers, the grandeur of mountains, and the vastness of the sky. Grenfell’s score captures the essence of nature in a dynamic, vivid soundscape.
  • Mussorgsky – Night on Bald Mountain: Experience the eerie power of the night as Rimsky-Korsakov conjures the dark, dramatic energy of a mountain landscape in this thrilling orchestral masterpiece.
  • Schumann – Symphony No. 3 (Rhenish): Inspired by the majestic landscapes along the Rhine River, Schumann’s symphony evokes the flowing river, the towering hills, and the breathtaking vistas, blending grandeur with lyrical beauty.
  • Chin-Cheng Lin – Concerto No. 1 for Marimba and Symphony Orchestra: The marimba takes center stage in this vivid concerto, bringing rhythmic texture and ethereal sound to a symphonic exploration of the natural world featuring emerging soloist Anneke Brahe.

6 July

Strathfield Symphony Orchestra |  Dreams & Discovery

An Enchanting Journey Through Fantasy: Anime & Fairy Tale Music

Step into a magical world where the fantastical meets the orchestral in an unforgettable evening of music from beloved anime and fairy tales. This special concert celebrates the mesmerizing soundtracks of Joe Hisaishi, whose iconic compositions have brought to life the stunning worlds of Studio Ghibli, alongside the timeless beauty of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, a tale of adventure and wonder.

Program Highlights:

  • Joe Hisaishi – A Ghibli Medley: Experience the enchanting sounds of Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo, Castle in the Sky, and Nausicaä Requiem. This sweeping selection showcases Hisaishi’s most beloved scores, transporting you to magical worlds filled with adventure, romance, and wonder.
  • Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade: Dive into the fantastical tales of One Thousand and One Nights, as this vibrant symphonic suite tells stories of adventure, romance, and mystery.

Let the music transport you to enchanted worlds of adventure, love, and magic, where every note unfolds a new chapter in a fairy tale or fantasy. A celebration of cinematic and mythical storytelling, this concert is a must for fans of animated films and timeless tales alike!

Program:

Joe Hisaishi – Howls Moving Castle
Joe Hisaishi – Spirited Away
Joe Hisaishi – Kiki’s Delivery Service
Joe Hisaishi – Princess Mononoke x 2
Joe Hisaishi – Ponyo
Joe Hisaishi – Castle in the Sky
Joe Hisaishi – Nausicaa Requiem
Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade

29 June

Art Gallery of New South Wales  |  The Mulka Project Yalu

Yalu is an immersive light and sound experience designed for the former wartime oil bunker beneath the Naala Badu building at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Yalu can mean a crocodile nest, a termite mound, a womb, or a home – a sanctuary that protects new life. Grounded in these ideas of sanctuary, origin and kinship, Yalu evokes the shifting cycles of land and sea and the interconnected flow of culture.

13 June

Korean Cultural Centre  Nurture Nature at the Korean Cultural Centre, Sydney. The exhibition features works from a blended Korean family, including the daughter’s childhood creations, the father’s Orchid Penjing (Bunjae), and the mother’s paper pulp sculptures.

11 June

VIVID   It turned out to be a warm, winters evening during the week to check out Vivid at Circular Quay. 

One of my favourites was the animated knitted squares that is part of the Customs House projection.
 
 

26 May

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Some of my favourites while exploring the gallery on a cold, rainy day.

The Asian Lantern Gallery exhibition’ Elemental’ is where I discovered one of Bernard Leach works ‘blossom Jar’.  

BBC – A Potters World – Bernard Leach

Bernard Leach and his wife Muriel together with Hamada Shōji identified a site next next to the Stennack river on the outskirts of St Ives and established Leach Pottery in 1920. They constructed a traditional Japanese climbing kiln or ‘Noborigama (登り窯)’, the first built in the West.

Quiet Resonance exhibition by Lee Ufan

Born in Korea where he studied painting before relocating to Tokyo to study philosophy. Lee now lives between Japan and France.
 
Lee’s sparing use of simple materials, including stone, steel and canvas, has a quiet force that encourages contemplation and consideration of the physical and intellectual self in relation to the work.
 
Lee is also a writer whose philosophical approach to art embraces Zen Buddhism and Confucianism, alongside the ideas of classical and modern European philosophers.
 
Lee values the power of emptiness to generate both harmony and tension between objects and people. For him, the space around objects is as significant as the objects themselves.

Pause, Turn, Touch, Reach  Bodies in Motion from the Collection includes ‘Meeting you halfway II‘ by Anthony McCall.  The room was so dark, just had to turn my phone light on to see what else was in the room, nothing.

The Making Worlds exhibition includes ‘Just Like Drops in Time, Nothing’ by Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto.  The piece contains the aromatic spices of either pepper, turmeric, cumin, paprika, cloves or fenugreek and invites you to walk as it hangs in the large gallery space and stretches from the high ceiling to the floor.

16 May

Museum of Sydney

’Seeing Sydney, Knowing Country’, an exhibition of works from the British colonists.
 
As soon as the First Fleet arrived in January 1788 they began to survey, map and divide the country into parcels of private property and Crown land with the site of the first Government House being where the Museum of Sydney now stands.
 
As the colony expanded, it was progressively imposed on existing First Nations peoples and boundaries. The exhibition has a selection of significant historical maps, plans, sketches, artworks and objects.

1 May

18-20 April

Megalong Music Festival

‘A crazy risk’: Why this new music festival is defying the odds

12 April

Strathfield Symphony Orchestra – Lovers & Fighters

Step into a world of dramatic movement, rhythm, and emotion as our orchestra brings to life some of the most iconic ballet and dance music ever composed. This exhilarating concert features a dazzling lineup of works that will transport you to the heart of storytelling through music.

• Rachmaninov – Symphonic Dances: Immerse yourself in Rachmaninov’s vivid portrayal of rhythm, yearning, and exhilarating vitality in this lush, high-energy masterpiece.

• Prokofiev – Romeo & Juliet Suite (Selections): Experience the passion, drama, and ultimate tragedy of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers through Prokofiev’s unforgettable music, brimming with romance and dramatic flair.

• Khachaturian – Spartacus Suite No. 2: Feel the power and intensity of a love-defying rebellion with sweeping melodies that evoke both the grandeur and tragedy of this ancient tale.

There may even be a surprise encore that you will absolutely love.

11 April

Cao Fei: My City is Yours曹斐: 欢迎登陆

8 April

INFLECTION-FOLLOWING POLARIS –  Koren Cultural Centre in Sydney showcasing 12 artists from South Korea and Australia including Carolyn Craig, Geoff Kleem, Damian Dillon, David Manley, Roy Subum Lee, KO Kyoung Ho, KIM Kunju, GEUM Joong-gi, KOH Bongsoo, MOON Sang-wook, LIM Anna, and LEE Jeoung Hee.
 

13 March

New South Wales Seniors Festival Expo

10 March

Museum of Contemporary Art

Julie Mehretu

The Intelligence of Painting

Kate Newby, Hours in wind, 2024

MCA Collection: Artists in Focus

Family Space: Drawn Together

Sydney Opera House  –  Opera Austraia’s Verdi, La Traviata

Violetta is a coveted courtesan, the toast of Paris, desired by many. When she meets the ardent Alfredo, her life changes forever and she longs to break free of her past. But can she? Who is this woman beyond the sparkling salon? This fresh production of a classic invites new questions.

21 February

An inspiring group of artists, the Meraki Artists – Barbara Seager, Bruce Wallace, Christina Brunton, Debra Phillis, Jan Newton, Ilona Abou-Zolof and Tony Naumovski have an exhibition on at the Corner Gallery, Stanmore (Myrtle Street and Percival Road) which finishes today.

19 February

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Art Express 2025

Featuring a selection of exceptional student artworks created for the art-making component of the HSC examination in Visual Arts in 2024.

There is a huge diversity in the approaches taken and the media used, with student artists working across 12 expressive forms: ceramics, collection of works, designed objects, documented forms, drawing, graphic design, painting, photomedia, printmaking, sculpture, textiles and fibre, and time-based forms.

Nusra Latif Qureshi – Birds in Far Pavilions

Drawing on both historical and contemporary references, Qureshi works in the space between tradition and experimentation, in a practice that extends to collage and photography. Born in Pakistan, she trained at the National College of Arts in Lahore, where she learnt the painting traditions that had been brought to the Mughal courts from Persia in the 16th century and developed in the region.

18 February

An evening at the State Library of New South Wales exploring their exhibitions.

PIX

Peter Kingston

The Country Cries for Truth

Dunera: Stories of internment

Amaze Gallery

Nikon-Walkley Press Photography Exhibition 2024

12 February

Ironbark Gallery, Strathfield Library – Chasing Light: a photographic journey.

Chasing Light is a contemporary exhibition showcasing the works of fifteen talented photographers from the Inner West Photographic Society (IWPS).

2 February

World Wetlands Day – Friends of Mason Park Wetlands guided walk.

It was interesting to learn about the required balance between fresh and salt water, the importance of tidal flow for the health of the wetland area and how much of the vegetation is not suitable for a healthy wetland.
 
The Dharug and Eora people hunted and fished in the area for tens of thousands of years. Since 1826, the area has been the subjected to marsh reclamation and landfilling operations, including being a commercial and industrial rubbish tip until the mid-1970s.
 
The area is also subject to international agreements with China, Japan and South Korea to protect the habitat for intercontinental migratory shorebirds.