ArtKeeper is an initiative by the Gold Coast's Home of The Arts (HOTA) that supports emerging and established artists to keep creating by providing them with studio space and putting them on the payroll for a 6 month residency.
Following the call out in Nov 2023, HOTA was pleased to announce that Lisa Smith, Loki Liddle, Samuel Leighton-Dore and Tal Fitzpatrick would join the HOTA team as Artists in Residence, while Lachlan Woods will be Storyteller in Residence. This program was awarded the Innovator Award at the Performing Arts Connections (PAC) Australia Impact Awards 2022. ArtKeeper is designed to empower artists to take risks, experiment and create great art in conjunction with internationally acclaimed playwright and artistic director, Wesley Enoch AM, who’s been engaged as Artist Provocateur for the roles.For more information on the ArtKeeper program, visit: hota.com.au/artkeeper
Tal's ARTKEEPER Project
Tal dedicated her time at ArtKeeper to creating a largescale installation artwork that explores the power and pain of feminine rage through a combination of textiles and sound. This project builds on her most recent body of work ‘Quietly Seething’ which was first shared in a solo exhibition at Art-Work Studios, Mermaid Beach in May/June of 2023.
Tal describes her project:
"This is the first time I’ve attempted to translate my 2D textile work into a 3D form and the first time I’ve incorporated sound into my work. The time, space and support to undertake this kind of ambitious experimentation is one of the unique gifts that ArtKeeper gives its artists. To give a sense of the scale of the work I’ve undertaken, the textile element of the installation is made up of a 3m high X 9m wide hanging made using repurposed theatre curtains salvaged from HOTA. When installed, this work will be suspended in a large oval from the ceiling, with the figurative appliqué artwork facing the in, so that audiences must enter the work to view it. In this softened visually alluring space audiences will find a seat and some headphones where they can choose spend time listening to the audio component of the work which features 10 different voices reading out 60 reflections from different female identifying people who shared their experience with feminine rage with me via an anonymously survey."
PUBLIC PROGRAMMING
As part of her time at ArtKeeper Tal delivered a public 'very cross-stitch' workshop in her HOTA ArtKeeper studio. The workshop invited participants to learn the basics of cross-stitching and contribute to Tal's project by embroidering directly on to her artwork, all the while taking part in vulnerable conversations about the challenging emotional and gendered landscape of anger.
Photos by Lachlan Woods 2024