Royal Western Australian Historical Society Artist in Residence 

Western Australian textile artist Wendy Lugg is creating new work inspired by local history as she undertakes a short term artist residency with the Royal Western Australian Historical Society in a mutually beneficial arrangement. Funding from the WA Department of Culture and the Arts has enabled the Society to host Wendy Lugg’s residency.  The artist is being afforded an opportunity to delve deeply into the Society’s comprehensive collection of costume and heritage artefacts, as well as its library resources of printed materials, manuscripts, photographs and maps, in order to develop artworks exploring the intertwining of history, place and identity.  For the Society, the residency activities have offered a new means to encourage the community to reflect on, explore and experience the stories contained in its state’s material cultural heritage.      

Throughout the residency this year the community has been able to view the artist’s work and inspirations on display in one of the Society Museum’s exhibition showcases Wendy has regularly shared sessions with the Society’s local history volunteers, giving a ‘show and tell’ of her progress and highlighting interesting discoveries she makes.  The progress of the residency is being shared through a blogspot  in which the artist describes her discoveries and processes, seeking a response from readers and setting up a dialogue with the broader community.   

In addition to her residency activities at Stirling House, the artist’s visits have included metropolitan and regional affiliated societies and museums, speaking and conducting workshops at Kalgoorlie – Boulder, Mundaring, Fremantle, Cockburn and  Rockingham.  In October 2009, Wendy accepted a new role of Honorary Artist in Residence to the Royal Western Australian Historical Society for the next two years. 

Contact   for further information

www.histwest.org.au  

www.wendylugg.com

www.wahistoryresidency.blogspot.com