Creating Lanyon 

Artists Society of Canberra, Artists in Residence program, Lanyon 2019

During 2019, six artists from the Artists Society of Canberra (ASOC) undertook an Artist in Residency program at Lanyon Homestead supported by ACT Historic Places.

ACTHP acknowledges the importance of ASOC as a community arts group and its long history in the Canberra Region and its aims to create a supportive creative community for visual arts and artists. The society was founded in 1927 and John Horgan was the inaugural President. Three pieces of John Horgan’s early paintings of Canberra are currently held by the Canberra Museum and Gallery.

The aim of the Lanyon residency was to explore the gardens and grounds of Lanyon Homestead creatively responding to these surroundings, the landscape, it's built history and stories through visual art.

During the residency, each artist was given the opportunity to work on site for a period of one month. They were provided a space to work in the Lanyon Heritage Centre (former Nolan Gallery) and access to the historic precinct, gardens and grounds.

Each artist responded differently to their experience of Lanyon. Many of the artists took  their easels out-side and worked En plien Air, some of them for the first time . Some of the artists sought to capture the sweeping views, others focused in on small details found in the landscape. The result was a diverse collection of painting, print making and drawing.

The exhibition Creating Lanyon seeks to showcase this diversity of interpreation by the ASOC Artists' in Residence and foster ongoing exchange between local artists and ACT Historic Places.