They all have such wonderful styles
On a wet Friday evening in Narrabri, a community gathered undeterred by rain to witness the annual exhibition of Creative Friends — a collective that meets each Thursday to make art together, not in competition but in companionship. Thirteen artists, including two showing publicly for the first time, offered the town a month-long window into the creative life quietly sustained on Dangar Street. The presence of local government officials and a former cultural services manager spoke to something beyond a gallery opening: a community choosing, year after year, to invest in its own imagination.
- Rain fell on opening night, but the crowd at the Dangar Street gallery arrived anyway — a small act of loyalty that said something about how much this exhibition is anticipated.
- Two artists, Lyn Firth and Dunya Thamm, stepped into public view for the first time, carrying the particular vulnerability of showing new work to familiar faces.
- The collective's collaborative spirit was made explicit when Robin Stieger opened the show by speaking not of individual achievement but of mutual support — a deliberate reframing of what art groups can be.
- Local government turned out in numbers, with council staff and a former cultural services pioneer present, signalling that creative life in a regional town requires ongoing institutional will to survive.
- With the exhibition set to run for nearly a month, the work now belongs to the town — available to be seen slowly, returned to, and absorbed by the community that made it possible.
On a rainy Friday night, the Art & Craft Society gallery on Dangar Street opened its doors to a crowd the weather couldn't discourage. The Creative Friends art group was launching its annual exhibition, and the turnout suggested the community had been waiting.
Creative Friends gathers every Thursday at the gallery, and this year's show reflects the full range of what that weekly practice produces — paintings, sculptures, prints, and mixed media works from thirteen local artists. Among them were Lyn Firth and Dunya Thamm, both exhibiting publicly for the first time. Jenny Grellman, who recently relocated to Canberra after years in Narrabri, also had work on the walls.
Gallery coordinator Janice Smith watched the opening with quiet satisfaction, noting that the rain had kept no one away and that the diversity of styles on display was something to be celebrated. The exhibition is expected to run for nearly a month.
Robin Stieger formally opened the show, speaking to the group's collaborative rather than competitive nature, and thanking Narrabri Shire Council for its support. Council representatives including Mark Watt, Elodie Labonte, and Simon Latchford were present, as was Scott Pollock — the former shire manager whose work launching the local CREATE initiative gave the evening a sense of cultural continuity. It was, in the end, what a good opening should be: artists showing their work, neighbours coming to see it, and a community affirming that it matters.
On a rainy Friday night in Narrabri, the doors of the Art & Craft Society gallery on Dangar Street opened to a crowd that the weather couldn't keep away. The Creative Friends art group was launching its annual exhibition, and the turnout suggested the community had been waiting for it.
Creative Friends is a working collective that gathers every Thursday at the gallery. This year's show is mixed media—paintings, sculptures, prints, whatever form the members' ideas have taken. The group includes Robin Stieger, Judy Nobilo, Olwyn Campey, Matthew Kebby, Carmel Woolford, Craig Salmon, Christine Fry, Barbara Francis, Judith Cameron, Helen Smith, and Heather Tailby. Two artists were showing for the first time: Lyn Firth and Dunya Thamm. Jenny Grellman, who spent years in Narrabri before moving to Canberra recently, also had work on the walls.
Janice Smith, who coordinates the gallery, watched the opening unfold with satisfaction. "It's a whole mixture of art," she said. "They all have such wonderful styles." The rain that fell that Friday night, she noted, hadn't discouraged anyone from coming. The exhibition is expected to run for nearly a month, giving the town plenty of time to see what these artists have made.
Robin Stieger, one of the group's members, formally opened the show. She spoke about how the artists work together, how they support each other's practice. It's not a competitive space—it's collaborative. Stieger also took a moment to thank Narrabri Shire Council for backing the opening. Mark Watt, the corporate and community services director, was there. So were Elodie Labonte, the community development coordinator, and Simon Latchford, who manages tourism and cultural development for the shire.
Among the guests was Scott Pollock, the former shire manager of tourism and cultural services. Pollock had been instrumental in launching CREATE, a local cultural initiative, and his presence at the opening felt like a kind of continuity—the community's investment in its own creative life, sustained across administrations and time. The evening was, by all accounts, what a gallery opening should be: artists showing their work, neighbors coming to see it, and the machinery of local government turning up to say it matters.
Notable Quotes
It's a whole mixture of art. They all have such wonderful styles.— Janice Smith, gallery coordinator
The rain on the Friday night opening didn't deter the crowd.— Janice Smith, gallery coordinator
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a small-town art exhibition warrant attention? What's the actual story here?
It's not about the exhibition being famous or groundbreaking. It's about a group of people in one place who've decided to make art together, week after week, and the community showing up to see what they've made. That's the story—the infrastructure of creative life in a town.
But there are art exhibitions everywhere. What makes this one different?
The fact that it's sustained. These people meet every Thursday. They're not waiting for permission or a big institution to validate them. They've built their own space. And the council is supporting it—that's not automatic in a regional town.
So it's about local government actually investing in culture?
Partly. But it's also about the artists themselves. Lyn Firth and Dunya Thamm are showing for the first time. That means the group is open, it's welcoming new voices. That's harder to do than it sounds.
What about Jenny Grellman moving away? Does that matter?
It shows the group has staying power. Someone leaves, but the work continues. And she still came back for the opening. That's a kind of loyalty.
Is there anything fragile about this?
Everything about it is fragile. It depends on people showing up, on the gallery space existing, on the council caring. But the fact that it happened on a rainy night and people came anyway—that suggests it's rooted in something real.