Ruth is our next Artist in Residence

UK artist Ruth Murray has been announced as the Barossa Women’s Artist in Residence 2024 and will spend five weeks in the Barossa from the beginning of September.

An initiative of The Barossa Council and Barossa Regional Gallery, the program aims to provide mid-career and established female artists of any discipline an opportunity to experiment and grow their practice within the Barossa.

It's the first of its kind in the region and has quickly garnered support from both people within the local art scene and a myriad of industries, aiming to raise the profile of female artists and increase the likelihood of them developing long and sustained careers.

Discussing her upcoming residency, Ruth said, “The opportunity to engage with the area of Barossa through my work is really exciting for me - much of my work is about personal connections with particular places."

“The outsider’s perspective is a different way of encountering a place to someone who sees it changing year to year and decade to decade.”

The Residency was first developed early in 2023 and successfully hosted Melbourne landscape artist Belinda Wilson across five weeks in November and December as the inaugural resident.

During her time in the region, Belinda delivered four public engagement outcomes, free to the community, including an Art History lecture, an En Plein Air art session at the Barossa Bushgardens, a Live Art Demonstration and an Artist Talk, reflecting on the Residency.

“The Barossa Women’s Artist Residency program stands as a model for successful arts initiatives - demonstrating the positive impact that focused, collaborative, and community-driven efforts can have on both artists and the regions they inhabit,” Belinda said.

“By continuing to build on these successes the program is poised to sustain its positive influence, fostering a vibrant and enduring legacy in the Barossa arts and culture scene.”

The Barossa Council Mayor Bim Lange said the Residency provides yet another opportunity to reflect on our rich cultural heritage and the place we call home.

“We look forward to creating ongoing artistic opportunities that reinforce the Barossa as a premier arts and cultural destination.”