Fitzroy Gardens Pavilion brought to life with art

The Pavilion at Fitzroy Gardens will transform into a hub of creative workshops and arts events throughout September as part of CoLab Arts in the Park, an arts residency supported by the City of Melbourne’s Creative Spaces program.

The team at CoLab – a collective of seven Melbourne artists – have taken over the space to offer a series of talks, workshops and an art exhibition in the gardens throughout September and the duration of the school holidays.

CoLab member and ceramic artist Vincenza said there will be a wide range of activities on offer including painting, sculpture, screen printing, ceramics, and floral artwork.

“We have a demonstration on making sculptures from junk collected from the streets, a workshop for children to sculpt critters with air dried clay, and a floral arrangement class using native plants,” Vincenza said.

“We also have a range of programs geared towards families for the school holidays, including painting and drawing classes inspired by the floral displays in the Conservatory.”

The Pavilion will also have a range of artworks on display from the group of artists, with some available for purchase.

The workshops planned for September will begin in person once lockdown ends, however if restrictions continue they will be delivered online.

In terms of the art exhibition, it’s still possible to view the work.

“There is a looped video showcasing works by the artists and workshops held which runs continuously day and night in the window, so visitors and people walking by can get a glimpse of the artworks available inside the Pavilion,” Vincenza said.

As Melbourne artists have been dealt continuous blows by the never-ending lockdowns, and have had a lack of government support, Vincenza said the Creative Spaces program had been a “restorative” exercise.

“For months galleries, private teaching and community art hubs have been closed and we’ve been isolation, so it’s been invigorating to take our work out into the public and engage with people,” Vincenza said.

“We’ve had great support from the community and have had hundreds of people come through the doors, so it’s really a great opportunity to come to the gardens, meet artists and talk about the work.”

It gives people who don’t necessarily see themselves as art-lovers the chance to experience something a bit different.”      

To find out more about the program, visit: trybooking.com/eventlist/colabartsintheparkfitzroygardens •