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The Halfway Line is a survey exhibition that traces the expansive and incisive career of First Nations artist Blak Douglas. From his early interest in graphic art and design, through to his award winning portraiture, Douglas has maintained a passionate interest in foregrounding the histories and lived experiences of Aboriginal Australians. For Douglas, art is a powerful, striking means to affect real and symbolic change.
Blak Douglas’ mid-career survey exhibition ‘The Halfway Line’ continues in our Main Gallery until 20 July 2025.
@blakdouglas
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Adam Hill, ‘The Southern Toss’ 2006, Permacrylik on canvas, 161 x 187cm, in ‘The Halfway Line,’ installation view, Penrith Regional Gallery, Home of The Lewers Bequest, 2025. From the Liverpool City Council Collection, Acquired via Mil-Pra AECG Aboriginal Art Award and Exhibition, 2003. Winner: Maria Lock Acquisitive Award. Courtesy of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre.
Lacemakers were, and often still are, mostly women. Created in homes, convents, and other closed settings, lace was seen as having a purely decorative function. The rise of machine-made textiles in the nineteenth century made exponents of this delicate, dextrous craft a rarity.
The OWLS (Outer West Lacemakers) embody and continue this remarkable legacy of women’s creativity, safeguarding the vast and varied techniques of lacemaking to shine a light on - or through - the forgotten histories of this practice. What remains is an unwavering celebration of the hidden work of women, and the longevity of lacemaking as not just a craft, but an art in its own right. This exhibition highlights the endurance of this practice through the dedication of contemporary practitioners, whose research, passion and commitment sustains lacemaking and connects the practice with others around the world.
‘Maggie & The OWLS: Light in Space’ is exhibiting until Sunday 11 May, open daily from 10am-4pm.
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Mary Stevens, ‘Shrug,’ 2020, installation view in ‘Maggie & The OWLS: Light in Space,’ Penrith Regional Gallery, Home of The Lewers Bequest, 2025. Hairpin lace, crochet: wool. Photography: Silversalt Photography.
CELEBRATE MOTHERS DAY WITH BEAUTIFULLY CURATED HOMEWARES.
This Mother’s Day, surprise the amazing women in your life with beautiful homewares from The Penrith Regional Gallery store. Our current collection features nature-inspired décor, elegant tableware, and cosy accessories — everything she needs to create a warm, inviting space filled with love.
From handcrafted mugs and charming vases to decorative pieces that brighten up any room, each item is designed to bring beauty and functionality into the home. These special pieces make the perfect gifts for the mom who loves to create a cosy, stylish home.
Perfect for mums who love to surround themselves with beauty and comfort.
Thoughtful gifts that add a personal touch to any space.
Support local makers while giving a gift that’s both meaningful and practical.
Visit us today to find the perfect homeware gift for Mother’s Day!
Store Hours: 9:30am – 3:30 pm Monday - Sunday
INTRODUCTION TO JEWELLERY MAKING | SATURDAY 18 MAY 2025, 10AM - 3PM
Learn a new skill at our upcoming workshop, or give the gift of creativity this Mother’s Day.
Tracy Kelly will be facilitating the Introduction to Jewellery-making Workshop at the Penrith Regional Gallery studios on 18 May. A professional jeweller with 30 years of experience, Tracy specialises in crafting unique, high-quality designs that tell a story. Perfect for beginners, this workshop will cover fundamental jewellery-making techniques using a mix of new and upcycled materials, along with precious or semi-precious metals, to create stunning, wearable sterling silver pieces.
To book, head to the link here or in our bio: https://www.penrithregionalgallery.com.au/events/introduction-to-jewellery-making/
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@JewellerTracy
Photography: Tracy Kelly
Thanks to all the young artists who joined us for our school holiday program. We love what you have created!
If you are looking for more opportunities to make art when school returns, why not join our term workshops led by artist educators.
Art Odyssey for 9-12 years restarts on Wednesday 7 May
Art Adventure for 5-8 years restarts on Saturday 10 May
Tots Club for 1.5-3 years restarts on Tuesday 6 May
Where’s Ollie the Owl? If you’re visiting Penrith Regional Gallery with the family this long weekend, keep an eye out for a series of small, crochet owls hidden throughout our Heritage Garden.
As part of our current exhibition ‘Maggie & The OWLS: Light in Space,’ the OWLS (Outer West Lacemakers) have hidden ten ‘Ollie the Owls’ in the gardens behind Lewers House Gallery. Activity sheets are available from our reception and our main gallery - these will give you a clue as to where the owls are hidden. If you find all ten, return your activity sheet to our Main Gallery or Reception to receive a special owl stamp!
Maggie & The OWLS: Light in Space is exhibiting until 11 May 2025, open daily from 10am-4pm.
@owlsnsw
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The OWLS (Outer West Lacemakers), ‘Ollie the Owl,’ 2025. Photography: Silversalt photography
Today, we celebrated Margo Lewers’ artistic legacy on what would have been her 117th birthday, within the beautiful spaces she helped create at Penrith Regional Gallery!
In the morning, participants in the School Holidays Workshop for ages 5–12 learned how to combine materials inspired by Margo’s artwork—using collage, mosaics, and painting to create their own artistic party hats!
In the afternoon, visitors on the Focus on Margo public program were taken behind the scenes for a tour with Joanna Gilmour, Curator, Collections. The tour explored Margo Lewers’ vivid and distinctive output in painting, sculpture, collage, and mosaics, and highlighted her legacy as a pioneering figure of Australian modernism and abstraction.
Thank you to everyone who joined us!
In 2015, Maggie Hensel-Brown attended the annual general conference of the Australian Lace Guild, where she first learned the needle lace technique. Since then, she has focused entirely on needle lace, ‘the kind of lace that is made out of nothing: all you have is a needle and thread.’
This work, ‘Radiance,’ was made as part of a community project led by Hensel-Brown, who in 2023 and 2024 hosted a series of sewing circles - in person and online - to introduce the fundamentals of needle lace to new makers. Over 400 participants made a small needle lace motif, later contributing their piece to a large-scale tapestry designed and assembled by Hensel-Brown.
We’re excited to be hosting a workshop in needle lace, facilitated by Maggie Hensel-Brown, across the 3rd and 4th of May 2025. This introductory two-day course will allow participants to explore the foundational principles of needle lace, learning its techniques and intricacies to create a tiny, contemporary twist on a centuries-old tradition. This workshop is now booked out - but you can join the waitlist by emailing us at gallery@penrith.city with your contact details (including mobile number).
‘Radiance’ is on display as part of our current exhibition ‘Maggie & The OWLS: Light in Space,’ exhibiting for 3 more weeks in our Lewers House Gallery. The galleries are open daily from 10am-4pm.
@maggiehenselbrown
@kingstreetgallery
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Maggie Hensel-Brown with project contributors, ‘Radiance,’ 2023. Needle lace: cotton, silk and metallic threads, glass beads. Courtesy the artist. Photography: Silversalt photography.
DROP-IN LACEMAKING, TUESDAYS & WEDNESDAYS, 11AM – 1PM
Did you know that every Tuesday and Wednesday until the 11 May 2025, you can join members of the Outer West Lacemakers (OWLS) for lacemaking activities, demonstrations, and contribute to a community lace project within their exhibition, Maggie & The OWLS: Light and Space?
It’s free, no bookings required.
@owlsnsw
Maggie & The OWLS: Light and Space is on display in our Lewers House Gallery until 11 May 2025. Open daily, 10am–4pm.
In Maggie Hensel-Brown’s ‘Zoom,’ the painstakingly meticulous medium of lace is poignantly employed to tell an intimate story of contemporary life; one we might find all-too familiar in our post-COVID world.
Often depicting contemplative moments of fragility, disarray, boredom and solitude, Hensel-Brown’s meticulous lace panels elevate and immortalise moments that are quiet and fleeting. Here, quotidian experiences too often lost to the label of ‘mundanity’ become something reverent, ethereal, and sublime.
‘Maggie & The OWLS: Light in Space,’ exhibits for three more weeks in Penrith Regional Gallery’s Lewers House, open daily from 10am-4pm until 11 May 2025.
@maggiehenselbrown
@kingstreetgallery
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Maggie Hensel-Brown, ‘Zoom,’ 2023. Needle lace, silk thread, glass beads, 19 x 14cm (frame). Courtesy of a private collection. Photography: Silversalt photography.
To celebrate Youth Week, we are sharing some of the amazing artworks created by the young artists who exhibited in past editions of the Penrith Youth Art Prize.
If you are an artist aged 5 - 18 who would like the opportunity to have your work exhibited at the Gallery, make sure to get your submissions in for the 2025 Penrith Youth Art Prize by 5 May.
More information at penrithregionalgallery.com.au
Image 1: Thalia Rao, Silversalt Photography
Image 2: Honey Boyd, Silversalt Photography
Image 3: Young Archie finalists 2022
Image 4: Rafi Fox (left) Hugh Lewis (right), Silversalt Photography
MARK THE DATE – AUTUMN OPEN DAY SATURDAY 31 MAY 2025, 10AM – 2PM
Join us as we celebrate with the artists from our current suite of exhibitions and take visitors behind the scenes at the Autumn Open Day on Saturday, 31 May, from 10am to 2pm!
Explore Blak Douglas Mid-Career Survey Exhibition, The Halfway Line, with art-making activities, a guided tour, and more.
This fun, family-friendly day will also feature the official opening of the annual Youth Art Prize and the Nepean CAPA Deadly Arts Exhibition.
Full program coming soon!
This is a free event. No bookings required.
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Photography: Eddy Summers
