From Lynne Boyd’s Silver Seas to fossil hunting at Prehistoric Bayside to the Billilla Chorale, 2024 has been a big year for arts and culture in Bayside. We hope you’ve enjoyed our events and exhibition program and we wish you all a happy and safe festive season.
Arts in Bayside on break until the new year ✍️
This is the last edition of Arts in Bayside for the year, but we’ll be back next year in January with lots of news about what’s coming up in 2025 – including Bayside Creatives Month which is happening in February.
Coming up in 2025 🌞
Join us for a summer filled with art, inspiration and community spirit. From performances, art workshops, open studios, to hands-on activities, there’s something for everyone to enjoy during summer in Bayside.
Ellen José Art Award for young women finalist announcement 🏆
We are pleased to announce the six finalists for this prestigious award are artists MeiMe Hodgkinson, Clare Jaque Vasquez, Casey Jeffery, Jenna Lee, Amalia Lindo and Jacqui Shelton. Congratulations to our finalists who were selected from a very competitive field of over 400 entries. The finalist exhibition will be held 25 October to 14 December 2025 at Bayside Gallery.
The Ellen José Art Award for young women is a partnership between the Ellen José Memorial Foundation and Bayside City Council and aims to provide support to young female artists in the early stages of their career.
Yes, Not Another Shakespeare in the Park 🎭
Not Another Shakespeare in the Park is a fun, modern romp through 400 years of The Bard. Brought back annually in a Brigadoon-like scenario to perform in parks across the land, Shakespeare’s diverse parade of characters get together to comment on humanity, the passing of time and ultimately question their relevance in the 21st century. It’s a Midsummer night’s comedy of errors, but is all well that ends well?
📆 Saturday 15 February
⏰ Two sessions: 2pm and 7pm
📍Brighton Town Hall Gardens, Wilson Street, Brighton
💸FREE. Bookings required.
Spreading the word with Upstanders 😍
Upstanders is a collaborative project between renowned local artist Troy Innocent and five schools across Bayside who are part of ‘The Upstanders’ community.
Troy led workshops with 120 grade five students who each created graphic slogans against bullying, culminating in a street exhibition across the Bayside municipality from mid-November 2024 to late March 2025.
Launching Bayside Creatives Month🎨
Join us in February for Bayside Creatives Month – a month-long program of workshops, studio visits, artist talks, music and performances, that showcases and celebrates Bayside’s creative makers. Discover, learn and connect with the many creatives on your doorstep!
Calling all Australian painters 🎨
Entries are now open for the 2025 Bayside Painting Prize.
With a $25,000 non-acquisitive Major Prize, the newly renamed $10,000 acquisitive Beckett Local Prize, and the $1,000 People’s Choice Award, this is your chance to showcase your work in a prestigious exhibition celebrating painting practice in Australia.
Judges for the 2025 prize are Dr Vincent Alessi, Director + CEO, Linden New Art, and Melissa Keys, Senior Curator, Heide Museum of Modern Art.
Entries close on Friday 21 February 2025.
Image/art credits in order of appearance:
- Billilla Chorale.
- Rob McHaffie, Word of mouth (Half Moon Bay) 2018 (detail), oil on linen, 138 x 184 cm. Bayside City Council Art and Heritage Collection. Purchased 2018.
- Bayside Painting Prize 2025.
