Qtopia – Ward 17 South
PROGRAM
Qtopia – Ward 17 South
17 February – 18 March 2023
Building 11
Monday to Saturday
11am – 5pm
Free admission
Image credit: Bunny Hop – Easter egg donations from The Bookshop Darlinghurst and the opening night of OBLIVION at Zoom, delivered by Queen Bunny and helpers to Terry Morris at St Vincents, 1994 (c) MazzImages
Qtopia Sydney and NAS are proud to announce a partnership to realise a restaging of St Vincent’s Hospital’s Ward 17 South.
The installation will be curated to coincide with Sydney WorldPride 2023 at NAS’ Darlinghurst campus, featuring historical and archival objects, imagery, video, and audio to tell some of the stories of this significant period within Australia’s history.
“Between 1984 and 2007, the first dedicated HIV/Aids unit in Australia – Ward 17 – was a haven for those people who were infected with HIV/ AIDS, people who were very sick, who were dying and who were challenged with a situation that until most recently, no one had ever envisaged,” said David Polson, Chairman of Qtopia Sydney.
“The installation will tell a story of the very space that cared for so many, steeped in hope, love and sadly death. It was a place of deep humanity where patients, the medical fraternity and the community were centred,” Mr Polson continued.
“The role of government, Queer community groups and the incredible Doctors, nurses, and ancillary staff, along with the extraordinary Sisters of Charity, will be recalled and honoured.
“This space will serve as a reminder of the journey and obstacles the Queer community has both faced and overcome in recent decades, particularly with its proximity to St Vincent’s where I, among many, was treated for HIV/AIDS.
NAS Director and CEO Steven Alderton said, “We are thrilled to be in position to support Qtopia Sydney in their incredibly important endeavour.
“NAS’ commitment to our students includes fostering creative thinking processes across multiple disciplines, and we emphasise the role of a curious and empathetic mind within critical contemporary practice.
“We think this aligns beautifully not only with the goals and objectives of Sydney WorldPride 2023, but with the overarching vision of Qtopia Sydney and we are excited to be a part of their journey,” he said.
Thank you to everyone who has come through to see the 24th Dobell Drawing Prize for its first week. The exhibition is now open until Saturday 21 June 2025. Please note we are open this Saturday and closed for the observed Easter holidays.
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Good Friday CLOSED 18 April 2025
Easter Saturday OPEN Sat 19 April 2025, 11am – 5pm
Easter Sunday CLOSED Sun 20 April 2025
Easter Monday CLOSED Mon 21 April 2025
Anzac Day CLOSED Fri 25 April 2025
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Installation view, 24th Dobell Drawing Prize, National Art School Gallery, Sydney, 2025, image courtesy the artists and National Art School © the artists, photograph: Peter Morgan
Apr 17
Art Club is our high school student program for 15-17 year olds, designed to enhance and extend students’ technical, conceptual, and intellectual skills, through intensive practical study in the disciplines offered at NAS as well as engaging in an experience of our studios and campus, under the expert direction of experienced artists.
Set your child on a creative path with Art Club.
Learn more at the link in bio.
Apr 15
Thank you to everyone who attended the opening night of the 24th Dobell Drawing Prize and congratulations again to the prize winner NAS alumna Rosemary Lee.
The 24th Dobell Drawing Prize is now open until Saturday 21 June 2025
11am – 5pm Monday to Saturday
NAS Gallery
Free admission, all welcome
Learn more about the exhibition at the link in bio.
Apr 11
We are delighted to announce NAS alumna Rosemary Lee as the winner of the 24th Dobell Drawing Prize, Australia’s leading prize for drawing, worth $30,000.
Selected from 56 nationwide finalists, and 965 entries, Rosemary’s work will become part of the National Art School’s significant collection, built over the past 120 years. Rosemary, in her winning work 24-1 (2024), observes tonal and compositional profundity in everyday life.
The judging panel comprising acclaimed First Nations artist Vernon Ah Kee, Paula Latos-Valier AM, Trustee and Art Director of the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation, and Dr Yolunda Hickman, Head of Postgraduate Studies, National Art School, commented of Rosemary’s work: “The decision to award the 24th Dobell Drawing Prize to Rosemary Lee for the work ‘24-1’ was unanimous. We were most impressed by the level of visual intensity the artist has achieved in this work both through its vibrant colour and in the extraordinary detail of the composition. The artwork’s exploration of the urban landscape and gentrification of the Sydney suburbs of Ashfield and Summer Hill, has produced an image capturing a broader sense of transience and the omnipresence of construction sites in our cities today. It questions the cultural and historical value of place, through the lens of the artist’s personal connection.”
See Lee’s work alongside the work of the other finalists in the 24th Dobell Drawing Prize, 11 April – 21 June 2025, NAS Gallery
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Left to right: NAS Director and CEO, Dr Kristen Sharp with artist Rosemary Lee, featuring winning artwork 24–1, 2024, pencil on paper, image courtesy the artist and National Art School Gallery © the artist, photograph: Peter Morgan
Apr 10
Introducing the National Art School Short Courses Program from July–December 2025
Whether you’re a beginner, rediscovering a past passion, refining your skills, or considering our Fine Arts degree, the short courses offer a stimulating and rewarding experience for all levels.
Our 2025 program begins in July with Winter School, followed by Term Three, Spring Weekend Workshops in September, and Term Four in October.
Learn more and enrol at the link in bio.
Apr 10
Making Sound is a performance event featuring four artists who make devices that make sound, including Gary Warner, Pia van Gelder, Ben Denham and Sean O’Connell, presented following Facture: Drawing Symposium 2025, Saturday 12 April 5-6pm.
Gary Warner creates an improvised soundfield with his ‘aleatoric ensemble’ autonomous sound machines, a collection of modified turntables that spin ad-hoc bric-a-brac assemblages.
Pia van Gelder (pictured) amplifies an electronic circuit as it is built in real-time. Under the moniker of “PvG sans PCB,” in these performances, van Gelder works on a breadboard with electronic components and additional found objects to demonstrate the electronic variabilities produced in the material world.
Ben Denham and Sean O’Connell perform together with handmade synthesizer systems that sense and sonify barometric pressure and the flow of electrons through matter.
Purchase your tickets to the symposium at the link in bio.
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Pia van Gelder, `sans PCB`, 2021, performance, Collings Creative, image courtesy and © the artist
Apr 6
