My Picks: Thom Stuart’s picks for the festival

A guide to Horizon festival by thom stuart

We asked Australian painter Thom Stuart what he’s heading to at Horizon Festival this year. Thom’s art practice is concerned with the observed landscape and the presence of human behaviours within it. It’s textured, colourful, and technical — he creates meaningful work which has an inherent underlying visual beauty to it.

Thom knows what’s up — so, follow this guide closely.

your local photo club

All the secret amateur photographers raise their hands. It’s safe to say I didn’t start a podcast in lockdown, but I did buy a camera. While still trying to figure it out, mainly by watching YouTube videos, the thought of a photography show a bike ride away from my house in Moffat Beach is highly appealing.

you are neither here nor there: Sam cranstoun

The range and quality of the shows curated by the UniSC Gallery and Hamish are always impressive. If anyone is familiar with Sam’s work, this is a must-see exhibition in my book. Plus extra points for any exhibition with a Ken Done reference, research-based or not.

Skateboard art workshop

My first forays into the art world were painted skateboard shows, so this will always have my heart. It’s ageless and timeless and provides an accessible and empty canvas for anyone creative. Fat Dog claims to transcend the mundane through creation at this event, so that sounds pretty good to me.

Nonsensual

Did you see Jordan Burnett’s show in Noosa last year? It was great. If this event is any indication, you can be sure this show will hold no punches. Plus, it’s always good to see some truth-telling through the spectrum of bright colours and illustration.

dawn awakening

The sunrises have been insane this year. There is something special about the first rays of the day on the coast, plus to add a rich cultural understanding to this. No doubt this event will create a true sense of place and connection.

to check out Thom’s work, head here.

This feature promotes Horizon Festival’s upcoming annual event.

Horizon Festival — the Sunshine Coast’s premier multi-arts festival — returns 25 August to 3 September 2023.

The 10-day offering takes place all over the Sunshine Coast — beaches, the hinterland, warehouses. The lot.

At our core: we celebrate place — it’s the heartbeat of the festival — and our programming reflects this.  But, more importantly, we honour the Traditional Custodians of the Country on which we stand — the Kabi Kabi Peoples and Jinibara Peoples.

Our events vary. And they’re (almost) always in spectacular locations. There’s music, art, theatre, dance, workshops, ceremony, and plenty for the family.

So, pop the kettle on, put your feet up, and enjoy flicking through this year’s program — we’d love to see you at an event.     

See you on the horizon,

The Horizon Festival Team