Country Arts SA pays respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognises their continuing connection and spiritual relationship to these lands, waters and skies. We are committed to listening and helping care for Country, and safeguarding, sharing and celebrating First Nations’ living cultures.
Visual Arts
Exhibitions & Events
Country Arts SA’s visual arts program has an emphasis on conceptually strong, stimulating and diverse contemporary visual arts practice.
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We generate and deliver a range exhibitions and events within our visual arts program, which include:
- Coordinating and delivering a statewide touring exhibition program, partnering with some of South Australia’s major arts institutions
- Working directly with artists to commission new work
- Initiating projects between artists and communities to tell stories from regional South Australia
- Developing exhibitions through the process of direct curatorial engagement
In undertaking the above activities our program facilitates regional audiences’ access to enriching experiences which will be enjoyable, thought-provoking and challenge their worldview. We provide opportunities for artists to make new work, providing a platform for them to share their voice and realise their creative visions whilst supporting sustainable artistic practice. We strive to raise the profile of regional visual artists and art galleries alike and by doing so support meaningful exchange between metropolitan and regional areas.
What’s on
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23 Sep 2023 — 11 Oct 2026
Saltbush Country
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20 Apr 2024 — 4 Jul 2027
AGSA Screen: Wavelength
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21 Nov 2025 — 27 Feb 2028
Dan Withey: Finite Bounty
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7 Feb 2026 — 18 Jul 2027
skopos
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22 Feb 2026 — 30 Jul 2028
Kumarangk: Exhibition
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28 Aug — 18 Oct 2026
River Land Exhibition
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3 Oct 2026
Southern Yorke Peninsula Photography Club Exhibition
Professional Development
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Breaking Ground
The Country Arts SA Breaking Ground Award sets out to elevate and accelerate the careers of South Australian regional artists by providing the support to push the boundaries of their practices into new and uncharted territory.
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Nebula
Nebula is an opportunity for regionally based visual artists to attend a three-day intensive program of workshops, forums, talks and networking opportunities centred upon strengthening professional arts practice.
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Catapult
From 2021 – 2023 Country Arts SA is partnering with Guildhouse to provide regional visual artists with essential funding and support to further their artistic practice through a meaningful mentorship through their Catapult program.
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Intersection
Intersection is joint initiative with Guildhouse, that supports the professional development and connects artists, craftspeople, designers and creatives throughout regional South Australia. The program is designed to combat the isolation often faced by regional and remote arts practice by offering tailored support through studio visits, one-on-one meetings and community events. Each event features a local…
Tour with us
Country Arts SA welcomes expressions of interest from institutions, curators, artists and artist collectives for conceptually strong, stimulating and diverse exhibitions from any medium to join our exhibition program.
Country Arts SA works with a network of 19 regional galleries across South Australia as part of its ongoing touring exhibition program. Touring exhibitions travel for up to 24 months and visit between 6 – 15 regional South Australian galleries. We program approximately 12 – 24 months in advance.
Country Arts SA aims to promote contemporary art and artists to regional audiences, create access and exchange across the state, and build community accessibility through public programming and networking.
If there’s an exhibition you’d like to have considered for our touring program please submit an expression of interest to our Visual Arts Manager Lauren Mustilo via email [email protected]. All expressions of interest should include:
- outline of exhibition concept in 250 words or less (if group exhibition, please include list of artists)
- summary of works: total number available, titles, sizes, their framing and installation apparatus
- up to 5 example images with corresponding image captions
- outline of exhibition collateral already available (introductory texts, extended wall labels)
- any marketing materials already available for the project (high-res images, captions, media releases, video content)
- any public programming opportunities e.g. workshop, talks, education programs – lead by yourself, the artists or others
- statement of intent: why you think this is a good fit regionally
You can also get in touch to discuss your ideas via phone on 0428 106 160.
We welcome expressions of interest from galleries across the state to join our touring circuit.
Country Arts SA currently works with a network of 19 galleries across South Australia, touring contemporary visual arts exhibitions to provide arts experiences for regional audiences. We program approximately 12 – 24 months in advance.
We offer a diversity of exhibitions which galleries opt into, covering a range of themes across many mediums including painting, photography, contemporary jewellery, textiles and fibre art, printmaking, sculpture and First Nations focused work..
As a participating gallery Country Arts SA heavily subsidises the cost of staging an exhibition and is responsible for providing: artist fees, all artworks and relevant packaging, freight costs, insurance, installation manuals, wall labels and introductory panels and a media kit including high-res images, captions and media release.
Exhibitions may be free or include a small fee.
As a participating gallery you will be required to:
- liaise with Country Arts SA staff regarding installation requirements of the venue, timelines, general administration and logistics
- work collaboratively with Country Arts SA and be available for discussion and exchange over phone and email
- adhere to best practice standards as outlined by Country Arts SA and modelled by us and our touring partners
- be open to the public at least 4 days a week and provide free-of-charge access to Country Arts SA touring exhibitions
- provide staff (paid or volunteer) to install and deinstall the exhibition
- provide staff (paid or volunteer) to monitor the exhibition, sit the space, and answer audience enquiries locally
- undertake all condition reporting of artworks at time of install and deinstall
- undertake all local publicity, promotion and advertising
- lead and deliver any public programming outcomes locally including workshops, talks or forums
- organise and pay costs for any opening event, including refreshments (if applicable)
If you would like to enquire about joining our touring circuit please contact our Visual Arts Manager Lauren Mustillo on [email protected] or 0428 106 160.
Past exhibitions and events
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HOPE STREET
Read more: HOPE STREETVisual Arts HOPE STREET About HOPE STREET is a street art project that aims to create an outdoor gallery accessible to all, representing the community in all its diversity, celebrating creativity and increasing connectivity. Country Arts SA’s Community Arts and Cultural Development Producer Alison Howard and Project Coordinator Public Health Planning, Local Government Association of…
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Island to Inland
Read more: Island to InlandVisual Arts Island to Inland About ISOLATED. PERSONAL. IMMERSIVE. Islands are by nature isolating, and that isolation coupled with majestic natural surroundings can be inspiration galore to the creative soul. Ten Kangaroo Island based visual artists are bringing ‘mainlanders’ a glimpse of the isolation and inspiration of island life in Island to Inland: contemporary art…
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The International Limestone Coast Video Art Festival
Read more: The International Limestone Coast Video Art FestivalFilm The International Limestone Coast Video Art Festival About Organised by the Riddoch Gallery, the Inaugural International Limestone Coast Video Art Festival will kick off in 2018. The Festival celebrates the creation of Video Art and places special emphasis on innovative and ground-breaking Video Art internationally, as well as on the work of South Australian…
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she collects the beautiful things – turbulent nature
Read more: she collects the beautiful things – turbulent natureVisual Arts she collects the beautiful things – turbulent nature About A solo exhibition by winner of the 2017 Breaking Ground Visual Arts Professional Development award. Based in Port Elliot, Chris De Rosa’s work is inspired by the unknown environment; what lies beneath the surface of the ocean. Her predominantly print based hyper-colourful images include…
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Common Ground
Read more: Common GroundVisual Arts Common Ground About Creating a stronger Barossa economy through artistic excellence, innovation and collaboration Common Ground is a research and development partnership between artists and a local business in the Barossa region, which will strengthen the arts and cultural sector whilst improving brand and consumer value opportunities for local business. It identifies the…

Opportunities for Artists
Country Arts SA delivers a number of initiatives for artists through our residency and professional development programs that aim to nurture and extend creative arts practice and raise the profile of regional creative practitioners.
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Our residency program supports artists to undertake periods of focussed creative exploration and investigative research inspired by the landscape, setting and community in which they’re placed. Our residencies encourage ambitious artistic risk taking and support artists to push the boundaries of their practice into new and uncharted territory.
Our suite of professional development offerings include major awards, mentorships and hot-house style intensive programs which aim to build skills and knowledge. The program supports artists to take the next steps in their career, expand their field of opportunities and maintain sustainable enriching careers from the places they live and work.
Opportunities are open to regional artists across all mediums in any part of the state and cater towards a range of career-stages. Metropolitan artists are eligible for some offerings, with the objective being to support meaningful exchange between metropolitan and regional artists and to foster a network of peers that extends across the state and beyond any one region.
Residencies
Palace of Production is a four-week Artist Residency at Emu Bay, Kangaroo Island that provides a dedicated space to a contemporary visual artist to expand on their practice and career.
The residency honours the creative spirit of Cath Cantlon, who produced contemporary art and sculpture in her Palace of Production (P.O.P) studio, built behind the home she shared with her partner in Emu Bay, Kangaroo Island.
Since its inception in 2018, the Palace of Production (POP) residency has given artists Cynthia Schwertsik (2019), Jane Skeer (2020) Laura Wills (2021) Gail Hocking (2022) and Gemma Brook (2023) the freedom and inspiration to create a new body of work.
Expressions of interest open around December/January each year.
Each year we offer a three-week residency at Grindell’s Hut located in the heart of the Vulkathunha – Gammon Ranges National Park in the Northern Flinders Ranges.
Established more than 16 years ago, the vision for the residency program is to provide an environment of extraordinary natural beauty with historic significance for artists to pursue their practice while immersed in an outback environment. The park forms part of the traditional country of the Adnyamathanha people and is rich with cultural significance. It is also a haven for many rare and endangered plants and animals.
The Grindell’s Hut Artist in Residence program is a partnership between Country Arts SA, and The Department for Environment and Water through the Vulkathunha -Gammon Ranges National Park Co-Management Board, and managed by Country Arts SA.
This residency takes place in October with applications opening around May/June.