There is a movement surfacing in Sydney visual arts scenes that fosters formal peer exchange and collaboration between artists with developmental disabilities and artists operating within mainstream networks. 
Accessible Arts, Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School and Pine Street Creative Arts Centre are developing scholarship positions for artists with disability. Based in Sydney, Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School is the oldest and largest independent sculpture school in Australia.
Pine Street Creative Arts Centre and Accessible Arts present the Visual Artists studio exhibition.
Nine artists were selected for the initial program and have been working under the guidance of the Pine Street tutors. You are invited to an exhibition of their work.
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Unseen Ways: Eight Sydney Artists
The first curated exhibition that explores the work of artists working from Sydney based studios that support artists with disability is being presented at Macquarie University Art Gallery.
The exhibition features eight artists from Roomies Artspace, Studio Artes and Macquarie Hospital Studios. Curated by Hugh Nichols, the exhibition examines each artists’ practice and the relationship to their studio environment within the framework of contemporary art.
“Although some of these artists have been practicing for decades, their practices have until recently been little known outside of the specialised studio system in which they work,” said Hugh Nichols.
“The artists in Unseen Ways represent a lesser known art scene, an 'unseen scene', where artistic education and practice is re-evaluated and the very idea of what defines art and the artist is considered in a new captivating light.’
Nichols was an active committee member of Accessible Art’s national survey exhibiton, AART.BOXX 09. It was through this experience that he was introduced to artists from supported studios. For Nichols, the opportunity to meet, interview and write about these artists provided the catalyst and drive to develop Unseen Ways.
Nichols recently shared his insights and vision for Unseen Ways with the new AART.BOXX 2011 committee members.
Unseen Ways is at Macquarie University Art Gallery 9 Dec 2010 – 14 Jan 2011.
The general public will have the opportunity to participate in a curators talk on Thursday December 16 at 1pm.
Artists: James Ackhurst, John Demos, Kevin Meagher, Clarrice Collien, Mark Hood, Matthew Calandra, Luke Bayshco and Rochelle Rodriguez.