Help us make an outstanding exhibition of Stories from the Central Wheatbelt
Starting with our Seasoned Locals.
How can I get involved?
Be a Subject.
(Ages 65+)Contact us via the Expression of Interest Form and let us know you have a story about your experiences in the Wheatbelt.
Have your story recorded and a photograph taken for local artists to use as inspiration.
Visit the Fine Arts Space during workshop season to have a cup of tea and watch the works be created.
Be an Artist.
(All ages welcome)Contact us via Expression of Interest Form and let us know which workshops you’d like to attend.
Receive training in Oil Painting, Drawing and Photography by artists from across WA.
The opportunity to work on your piece at the Fine Arts Space on weekends.
Receive access to materials you may need to complete a portrait.
Be an Installer.
(Ages 16+)Contact us via the Expression of Interest Form and let us know whether you’d like to design or build an exhibition (or both!).
Receive training from Art on the Move, WA’s premier touring visual arts organisation.
Have a go at creating a bespoke exhibition in a heritage building.
Help us bump in and bump out the exhibition.
Be an Advocate (All ages welcome)Tell the community about it, share on social media, talk about it at the club, come along to the exhibition!
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What is a “portrait”?
A Portrait is a visual representation of a person. Traditionally this is a picture of their head and shoulders, but in this exhibition, a portrait can mean representing a person’s story.
What Medium can I work in?
We have 4 artists coming up to run workshops in Oil Painting, Photography and Drawing. You can pick which medium you like, so long as you are representing a subject and their story.
Will you keep my picture? Is this an acquisitive Exhibition?
No. We will make a digital copy. We are trying something a little different, because this is part Museum Exhibit, part Art Exhibition, we will take a photo or scan of your work and if it is chosen, we will print it for display. This gives us a lot of flexibility when it comes to the final exhibition.
If I submit a piece, will it be automatically entered into the final exhibition?
We endeavour to place as many works into the final exhibition, but due to the size of the space, we may not be able to display all pieces in the physical gallery. Your work may be displayed in the online archive with your permission.
Materials are expensive, can you help?
Yes. If you come to our workshops or open weekends we will provide you with materials for creating your work.
Do I need to be an outstanding or practicing artist?
No. We welcome everyone to try creating a portrait, whether it’s your first time picking up a brush or you’re a seasoned artist, we want to see your interpretation of our Seasoned Subjects.
Do I have to do all of the workshops— or any workshops— to submit a piece?
No. You can pick the workshops you are most interested, whether it is one or all of them. Or, if you already have an idea in mind you are welcome to submit a piece without attending a workshop.
Will you sell my work?
No. We will not sell your work, but if your work is available for sale we will make sure that information is available in the exhibition pamphlet.
Will there be a prize?
Yes! We have 3 award categories for entrants this year, which will be sponsored by local businesses. If you would like to sponsor all or part of an award or the exhibition, please get in contact.
I don’t live in Merredin, can I still be involved?
Yes! We are conducting some sessions in Bruce Rock and Nungarin to help more people access the workshops and story sharing days. We welcome people from all over the Wheatbelt.
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Can I nominate myself?
Yes! Please do!
What should my story be about?
We want to hear true stories from you about living in the Central Wheatbelt. Whether you grew up here, moved here, worked on the railways, owned a farm, or took part in the bicycle races that used to happen, we want to hear all about it!
Someone has nominated me but I don’t think I have a story to share?
We understand. All 8 of our 2022 subjects said the same, but after we sat and spoke with them their stories made us laugh, cry, and gasp. You might not feel like you have an amazing story, but other people might find your story fascinating!
How will your capture my story or image for the Artists to use?
In August we will set up a few story capture days, where one of our staff will pick you up, drive you to our story recording location, and our photographer will take a few photos of you. Then, over a cup of tea we will ask your some questions and record your story on a digital voice recorder and camera.
Can I share my story and photos will family?
All subjects will be provided with the photos and videos taken of them for the exhibition but we ask that you do not circulate them on social media or for personal use until after the exhibition.
Can I write my story down, or provide my own photos?
We would love to capture every subject in the same way for our artists, but, if making it to a story sharing day is difficult we will try to organise another way to capture your story which may include you sending in photos or writing your story down.
Will you edit my story?
We will cut your recording up into a 3 minute version and a 45 minutes version, and may need to remove names in some instances, but we will do our best in the edit to make sure we do not change the intent or context of your story. We will share an edited version with you before providing it to artists.
I don’t live in Merredin, can I still be involved?
Yes! We are conducting some sessions in Bruce Rock and Nungarin to help more people access the workshops and story sharing days. We welcome people from all over the Central Wheatbelt.
What is Seasons of Change?
Seasons of Change focuses on the stories of the Wheatbelt’s most seasoned residents, and how their experiences living and working in the Wheatbelt has shaped their perspective.
Part art exhibition, part living library, part museum exhibit: this ambitious work intends to have an exhibition created about people of the Wheatbelt created and designed by people of the Wheatbelt, with paintings, drawings, photographs, and objects representing the stories you hear placed on display at the Merredin Railway Museum for a month-long immersive exhibit—
A Community collaborative exhibition sharing stories of the Wheatbelt made by locals.
The project started in 2022 with 8 video portraits of subjects from Merredin. We want to increase this to 30 by the end of 2024. This year the focus is on Seniors’ stories, celebrating their wisdom, humour, and resilience, and shedding light on living and working in the Wheatbelt.
We are working with award-winning organisation Art on The Move and prize-winning Artists from across WA to deliver training to locals to help us create this in community, by the community, for the community, with workshops starting in September 2023 and running until April 2024.
The exhibition will be hosted in 2024 at Merredin Railway Museum in the Old Refreshment Rooms, which has previously hosted the Fine Arts Society. It will feature a mixture of Photography, Video, Painting, and Drawing, with each piece capturing the unique story, wisdom, humour, and resilience of a resident of the Wheatbelt.
We want to make an outstanding Exhibition
