Hi everyone,
I hope you’re all well!
I have been busily working away at a number of different things recently. Today I’d like to share a few of the things that I’ve been doing.
How it feels
Each Monday and Tueday afternoon, during my open hours at Westward Cottage, I’ve been giving myself two hours to create a new textile piece in a series that I’m calling How it feels. This is a bit of an experiment for me as it involves working in a very different way. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how it’s going:
Reminder: Open hours at Westward Cottage (8 Turner St, Ryde) are 2-4pm on Monday and 2:30-4:30pm on Tuesday. Feel free to drop in for a chat and an insight into my creative process.
59 Seconds Video Festival 20th Anniversary screening
On Thursday, 19 February, Cinzia Cremona and I hosted the 20th Anniversary screening of the 59 Seconds Video Festival at Westward Cottage. We were joined by the founders of Project 59 who were visiting from New York City.
This event was a great opportunity for artists experimenting with new technologies and applications, during this new AI era, to build a bridge with the generation of artists experimenting with video in the early 2000s. The screening included new works by Peter Callas, Cinzia Cremona, Fiona Davies and Naomi Oliver in dialogue with a great selection of international videos.
Meeting the Mayor
I recently had the opportunity to meet with Ryde Mayor Trenton Brown at Westward Cottage. During his visit, I showed the mayor around the studio, explaining what I was working on and showing off some of my finished textile works. You can read more about this meeting and about my residency so far, in this recent post on the City of Ryde website:
New artist in residence cut from a different cloth.
(I’m a big fan of the wordplay in the title)
Professional Updates
I have two exciting ‘professional’ updates to share. The first is that I’ve recently started working at the National Art School as a sessional lecturer in the sculpture department. I really love the team and the students at NAS and I’m looking forward to a great semester.
The second update is that I’ve been appointed the deputy chair of the Cementa Inc board. The board is filled with amazing and talented people that I’m already learning a lot from. 2026 is a festival year, so make sure you clear your schedule in late September. I hope to see you there!
Tom Isaacs 