Creative conversations

This monthly series invites you to discover captivating stories within the visual arts realm and connect with our local creative community.

Art Club guides attendees on a deep dive into the world of Australian and international artists, architects, or designers, offering insightful analyses of their unique styles, iconic works, and the societal and political themes that inspired them. Adrian invites participants to express their thoughts and ideas in response to the presentation or share recent exhibitions they have seen.

Art Club runs on the last Thursday of the month, from 10.00am to 11.30am on the following dates:

• Thursday 30 July
• Thursday 27 August
• Thursday 24 September
• Thursday 22 October
• Thursday 26 November

Theme for July:

This month, guest presenter and historian Dr Liz Rushen explores the work of Robert Hoddle, the colonial surveyor and artist whose 1839 watercolours feature in Views and Vistas of the Valley. Hoddle is best known for designing Melbourne’s iconic Hoddle Grid.

About the presenter:

Dr Liz Rushen AM is a former Chair of the History Council of Victoria and Executive Director of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. She currently serves on the Editorial Board of the Australian Dictionary of Biography, is a Director of the Melbourne Maritime Heritage Network and a Research Associate in the Faculty of Arts, Monash University. Liz is widely published in the field of migration history, women in colonial Australia, and the social history of the Port Phillip District (Victoria). Liz’s exhibition, Garryowen’s Melbourne (2023) was based on her book on the life and writings of Edmund Finn. Her new exhibition is titled Hoddle Grid: the great land grab and is on view at the Royal Historical Society until 11 November 2026. In 2021, Liz was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to community history and heritage preservation.

Tickets

Presenter bio

Adrian Montana is experienced arts leader in Secondary and Tertiary education, art galleries and museums education and public programming. He has a demonstrated history working in the education management industry and is skilled in lecturing, research, editing, Curriculum development, and arts management. Adrian has a Masters in Educational Leadership (Monash University) and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Art History and Music composition (La Trobe University).

Please note: We will do our best to keep to this schedule but dates and themes may change with limited notice - only people with a ticket will be notified of any changes to this program