UPCOMING WORKSHOPS/EVENTS
ARTful Beginnings
This program is designed for babies aged from 4 months to 12 months. If you are unsure whether ARTful Beginnings is the right fit for you and your baby, or if you have any access needs or other queries about the event, please don’t hesitate to contact dogwood.crossing@wdrc.qld.gov.au in advance of the program.
Participation and content
- These events are a great way to meet fellow parents with young babies
- We understand that babies sometimes make noise, and that’s perfectly ok
- Parents and guardians are invited to join in with songs and sensory games to help engage their babies throughout the program. You are welcome to participate or just listen
- Pram parking will be available at this event
- The exhibition tour involves walking and standing for short periods of time. We recommend using a baby carrier or sling during this portion of the program, however if you prefer not to carry your baby, prams are also welcome in the gallery spaces
- Parents rooms are available at Dogwood Crossing
Sensory aspects
- Please let us know in advance if you or your child are hard of hearing so we can make this tour accessible for you
- Due to the nature of our young audience, ARTful Beginnings can get a little noisy. There may also be low level noise from a nearby artwork or the sounds of the Gallery
- Floor cushions, ottomans and stools without backs will be available during the sensory play session at the end of the program
- The Gallery air conditioning is set to 21°C to conserve the artworks. We recommend bringing a light jumper or jacket with you
Food and drink
- Breastfeeding and bottle feeding are welcome anywhere in the Gallery
- For the safety of artworks, food and drink cannot be consumed in the Gallery except by children seated in a pram
Capacity
This event has a maximum capacity of 14 babies and their parent/s or guardian/s
Our next session will be Tuesday 25 August, 10.30am – 11.15am
To register click HERE
The Sunday Reset
with Jess & Mizzey
Take a pause from the busyness of life and join us for a nourishing Sunday reset in the inspiring surrounds of the John Mullins Memorial Gallery.
This restorative session will begin with a gentle sound acutonics experience where Jess from Meraki Acutonics will use precision-tuned sound frequencies to promote relaxation, balance and presence. Sound vibrations are applied to acupuncture points using tuning forks, gongs and bowls. Participants will then be guided thought a calming meditation with Mizzey from Everhaven. This healing meditation is designed to quieten the mind, reconnect with the body and create space for creativity to emerge.
Whether you are an artist, creative thinker or simply seeking a moment of stillness, this workshop offers an opportunity to recharge, reflect and begin the week ahead with greater clarity and mindfulness.
No prior experience is necessary – just bring yourself and a sense of openness.
Bookings are essential as spaces are limited.
DATE: Sunday 13 September 2026
VENUE: Dogwood Crossing, Miles
TIME: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
COST: $10
Suitable for ages 14+
For further information:
https://merakiacutonics.com.au/
https://www.everhaven.com.au/
Exhibition Story Telling Workshop
with Cara-Ann Simpson
An intensive guide to developing and presenting a cohesive exhibition
Develop the story that connects your work
This intensive, hands-on workshop supports practising artists to develop a clear, cohesive and engaging exhibition.
Designed primarily for artists developing a solo exhibition, the workshop is suitable for participants who already have a body of work, are actively creating one, or have an exhibition idea they want to investigate. Many of the principles are also transferable to group exhibitions.
Artist, curator and educator Cara-Ann Simpson will guide participants through the process of identifying the ideas, motivations and relationships that connect their work. You will explore how language, artwork selection, audience awareness, interpretation and exhibition layout can work together to communicate a strong exhibition story.
Through guided discussion, practical exercises and individual worksheets, the workshop will cover:
– developing a creative practice lexicon identifying the purpose and scope of an exhibition
– refining a key exhibition concept, themes and messages
– defining and understanding your target audience
– selecting and grouping artworks to strengthen the exhibition story
– considering interpretation, supporting content and accessibility
– developing an exhibition rationale
– planning exhibition layout, visitor pathways and practical installation requirements
Participants will receive a comprehensive handbook containing workshop exercises, take-home activities, practical guidance and further resources.
The program also includes a short artist talk and guided tour of Cara-Ann Simpson’s touring exhibition, Furari Flores (Stealing Flowers).
Who is this workshop for?
This workshop is designed for practising artists who:
– have an existing or developing body of work
– are planning, proposing or considering an exhibition want to understand the ideas connecting their work
– want to communicate their practice and exhibition more clearly
– would like practical guidance in artwork selection, interpretation, layout and exhibition planning
Participants do not need to arrive with a fully resolved exhibition proposal. An initial idea, emerging body of work or collection of existing artworks is enough to begin.
What to bring
– An idea for an exhibition, whether preliminary or developed
– Images of artworks you are considering, either printed or on a phone, tablet or laptop
– Pens, highlighters or coloured pencils
– Notepaper
What is provided
– A one-day intensive workshop
– A comprehensive exhibition-development handbook
– Guided worksheets and practical activities
– Take-home exercises, tips and professional resources
– A short artist talk and guided tour of Furari Flores (Stealing Flowers)
– Lunch, tea and coffee
DATE: Saturday 19 September 2026
VENUE: Murilla Room, Dogwood Crossing, Miles
TIME: 9:00am to 3:00pm
COST: $30 (lunch, tea and coffee will be provided)
Suitable for ages 14+
Bookings are essential as spaces are limited.
To register please click HERE
About the facilitator
Cara-Ann Simpson is an artist, curator, cultural heritage professional and consultant whose experience spans the arts, culture, heritage, tourism, festivals and land management. Her multidisciplinary creative practice encompasses digital media, photography, sound, olfaction, sculpture and immersive installation, with a particular focus on land, environment and sensory experience.
Cara-Ann has held curatorial and leadership positions at Hervey Bay Regional Gallery, Cruden Farm, the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), Electrofringe and Bundoora Homestead Art Centre. She has also delivered professional-development and consultancy services independently and through Flying Arts Alliance.
Her achievements include the Heysen Prize for Landscape in 2022 and the University of Southern Queensland Young Alumnus of the Year Award in 2017. Her work has been presented in Australia and internationally, and is held in public and private collections.
This workshop is presented as a public program accompanying the touring exhibition Furari Flores (Stealing Flowers). The project is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
Image: Cara Ann Simpson with her Furari Flores exhibition
Image Credit: David Martinelli – DC Imaging 2024
Local Landscape Study
with Joe Furlonger
Join renowed Australian landscape and figure artist Joe Furlonger for an inspiring morning of drawing and painting by the Dogwood Creek.
This workshop offers a unique and wonderful opportunity to connect with nature and build confidence in your artistic practice by exploring techniques for observing and capturing the unique colours, textures, light, and atmosphere of regional landscapes. Participants will study and sketch creek scenes before embarking on creating a landscape on canvas board painting to be displayed alongside the Horizons exhbition at Dogwood Crossing, Miles.
All materials, lunch, tea and coffee will be provided.
Bookings are essential as spaces are limited.
To register please click HERE
Please Note:
Artists are also invited to attend the opening event for Horizons and A Challenge Each Month to be held later that day at Dogwood Crossing, Miles from 5:00pm on Saturday 26 September 2026.
A selection of created artworks from the workshop will feature alongside Joe Furlonger Horizons exhibition. Artists can collect the works from 23 November 2026, upon the close of the exhibitions.
To book in for the opening event please register HERE
Image: Artist Joe Furlonger in his studio, Samford Valley / Photograph: J Ruckli Copyright QAGOMA
