In 2008 I joined forces with fellow artist Fern Smith in creating The Art of Suff-Rage traveling art installation. The project sees us roving Victoria dressed as suffragist giving out the latest edition of our newspaper. The installation celebrates the Centenary of Women's Suffrage in Victoria and I have created one hundred ceramic suffragist sculptures each around 30cm in height. Fern has painted ten commemorative banners to honor the legacy of women campaigning for equality. Gasworks Arts Park has auspice the project and we received funding from the Department of Planning and Community Development Grants Program-Centenary of Women's Suffrage. Thank you to everyone who has helped to get the project up and running.

Below you will find pictures and news from our adventures as well as a Link to Fern Smith's website which has more information on The Art of Suff-Rage  

Link: http://www.fernartz.com/Projects/Suff-Rage.htm

March 8th 20011

Intenational Womens Day

Today was the celebration of one hundred years of International Womens Day. Women for Women International had  arranged a world wide 'Join Women On The Bridge' event. I took Vida along to join in the celebrations as she would have done in her day. A wonderfull gathering linking women all over the world www.womenforwomen.org  Their Mission is 'To change the world one woman at a time.'

June 2nd 2009

Portland Art Centre

Fern and I ventured to Portland recently with The Art of Suff-Rage traveling art installation for an exhibition of our work. The exhibition consists of the entire body of work that we produced last year for the centenary celebrations of Victorian Women Vote 1908 - 2008. As Portland was the birth place of Vida Goldstein it was fantastic we had this opportunity to explore more of her adventures. Here is a picture of me and Vida on the Victorian Women Vote 1908 - 2008 "Seat for Vida" made by artist Carmel Wallace.

March 8th 2009

International Women's Day

Fern and I attended the Queen Victoria Women's Centre annual International Women's Day celebrations. Women entertainers and stalls holders from various women's organizations as well as artists and produces filled the QV Square for a fun filled informative event.

Febuary 2009

Counihan Gallery - 2009 Women's Salon

Each year Counihan Gallery in Brunswick hosts a Women's Salon as part of IWD celebrations showcasing the work of women artists from the City of Moreland. As the theme for this year was "Stories of Hope" both Fern and I submitted works created for The Art of Suff-Rage We are pictured below after I gave a floor talk one Saturday afternoon.

November 23rd

Parliament Open Day - This year Open day celebrated the achievements of women over the last 100 years in celebration of the Centenary of Victorian women gaining the vote. Visitors to the Parliament were greeted by Fern and I on the steps giving out the Sixth Edition of The Art of Suff-Rage newspaper. My 100 ceramic suffragist sculptures were on display in Queens Hall and Ferns ten Commemorative Banners were on display in the Members Corridor. People were entertained in the gardens by participants from this years celebrations including Cathy Connors brass ensemble playing her especially composed Centenary Fanfare.

November 13th

Union of Australian Women - The final in the UAW Centenary Celebrations at the Incinerator Art Complex in Moonee Ponds. Fern and I were guest speakers and our art installation was on display.

November 11th

Parliament House closing Celebration - We were invited by The Honourable Jenny Lindell MP the Speaker of the House to the closing of this years celebrations. I took my Vida sculpture along to take part in the festivities and she was very at home in the Queen's Hall as you can see by the photo. Many of the grant participants from this year were there as well as Ministers and the Premier John Brumby.

November 10th

Monster Petition at Parliament - The steps of Parliament were adorned with signatures collected this year to honor the Monster Petition of 1891. In that year the Premier of the time wanted proof the women of Victoria wanted the vote and with in six weeks women collected over thirty thousand signatures.  Learn more at www.women.vic.gov.au/womenvote 

Deer Park Library  - I presented a talk on the "tales of the suffragists".

November 7th

Haddon and District Community House on November 7th hosted its final wrap with the unveiling of the “Woady Woman” sculpture commissioned from me. During the year the community researched and voted on who should become the "Woady Woman". I made three ceramic sculptures of the women chosen which will now reside at the Haddon and District Community House.

I have been an Artist in Residence at The Harbour Family and Childrens Centre in the Docklands. We have been creating a mural for the outside play area with about eighty of the children. This has been such a fun project playing with clay with such young children and we have created a mural around the theme of maping as they explore the Docklands area. 

                                 Dedicated to the alchemy of life. 

The Flowering Heart Project is a grassroots movement dedicated to ‘gifting love’ via small, red, heart-shaped clay sculptures made with love and shared freely among the people of the Earth. 

THE VISION: To see Flowering Hearts blossom all over the world, representing the opportunity to transform each and every moment to love.  

The Earth itself is the source; repository of all potential, human or otherwise.  Transform solid clay into sculptural beauty – and in the process transform yourself. Immerse your hands in the healing clays of Mother Earth, exploring your creative heart through the elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Air.  Ursula Dutkiewicz is a skilled facilitator of organic creativity. Be the creator and the created. Be guided through your own unique expression to create your flowering heart. 

In 2010, Melbourne ceramic artist Ursula Dutkiewicz spent a weekend with a small group of people in retreat. She had been through a long period of darkness, following the deaths of family members and friends. It was time to lighten up.  During the two days of the retreat, she participated in a range of exercises designed to open the heart. When she returned to her studio, she began making red flowering hearts.  Later that year, Ursula visited a Tarot reader and gave him a heart. He told her people would ‘gift them on’, a statement that moved Ursula to tears.  For the next three months she made the hearts, pouring her own flowering heart into the clay. She made hundreds of them, each and every one made with love. Now and then, moved by someone else’s sadness, she would gift them a heart. She was so touched by the transmission of love she shared with the person who received her gift, she began sharing them with strangers.  So began a journey devoted to uplifting the spirits of the myriad human beings who crossed her path. And finally, she understood:   ‘The more I love life, the more life loves me.’ These heartfelt moments inspired what has now become The Flowering Heart Project. 

I just had the opportunity to work for Westside Circus as an artist and book facilitator for their 'Once Upon a Circus' project. The program uses circus, storytelling, literacy, art and promotes play as a family activity. Through the circus activities at the completion of the program a show is present to family and friends as well as each participant receiving one of the mini story books that they took part in creating.

https://www.westsidecircus.org.au/early-learning.html

The St Mary's 'Tree of Life" ceramic mural was installed in November to the delight of all the children. They gathered around enthusiastically to watch the mural go up and were keen to ask questions about the process. Every one is very happy with the new tree that has grown in the yard.