When Phoebe and Aleshia brought the concept of the exhibition to us in late 2016, I was immediately drawn to the opportunity to support the generation of new work by the participating artists.

The central idea of inviting contemporary artists to respond to Indigenous traditional owners’ and elders’ interpretations of the night sky is at once elegant and complex.

Through intensive workshops at the CORRIDOR project in Cowra and field trips to Lake Mungo in the state’s far west, the artists have engaged in meaningful dialogue with traditional knowledge holders and scientists and deepened their connection to significant sites.

By creating personal interpretations of these experiences, they show us how genuine engagement across time and cultural divides is itself a kind of wayfaring, through which we make sense of the world and acknowledge those who came before us.

The result is a fascinating and diverse exhibition which includes tintype photographs, assemblage sculptures, paintings, photographs and installation.

We have produced an image-rich online catalogue with an essay by the curators which you can find at www.org.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions.

I’d like to congratulate and thank Aleshia, Phoebe and the other 12 artists for realizing this project and sharing their vision with our audiences. StarPicket also wouldn’t have come to fruition without the supporting vision of Regional Arts NSW, Arts OutWest and Create NSW.

The StarPicket artists are Genevieve Carroll, Phoebe Cowdery, John Daly, Jaq Davies, Rebecca Dowling, Virginia Hilyard, Ken Hutchinson, Aleshia Lonsdale, Bill Moseley, Nyree Reynolds, Irene Ridgeway, Vicki Skarratt, Heather Vallance and Lee Wynyard.

StarPicket runs until April 1 and is open daily from 10am to 4pm.

Entry is free.