Meet the Designers: Australian National Capital Artists (ANCA)
Wednesday, 11 November 2023
ANCA houses 35 visual artists across two locations in Canberra, and on Sunday 22 November they will be opening their doors to the public. Both Leafy Studios in Dickson and Heavy Duty Studios in Mitchell will be open from 2.00pm – 6.00pm, where you can wander through, engage with local artists and learn about their practices. Watch how garments, jewellery, furniture and even bicycles are created and the concepts behind them.
DESIGN Canberra had a quick chat with the ANCA team about their upcoming event.
Q: What advice would you give to up-and-coming designers in Canberra?
A: Surround yourself with supportive like-minded people. At ANCA Studios and Gallery, one of our missions is to create a space where all visual artists, designers and craftspeople can work alongside each other in a co-operative environment.
Q: What’s your favourite place in Canberra?
A: Bentspoke, especially when they stock our exhibition openings with Canberra brewed beer and cider.
Q: What do you want festival visitors to take away from DESIGN Canberra?
A: We want visitors to be amazed by the facilities available to artists and designers right here in Canberra.
Q: What do you have planned for DESIGN Canberra?
A: Meet our design artists, Oliver Ayrton, Edition by Alice Sutton, Peter Giles, Dan Lorrimer, Keith Marshall, Ruth Oliphant and Phoebe Porter, maters of glass, metal, wood, plaster and textiles. Visitors are invited to both Mitchell and Dickson studios to watch these artists demonstrate their own version of ‘alchemy’; turning raw materials into beautifully designed objects.
Q: What DESIGN Canberra events are you looking forward to attending?
A: We’re excited to have a big ol’ sticky beak at Harris Hobbs Open Studio.
To find out more about ANCA’s open studios, have a look at their DESIGN Canberra listing and their website.