ANU School of Art & Design

Applications for the ANU School of Art & Design Graduate in Residence program close in under three weeks.

We’re seeking creative and curious alumni interested in staying connected with our learning community through a flexible residency program supporting visual art, design, curatorial practice, writing, and more.

Residents will receive:
• A dedicated workspace
• Opportunities to connect with staff and students
• Flexible residency lengths from 6 weeks to 6 months

Expressions of interest close Midnight, Monday 15 June 2026.

Full details and how to apply >> https://soad.cass.anu.edu.au/news/graduate-residence-program

Photo by Ashley St George

Arts & Social Sciences at ANU The Australian National University Study ANU ANU Alumni

Sharing Stories Arts Exchange participants recently spent the day with local Elder, Aunty Dr Matilda House-Williams and Paul Girrawah House. 🍂

Under autumn skies and noisy cockatoos, the group shared a yarn and morning tea with Aunty Matilda at the Red Hill Campsite. Aunty shared stories about her early life and time spent camping with her family in the area, having travelled from Yass to Canberra for work opportunities.

In the afternoon, participants visited the National Gallery of Australia with Paul Girrawah House along with Aunty Matilda, to discuss the tree carvings that were commissioned by the Gallery. Aunty Matilda and Paul shared a smoking ceremony with the group.

Sharing Stories Arts Exchange is supported by ACT Government.

Arts & Social Sciences at ANU The Australian National University Study ANU

🌿 Reminder: Plant Sensibilia with Friends of Wanniassa Hills takes place this Saturday at Tuggeranong Arts Centre!

Experience the Plant Sensibilia Machine in action — a large-scale, hand-operated textile dyeing device using colours from locally collected plants.

Presented by Dr Lucy Irvine, Dr Rebecca Mayo and Professor Mitchell Whitelaw as part of Living City: People, Plants and Place.

📅 Saturday 23 May 2026
🕚 11:00 am Welcome to Country & event launch
🕦 11:30 am–1:00 pm Plant Sensibilia in action
📍 Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed St, Canberra

Free event, no registration required. Light refreshments provided.

More info via https://soad.cass.anu.edu.au/events/plant-sensibilia-friends-wanniassa-hills

The Australian National University Study ANU Arts & Social Sciences at ANU ANU On Campus

📣 Applications Open: ANU Sir William Dobell Visiting Fellowship Program & Visiting Chair for 2027

🗓 Application deadline for both programs: 16/08/2026.

🌟 Sir William Dobell Visiting Fellowship Program 2027
Up to four Fellowships will be offered, providing valuable opportunities for art historians and curators >>
https://soad.cass.anu.edu.au/news/call-applications-anu-centre-art-history-and-art-theory-sir-william-dobell-visiting-fellowship

🌟 Sir William Dobell Visiting Chair 2027
One Chair position may be offered, aimed at mid-career or senior art historians and curators >> https://soad.cass.anu.edu.au/news/anu-centre-art-history-and-art-theory-sir-william-dobell-visiting-chair-2027

💡 Funding for the fellowships has been provided by the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation.

Image: ANU School of Art & Design.

The Australian National University Arts & Social Sciences at ANU Study ANU

Are you our next Graduate in Residence?

The ANU School of Art & Design is launching a new Graduate in Residence program for creative and curious alumni keen to stay connected and enjoy working within our learning community.

Whether you have a specific project in mind or want space to further develop your practice, we welcome applications across visual art, design, curatorial practice, writing, and more.

Residents will receive:
• A dedicated workspace
• Opportunities to connect with staff and students
• Flexible residency lengths from 6 weeks to 6 months

Expressions of interest due Midnight, Monday 15 June, 2026.
Full details and how to apply via >> https://soad.cass.anu.edu.au/news/graduate-residence-program

Image: Studio Space, A-Block, School of Art & Design

Arts & Social Sciences at ANU The Australian National University Study ANU ANU Alumni

🌿 Plant Sensibilia with Friends of Wanniassa Hills

Join us for a special collaborative event as part of Living City: People, Plants and Place.

Experience the Plant Sensibilia Machine — a large-scale, hand-operated textile dyeing device that brings the creative process from the studio into the public realm, using colours from locally collected plants.

Presented by Dr Lucy Irvine, Dr Rebecca Mayo and Professor Mitchell Whitelaw at Tuggeranong Arts Centre.

More info >> https://soad.cass.anu.edu.au/events/plant-sensibilia-friends-wanniassa-hills

📅 Saturday 23 May 2026
🕚 11:00 am Welcome to Country & event launch
🕦 11:30 am–1:00 pm Plant Sensibilia in action
📍 Tuggeranong Arts Centre, 137 Reed St, Canberra

Free event, no registration required. Light refreshments provided.

Arts & Social Sciences at ANU The Australian National University Study ANU

Vale, John Colin Reid

The School of Art and Design notes with great sadness the passing of our Emeritus Fellow, John Reid.

John Reid’s legacy is the foundation stone for the ANU SoAD Environment Studio electives and outreach programs, and his generous spirit and innovative creative legacy touched the lives of many.

He will be greatly missed.

Read the full tribute via https://soad.cass.anu.edu.au/news/vale-john-reid

Left: John Reid Walking the Solar System, USA | Mexico. 2011.
Right: John Reid Walking the Solar System, Santa Anna Ranges. USA. 2015.

Art & Design Forum | Dr Suzie Fraser

📅 Tuesday 12 May 2026
🕐 1 –2 pm
📍 Seminar Room 3, Sir Roland Wilson Building

Join us for a presentation by Dr Suzie Fraser exploring the challenges and opportunities of undertaking art history at the intersection of art and science.

Focusing on the growing prominence of art/science practices in relation to ecology, climate, holistic worldviews and AI, this talk will discuss recent research and case studies that examine how these interdisciplinary histories are being written today.

Image: Tree Mountain - A Living Time Capsule-11,000 Trees, 11,000 People, 400 Years, 1992–96, Ylöjärvi, Finland. Credit: Agnes Denes.

The Australian National University Study ANU Arts & Social Sciences at ANU

Sharing Stories participants recently travelled to Walgalu Country, in the Tumut region of NSW.


Participants learnt first-hand about Walgalu culture with ANU academic Aidan Hartshorn and artist Shane Herrington; making stone tools and learning about native foods and skills. The group visited significant cultural sites and public artworks and ended each day yarning around the campfire. This field trip was facilitated by School of Art and Design academics Aidan Hartshorn and Dr Amanda Stuart.

Sharing Stories Arts Exchange is supported by the ACT Government.

Arts & Social Sciences at ANUThe Australian National UniversityStudy ANU

Art & Design Forum | Madeline Hewitson (Dobell Fellow)

📅 Next Tue 05 May 2026, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Seminar Room 2.02, Sir Roland Wilson Building

Join us for Be Strong and Take Action: The Montefiore Testimonial (1842–43) and Anglo-Jewish Imperial Identities, a talk by Dr Maddie Hewitson.

Exploring The Montefiore Testimonial and its rich biblical imagery, this talk considers Victorian Anglo-Jewish identity, empire, belonging, emancipation and assimilation.

Dr Hewitson is a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham and a Sir William Dobell Visiting Fellow at ANU in Spring 2026.

Image: The Montefiore Testimonial (1842–43). Silver testimonial by Mortimer & Hunt, designed by Sir George Hayter and sculpted by Edward Hodges Baily. Image credit: Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Arts & Social Sciences at ANU The Australian National University Study ANU ANU On Campus