VISUAL ARTIST

Lloyd Triestino, Fremantle Arts Centre, 1 Finnerty Street, Fremantle.
From Sydney-based artist Newell Harry comes an exhibition about heritage, place and memory. Traveling by sea and pregnant with Harry, Ginny Green traveled to Australia via Fremantle in 1971. The following year, she returned to WA to marry one of two identical twins in a double wedding, where both would marry ‘coloured’ South African women. Harry’s fascination with history, story and language has formed the basis for his exhibition. An avid collector, Harry presents his band of objects and images which recall memories in a gentle narrative of family and place.
Despite its highly personal subject, Lloyd Triestino is an exhibition concerned with the universal nature of destiny and chance. Set against the backdrop of a 1970s Western Australia, Harry creates a collection of curios which speak of broader changes underway in Australian society in the seventies.

Exhibition runs ’til Sunday, January 24.

Summer, upstairs gallery, Little Creatures Brewery, 40 Mews Road, Fremantle
Love it or hate it, summer is here to stay for a few months at least. Ten emerging Australian artists and designers share their feelings about the warmer months in Summer, an exhibition that demonstrates the division between those who love the sun and those who cower from it. The artists cross multiple disciplines including digital painting, photography and illustration. Collaborations from Forks Open Doors, and Mitchell & Dent will be showcased alongside new works from individual artists, photographers and designers including Simon Boxer, Rebecca Lee, Jessica Singh, Nick Lowe, Luci Everett and Yolanda Stapleton.

Exhibition runs ’til Monday, February 1.

Exposed! The Story Of Swimwear, WA Museum – Maritime, Victoria Quay, Fremantle.
As a nation of swimmers it’s not surprising Australia played, and continues to play, such a key role in swimwear innovation and design. A new exhibition at the Western Australian Museum – Maritime shows how Australian designers and swimming stars have been central figures in the evolution of the modern swimsuit, helping to blur the boundaries between underwear and outerwear. Exposed! The Story Of Swimwear is an Australian National Maritime Museum travelling exhibition and draws on the museum’s extensive collection of historical swimwear to explore how the modern swimsuit changed bathing into swimming and helped redefine perceptions of the body.

Exhibition runs ’til Sunday, February 7.

Outpourings, Elements Art Gallery, 131A Waratah Avenue, Dalkeith.
Caroline Christie will launch her unique book and art exhibition at Elements Art Gallery in February, chronicling her extraordinary art practice. Entitled Outpourings, the book describes Christie’s painting process, the simple act of allowing paint to be intuitively applied. Her often large scale canvasses speak of intimate moments and ‘being present’ articulated via a sea of merging, swirling pigment which culminates in a visual flood of colour and texture.

Exhibition opens on Saturday, February 13, at 6.30pm, and runs ’til Sunday, February 28.

McCubbin: Last Impressions 1907 -17, Art Gallery Of WA, Perth Cultural Centre, Perth.
McCubbin: Last Impressions 1907–17 provides a fresh look at Frederick McCubbin’s late work; concentrating on the last 11 years of his life when he produced his most vibrant works, ones which express his sense of delight in, and comfort within, the Australian landscape. The first comprehensive McCubbin exhibition in 18 years, and the first to focus on his later works, McCubbin: Last Impressions 1907–17 features 72 works from all the major galleries in Australia, including several from the National Gallery of Australia’s collection, and 25 rarely publicly displayed works from private collections.

Exhibition runs ’til Monday, March 29.

PERFORMANCE

The Sapphires, Playhouse Theatre, 3 Pier Street, Perth.
Black Swan Theatre Company invites you to meet the McCrae sisters – four gorgeous singers from country New South Wales whose biggest dream is to become as famous as their Motown idols. It is 1969, and their Supremes cover band is performing in St Kilda’s Tiki Club when the sisters are spotted by a talent scout. Soon they are dreaming of fame, fortune and glamorous international careers. Instead, these Koori divas find themselves in the war zone of Vietnam, entertaining the troops.

Season opens on Saturday, January 23, and runs ’til Wednesday, February 10. Bookings can be made through BOCS.

Hypnolarious, The Regal Theatre, 474 Hay Street, Subiaco.
Due to popular demand, PiP the comic illusionist will bring a Las Vegas style show to Perth, showcasing his comedic wit and charm, mastery of prestidigitation and hilarious hypnotic skits while unleashing the creative abilities of his on stage guests subconscious minds equaling 90 minutes of amazing and hysterical skits. The show will also feature the talents of Mr Jimmy James Eaton.

Performance takes place on Saturday, February 13, at 7.30pm. Bookings can be made through Ticketek.

The Taming Of The Shrew, Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth.
Shakespeare WA has announced the return of the ever-popular Shakespeare In The Park series in 2010, kicking off the season with a 1960s style production of The Taming Of The Shrew. This popular comedy is certain to delight audiences of all ages as its thematic battle of the sexes makes it as pertinent today as it was when written 400 years ago. After the success of last year’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, the hilarious team of Sam Longley, Glenn Hall, and Will O’Mahoney (Equity Best Newcomer Award for 2009) will be returning to Shakespeare WA to play the roles of Grumio, Hortensio and Tranio.

Season opens on Saturday, January 9, and runs ’til Saturday, February 6. Bookings can be made through BOCS.

VISUAL ARTS

Different Faces, Kulcha, Upstairs at 13 South Terrace, Fremantle.
Hailing from Goroka, the central town in the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea, artist Simon Gende combines bold colour with political perspective in Different Faces. His works exude a wry mix of innocence and insight that draw the viewer in. Part proceeds from this exhibition go to supporting teacher training in the Fore Region of PNG.

Exhibition runs ’til Wednesday, December 23.

Elements Embrace, Elements Art Gallery, 131A Waratah Avenue, Dalkeith.
The Elements Embrace Christmas sale is a once a year opportunity to purchase artwork in a variety of mediums at very affordable prices. Choose from an array of stunning works by the Elements Art gallery stable of artists. With prices starting from as low as $25 for beautiful art glass pieces  there is sure to be something to suit even the most difficult person to buy for.

Exhibition runs ’til Thursday, December 24.

Margaret Priest: An Artist’s Life, Holmes à Court Gallery, 1/11 Brown Street, East Perth.
Margaret Priest was one of the foremost figures in post-war art in Western Australia. Given Perth’s cultural isolation from mainstream Australian art in the early 1960s, she was the first sculptor to introduce modernist ideas and became an important link to contemporary European practice at that time. She played a prominent part in Perth’s aesthetic development between 1950 and 1980, creating an important body of work, much of it in high profile public positions throughout the city. Her Pioneer Woman is the centerpiece of the public space in Kings Park. Margaret Priest: An Artist’s Life includes sculptures, associated drawings and photographs, coins, medallions and recent paintings.

Exhibition runs ’til Sunday, February 7.

PERFORMANCE

The Taming Of The Shrew, Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth.
Shakespeare WA has announced the return of the ever-popular Shakespeare In The Park series in 2010, kicking off the season with a 1960s style production of The Taming Of The Shrew. This popular comedy is certain to delight audiences of all ages as its thematic battle of the sexes makes it as pertinent today as it was when written 400 years ago. After the success of last year’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, the hilarious team of Sam Longley, Glenn Hall, and Will O’Mahoney (Equity Best Newcomer Award for 2009) will be returning to Shakespeare WA to play the roles of Grumio, Hortensio and Tranio.

Season opens on Saturday, January 9, and runs ’til Saturday, February 6. Bookings can be made through BOCS.

La Sylphide, Quarry Amphitheatre, Oceanic Drive, City Beach.
The Perth City Ballet will take to the stage of the Quarry Amphitheatre to perform La Sylphide, a two-act performance starring Tatiana Pevneva and Sergey Pevnev. Set in Scotland, La Sylphide was first performed in 1832 at the Paris Opera with choreography by Philippe Taglioni; especially for his daughter Marie, who danced the lead role of the sylph, the airy sprite who seduces a young Scottish farmer, James, on the eve of his marriage to Effie. James leaves his bride and his friends and follows the sylph into a mystical forest. To bind him to this creature forever he accepts a magic shawl from the witch Madge. When he puts it around the sylph’s shoulders however, her wings fall off and she dies.

Season opens on Wednesday, January 13, and runs ’til Saturday, January 16. Bookings can be made through BOCS.

The Sapphires, Playhouse Theatre, 3 Pier Street, Perth.
Black Swan Theatre Company invites you to meet the McCrae sisters – four gorgeous singers from country New South Wales whose biggest dream is to become as famous as their Motown idols. It is 1969, and their Supremes cover band is performing in St Kilda’s Tiki Club when the sisters are spotted by a talent scout. Soon they are dreaming of fame, fortune and glamorous international careers. Instead, these Koori divas find themselves in the war zone of Vietnam, entertaining the troops.

Season opens on Saturday, January 23, and runs ’til Wednesday, February 10. Bookings can be made through BOCS.

Exposed! The Story Of Swimwear, WA Museum – Maritime, Victoria Quay, Fremantle.
As a nation of swimmers it’s not surprising Australia played, and continues to play, such a key role in swimwear innovation and design. A new exhibition at the Western Australian Museum – Maritime shows how Australian designers and swimming stars have been central figures in the evolution of the modern swimsuit, helping to blur the boundaries between underwear and outerwear. Exposed! The Story Of Swimwear is an Australian National Maritime Museum travelling exhibition and draws on the museum’s extensive collection of historical swimwear to explore how the modern swimsuit changed bathing into swimming and helped redefine perceptions of the body.

Exhibition opens on Saturday, November 21, and runs ’til Sunday, February 7.