Gabrielle Mordy and Emma Johnston will discuss the establishment of Australia’s flagship art and disability studio, Studio A, and artists Greg Sindel and Skye Saxon will discuss their art and the role that Studio A plays in their creative and professional development. They will be interviewed by Michael Dagostino, Director of Campbelltown Arts Centre and Accessible Arts Board Member.

Studio A is a supported studio based in Sydney that tackles the barriers which artists with intellectual disability face in accessing conventional education, professional development and the opportunities needed to be successful visual artists. The studio supports artists across a range of disciplines, facilitating workshops, exhibitions, collaborations and strategic partnerships.

Gabrielle and Emma will discuss the history and structure of Studio A, and how they have established a studio using diverse income streams (including government funding, philanthropy and the NDIS) that supports creative and professional development pathways for artists with intellectual disability. Studio A artists Greg and Skye will discuss their art and the role that Studio A plays in their development.

When & Where

• Wednesday 24 Nov 2021
• 10am – 11am
• Zoom (link sent following registration)
• Register Now for this FREE event Click here to register 

Access

This event will have live closed captioning and Auslan interpretation. Please advise any other access requirements during the registration process.

Speakers

Gabrielle Mordy Studio A CEO and Artistic Director

Gabrielle is fascinated by the ways individuals and communities use art to express their relationship with the world. She is inspired by the power of art to translate experiences and stories across cultures. Sometimes with grace, sometimes with ferocity but always with a touch of magic. A passionate advocate for the rights of all people to access the arts, Gabrielle leads the Studio A enterprise and has over ten years’ experience working with artists with disability. Gabrielle holds a Masters of Fine Arts & a First Class Honours degree in Anthropology. In 2014 Mordy was awarded a Churchill Scholarship and an Australia Council Career Development Award to undertake international research into the supported studio sector. In 2011 she received a Curatorial Mentorship Initiative award from the National Association for the Visual Arts. Gabrielle is also a practicing artist and writer working with a range of media including textiles, printmaking, drawing and sculpture.

Emma Johnston Studio A Principal Artist

A passionate maker, Emma works directly with Studio A artists and is driven to support them in realising their creative visions. Emma is a driving force behind all Studio A’s collaborative projects, and is particularly enthusiastic about creating custom made, commissioned decorative sculptures for events and functions with the Studio A Props Collective. Emma holds a Degree in Fine Arts, majoring in Plant and Wildlife Illustration with Honours and has won several significant art prizes. In 2011 she received a Curatorial Mentorship Initiative award from the National Association for the Visual Arts for her work with Studio A.

Greg Sindel Studio A Artist

Greg is a passionate and prolific graphic novelist. An ardent researcher, Greg is an expert on cult comic and horror film classics and is constantly sourcing new material from which to derive inspiration. Greg has developed his storytelling craft since childhood , overcoming considerable learning difficulties to develop into a fluent wordsmith and illustrator.

Skye Saxon Studio A Artist

Skye is a performance artist, and creator of mystic characters, drawings and stories with a magical capacity for manifesting the intangible. Dreams, memories and metaphysical worlds form the substance of Skye’s work. Of her artwork Skye says: “It is cool to be able to play with the strange parts of myself, to make artworks from this place, and to share this with an audience. I want the world to see me as an artist.”

Michael Dagostino Director of Campbelltown Arts Centre and Accessible Arts Board Member

Michael’s passion and dedication is focused on collaborating with contemporary artists and curators to challenge historical, economic and social frameworks. Michael’s career highlights includes being the chair of Artspace, on the boards of Accessible Arts and FBi Radio, and he has had leadership positions on the NSW State Government Arts and Cultural Advisory Committee, Western Sydney Arts and Cultural Lobby and Sydney Cultural Network.

Participation

This event will be delivered using the Zoom online conferencing platform (Zoom links are provided following booking)

About Zoom

• Zoom is an easy to use, reliable and FREE cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, collaboration, chat, and webinars across mobile devices, desktops and telephones.
• If you haven’t used Zoom before you can find out more here: https://zoom.us/
• After signing up for this event, you’ll receive an email from us inviting you to a Zoom webinar.
• On the day of the event, all you have to do is click on the relevant link in the invitation, follow the prompts and you’ll be part of the event.

Enquiries

Please email info@aarts.net.au or call (02) 9251 6499 if you have any questions.

ENDS

Image Description: Black and white headshots of the four event speakers. From top left to bottom right: Gabrielle Mordy, Emma Johnston, Greg Sindel and Skye Saxon.