Transitions 2025
Umbrella and Townsville City Galleries are pleased to announce the participants for this year's Transitions mentorship program:
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Artist mentee Simsala Grimm with mentor Lisa Ashcroft
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Artist mentee Daniel Meza with mentor Luke McLeod
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Artist mentee Natalie Simpson with mentor Ann Bartholomeusz
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Artist mentee Alicia Allen with mentor Dylan Mooney
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Writing mentee Michael Smith with mentor Dr Louise Mayhew
The mentees all met each other in late February, starting the program with a series of icebreakers, professional development intensives and presentations from guest mentors, artists, and staff from Umbrella, Townsville City Galleries and other local galleries. They are now working one-on-one with their mentors (in person or online) over the coming months, alongside regrouping for critique sessions with their peers, staff and guests.
See below to explore more about the mentees' projects and their work with their mentors - to be updated throughout the program.
The Transitions program is a partnership between Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts and Townsville City Galleries.
Participants (touring Murky Waters Studio) left to right: Alicia Allen (mentee), Simsala Grimm (mentee), Rachel Cunningham (Senior Education and Programs Officer - Townsville City Galleries), Daniel Qualischefski (Deputy Director - Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts), Michael Smith (mentee), Natalie Simpson (mentee) and Daniel Meza (mentee). Photograph: Sabrina Toby.
Group critique sessions and gallery tours
The 2025 participants have been meeting for feedback sessions with their peers, staff and guest mentors at Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts and Perc Tucker Regional Gallery. Umbrella's Daniel Qualischefski has led the mentees in discussions, along with his colleagues (including Erin Ricardo, Margaret Robertson, Amanda Galea, Rikaela Rusch and Sabrina Toby) and staff from Townsville City Galleries (including Rachel Cunningham, Jonathan Brown, Ashleigh Peters and Tanya Tanner). The group have heard from and been joined by guests Natalie Ward (2023 mentee), Michael Pope, Anne Lord, Alison McDonald, Sue Tilley, Rhonda Stevens and Ann Vardanega, with Bradley Vincent scheduled to attend the final group session. The guests have presented on their arts practices and careers, and / or the local art galleries they coordinate, including The Drill Hall Studio, Gallery48 and Murky Waters Studio.
Transitions alumnus Natalie Ward (a 2023 mentee) presenting to the 2025 cohort about her experience and providing advice for the mentorship and post-Transitions journey. Photograph: Daniel Qualischefski.
Jonathan Brown (Townsville City Galleries), Natalie Simpson and guest mentor Ann Vardanega in the second Group Critique session. Photograph: Amanda Galea.
Alicia Allen speaking about her project during the first group critique session. Photograph: Rikaela Rusch.
Participants of Group Critique Session 1 (left to right): Rhonda Stevens (guest mentor), mentor Ann Bartholomeusz with mentee Natalie Simpson, Daniel Qualischefski (Deputy Director - Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts), Rachel Cunningham (Senior Education and Programs Officer - Townsville City Galleries), Ashleigh Peters (Education and Programs Officer - Townsville City Galleries), Alicia Allen (mentee) and Simsala Grimm (mentee). Photograph: Rikaela Rusch.
Daniel Meza with Luke McLeod
Daniel has been working with Luke to expand upon his studio photography skills within his broader street photography and arts practice. He has been exploring new approaches, concepts and aesthetics within studio portraiture, including creative experimentation with lighting and colour, which you can see in these exciting behind-the-scenes and work-in-progress images. Luke has also been helping Daniel to develop his client liaison skills to guide specific outcomes.
Daniel Meza with Luke McLeod. Photograph: Amanda Galea.
Creative photographic portrait by Daniel Meza.
Daniel Meza and Luke McLeod joining the first Group Critique Session online. Photograph: Rikaela Rusch.
Daniel Meza taking a creative photographic portrait of Luke McLeod. Photograph: Amanda Galea.
Creative photographic portrait of Luke McLeod by Daniel Meza.
Natalie Simpson with Ann Bartholomeusz
Natalie has been extending her emerging arts practice by working one-on-one with Ann. The pair have been experimenting with varied mediums and aesthetics to explore the overlapping boundaries of drawing, digital drawing and printmaking, and concepts related to nature, botany and sustainability. Natalie is now honing her project experimentation to focus on the African Tulip Tree - a beautiful weed (found locally and in tropical climates across the world), that unfortunately contains toxic nectar which kills native bees.
Ann Bartholomeusz and Natalie Simpson in The Studio at Umbrella. Photograph: Amanda Galea.
One of Natalie Simpson's experiments / works in progress. Photograph courtesy the artist.
Ann Bartholomeusz and Natalie Simpson revealing a linocut print in The Studio at Umbrella. Photograph: Amanda Galea.
One of Natalie Simpson's experiments / works in progress. Photograph: Ann Bartholomeusz.
Natalie Simpson in the first Group Critique Session. Photograph: Rikaela Rusch.
Simsala Grimm with Lisa Ashcroft
Simsala Grimm shares an ongoing fascination with diverse, tactile and repurposed materials with her mentor Lisa Ashcroft. Lisa has been helping Sim to expand upon her multidisciplinary practice, bridging the personal and the political to explore identity, power structures and related concepts. Sim's most recent work has also been inspired by her love of horror films, and she has been creating diorama-like scenery and figures for an upcoming photoshoot.
Lisa Ashcroft and Simsala Grimm. Photograph: Amanda Galea.
Simsala hot-gluing cord onto her papier-mâché work-in-progress. Photograph: Lisa Ashcroft.
Simsala revealing more of her work-in-progress. Photograph: Lisa Ashcroft.
Simsala's work-in-progress. Photograph courtesy the artist.
Simsala's work-in-progress. Photograph courtesy the artist.
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Qld, 4810 Australia
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Acknowledgement of Country
Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts respectfully acknowledges the Wulgurukaba of Gurambilbarra and Yunbenun and the surrounding groups of our region - Bindal, Gugu Badhan, Nywaigi, Warrgamay, Bandjin and Gudjal - as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we gather, share and celebrate local creative practice. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first people of Australia. They have never ceded sovereignty and remain strong in their enduring connection to land and Culture.
Umbrella is a Member & Signatory of the Indigenous Art Code. This means we are committed to fair and ethical trade with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, and transparency in the promotion and sale of artwork. As a Dealer Member and signatory to the Code we must act fairly, honestly, professionally and in good conscience in all direct or indirect dealings with artists.
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Acknowledgements
Umbrella is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, part of the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy, and by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments. | Umbrella is supported by the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation and receives funding from Creative Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund. | Townsville City Council is a funding partner of Umbrella's program.
