Transitions 2025

Alicia Allen with Dylan Mooney

Mentee Alicia Allen, a proud Aboriginal woman with connections to Kunja, Marjany and Gunggari Country has been paired with her mentor Dylan Mooney, a proud Yuwi, Mualgal - Meriam and South Sea Islander artist. Dylan has been mentoring Alicia in both her visual arts practice (comprised predominantly of mural work and painting) as well as guiding and helping her to reconnect with her Culture. The pair have been exploring themes of grief and Cultural disconnection, reconnection and advocating for mob, alongside explorations of cultural identity, climate, social and environmental justice. Alicia has begun planning for the 'Transitions' exhibition later this year, developing an installation which will sensitively navigate all of these influences while sharing the histories and remnants of her mural works.

Dylan Mooney and Alicia Allen. Photograph: Daniel Qualischefski. 

Alicia's painting rags from working on murals which she intends to repurpose. Photograph: Amanda Galea.

Mural by Alicia Allen. Photograph courtesy the artist.

Alicia speaking at the second Group Critique Session at Townsville City Galleries. Photograph: Amanda Galea.

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. 

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. 

Michael Smith with Dr Louise Mayhew

As the inaugural arts writing mentee, Michael has been mentored remotely by Louise while also learning and developing in-person alongside the emerging artist mentorships. This cross-disciplinary approach has provided the artist mentees a greater insight into arts writing, and Michael a greater insight into visual arts practices via his peers.

Michael and Louise have been exploring contemporary approaches to visual arts writing, including appropriately conveying meaning and context within different writing approaches and styles. Michael aims to write a text accompanying the artist mentees’ works in the Transitions exhibition at Umbrella in November.

Michael Smith and Louise Mayhew meeting online for a mentorship session. Screencap courtesy the artists. 

Some of Michael’s digitally-handwritten notes.

Michael presenting about his writing development in the second group critique session with Acting Senior Education and Programs Officer Jonathan Brown (Townsville City Galleries).

How to Write About Contemporary Art by Gilda Williams, a book Michael shared as part of his mentorship.