New exhibitions and the Archibald in Lismore

THREE new exhibitions are opening at the Lismore Regional Gallery in the coming weeks, with a double opening event on Friday, June 27.

The twin opening features Jacklyn Wagner’s Through the Heart and Dream Vibrations from Peter Faulkner.

Wagner is an award-winning photojournalist, and her new exhibition showcases photographs of survivors and the aftermath of the 2022 floods.

Comprising 100 images, Through the Heart tenderly portrays the resilience of Lismore residents as they started to reconnect with their homes, neighbours and community.

Director of the Lismore Regional Gallery, Ashleigh Ralph, said Wagner’s work stood out for its powerful ability to capture fleeting yet significant moments in time.

“She transforms individual memories into universal reflections, prompting viewers to pause and connect emotionally with the stories behind each image,” Ralph said.

Peter Faulkner is a Bundjalung man and visual storyteller who shares his ancestry, history, and stories of his people in large, colourful compositions across a range of media, including printmaking, painting, sculpture, and more recently, AI.

Faulkner won the Binns Artist Studio Residency and was selected for his graduate work at the TAFE Visual Arts Graduate Exhibition in December 2024.

“He will be in the studio until the start of his exhibition, and we look forward to witnessing this exhibition come together in the artist’s studio,” Ralph said.

Faulkner said signs of Country talking were all around us.

“Country speaks through signs from Nature; the patterns that emerge inform us of what’s coming,” he said.

“Our ancestors speak to us too through signs and shifts in energy. Sometimes, you hear them dance and sing.”

The Archibald Prize 2024 exhibition returns to Lismore for the second consecutive year, commencing on July 5, with the 2024 finalists featuring three Northern NSW artists: Matt Adnate (winner of the Packing Room Prize), Angus McDonald, and Ben Smith.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the Archibald Prize back to Lismore, this time with all 57 finalist works on display across four of our galleries,” Ralph said.

“Hosting the full exhibition is a testament to the support from institutions like the Art Gallery of NSW and a proud reflection of Lismore Regional Gallery’s growing capacity to stage major national exhibitions.”

For information on the June 27 opening, visit lismoregallery.org