News
Jo Higgins
Published outcomes - National Gallery of ...
Published outcomes - National Gallery of Australia: Digital Young Writers Mentorship
Writings
Jo Higgins
ABC Arts: 'Air' at QAGOMA
ABC Arts: 'Air' at QAGOMA
Writings
Jo Higgins
ABC Arts: Megan Cope is building a living, ...
ABC Arts: Megan Cope is building a living, breathing artwork on Minjerribah
Writings, Events
Jo Higgins
Exhibition essay: Topographies of painting - ...
Exhibition essay: Topographies of painting - Gregory Hodge, Sullivan + Strumpf
Writings
Jo Higgins
ABC Arts: Richard Bell at documenta fifteen
ABC Arts: Richard Bell at documenta fifteen

News

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Art Guide Australia: Home Truths

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Illustrations by Caitlin Aloisio Shearer for Art Guide Australia.

My first feature for Art Guide Australia was published in the Jan/Feb issue of the magazine. I’ve always really loved this magazine so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to write for them.

Looking at the implications of the ongoing housing crisis for artists and creatives (an essay commissioned the same week my rent went up again), I spoke with artists Sarah Poulgrain, Keg de Souza, Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro and curator and writer and Pari co-director Tian Zhang.

I also looked at this staggering (and largely, staggeringly depressing) major economic study, Artists as Workers, written by David Throsby and Katya Petetskaya and commissioned by Creative Australia. Discoveries like the fact that the gross creative income for a visual artist in Australia in 2021-2022—$22,500—has remained unchanged since 1986 were pretty demoralising but talking to creatives like Sarah and Tian, whose practices are working to reimagine ideas of community and collectivisation, I was reminded again of how important artists and creativity is to everyone’s wellbeing. Now we just need to fund it…

But the article is now online, so you can read it here.

OTHER POSTS

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Artlink magazine's 'Hyphen' issue published

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Of the many genuinely special outcomes to emerge from the National Young Writers Program that I’ve been leading at the National Gallery of Australia for the last couple of years, this latest issue of Artlink magazine has to be one of the proudest.

Artlink has been publishing thematic issues dedicating to contemporary art practice across Australia and the Asia-Pacific for over four decades. It’s a rigorous, provocative, thoughtful publication that has long championed emerging and early career writers. I should know. My first by-line was a review for Artlink over 20 years ago (a Very Cringe Read all these years later, but still.)

Having Artlink Editor Una Rey and Assistant Editor Belinda Howden join the National Young Writers Program this year - with Artlink as official Publishing Partner - has brought another level of rigour, context, professionalism and care to the program. Their faith (in me, the program, the participants) to offer up their Summer issue to three program alumni to guest-edit as part of a paid professional development mentorship has been such a huge undertaking.

Back in July, Claire Osborn-Li, Ava Lacoon and Hen Vaughan were selected as guest editors and they’ve been working with Una and Belinda over the last five months to conceive, commission, edit and deliver their issue, Hyphen. It is now officially out in the world…

I feel very proud of them and very proud to have contributed an essay to this issue. “The Museum As A Cowboy Place” is my rethinking of the critical role of youth programs and young people to museums in the wake of MCA Australia quietly shuttering their Young Creatives programs earlier this year, including GENEXT, the Youth Committee and Young Guides.

The museums might be struggling (and/or getting it wrong) but if Hyphen and its guest editors and other young writers are any measure of things to come, the future feels salvage-able/possible/bright?….

You can order a hardcopy and/or buy a digital version of Hyphen via the Artlink website here. Please support the magazine and these writers. And if you want a taste - Claire, Ava and Hen’s editorial is available to read free here.

OTHER POSTS

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Publication day! Museum Teen Program How-To Kit

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IT’S HERE!

The Museum Teen Program How-To-Kit by the Walker Art Center has been published, which includes my essay “Heartbreakers and Troublemakers: How to Navigate, Embrace & Ultimately Survive Disruption.”

This has been such a long-time coming but I’m so proud to be part of the publication and to have had the opportunity to learn from such extraordinary humans and educators as Nisa Mackie and Simona Zappas. 

A full, free PDF of the book will be available later in the year.

You can read more about the book here.

OTHER POSTS

I acknowledge the Gadigal and Bidjigal peoples of the Eora nation, the traditional owners of the unceded land on which I live and work and I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present.