Northern Rivers Community Gallery & Ignite Studios respectfully acknowledge the Nyangbal people of the Bundjalung Nation as the traditional owners of the land upon which the gallery stands.
We pay respects to elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge their living culture and unique role in the creative life of the Ballina region.
2025 - a year of creative community, First Nations engagement and artistic excellence in the heart of Ballina.
This year has seen the continued growth and creative development of the Northern Rivers Community Gallery (NRCG) as a vibrant, dedicated, and engaged arts and cultural organisation. Our team has delivered an artistic program of excellence, supporting 150 artists and delivering 78 exhibitions, public programs and creative events. Our online engagement continues to growth, with over 400K engagements across all platforms in 2025. NRCG continues to play an important role in supporting arts and culture in the Ballina and broader Northern Rivers region.
2025 presented a range of exhibition highlights featuring local, regional and national artists. Notable exhibitions include; passing place by Col Mac, exploring cultural and family histories of Ballina - Col was a finalist in the 2025 Archibald Prize. Other exhibitions include; Worlds Within Worlds by Emily Imeson - who was a finalist in the 2025 Wynn Prize; Distant Friends by Peter McLean - a travelling exhibition of printed portraits; immersive installation Den Inception by artist duo Immortal Soil and Food & Drink , an experimental and speculative installation by duo Home School Achiever.
This year NRCG hosted the Southern Cross University (SCU) and Byron School of Art (BSA) Graduate Awards. SCU recipient River Mueller presented My life has changed a lot since I spoke to you last featuring paintings and sculptural works exploring family and mental health. BSA recipient, Katie Pink, presented Bubblegum Bruises which
featured bold paintings, sculptures and ceramics, exploring wild use of colour, materials and unexpected forms.
In 2025, Ignite Studios continued to build capacity, delivering and supporting 54 public programs, workshops, artist talks, events and hires of workshop spaces to over 1361 participants. National film organisation Screenworks continued their residency at Ignite Studios, and the Jordan Edmeades Film Academy delivered film-making term programs for youth. NAIDOC Week 2025 activities supported a range of community engaged programs in partnership with First Nation’s artists and groups for local Nyangbal artists and community.
NRCG is grateful to the community of artists, facilitators, visitors, and participants who have attended exhibitions and events throughout 2025. The gallery has a dedicated group of gallery volunteers, whose time and energy is invaluable to operations – we sincerely couldn’t do it without you all! Thanks, also to all project partners and sponsors, we have worked with so many wonderful arts organisations this year.
The NRCG team looks forward to 2026 and working with our creative community to support arts and culture in the Ballina Shire.
Imbi Davidson Gallery Coordinator
1 Creative Industry Capacity
Create spaces and initiatives where arts and cultural activity and
2 Arts & Cultural Infrastructure
Coordinated support of arts and cultural infrastructure to ensure cost effective future investment
3 Engage our Audiences
Provide opportunities for cross-cultural, multi art form and intergenerational creative expression
4 Strive for Excellence
Develop high quality programs connecting audiences and community with contemporary arts and cultural experiences
january | february march | april
september | october november | december
Ignite Studios supported a range of creative workshops, exhibitions, studio artists, and projects in 2025.
Established in 2018 as a multi-purpose arts facility, Ignite Studios encompasses for hire spaces, artist studios and artist in residence in the heritage listed former Ballina Fire Station. Ignite Studios has evolved and adapted to be a hub of activity and creativity in the heart of Ballina and continued to strengthen and consolidate engagement and service delivery in 2025.
2025 has seen the ongoing development of Ignite Studios as a producer of quality creative workshops, engaging public programs and community events as well as supporting creative and economic opportunities for a range of artists and groups from across the region. Public Programs delivered at Ignite Studios in 2025 include; Memory Postcards with Victorian based film-makers Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine, Painting with Natural Materials with acclaimed artist Emily Imeson and a range of gallery artist talks and events.
2025 saw Ignite Studios program participation increase 8%, facilitating 17 public programs and 37 external hires for over 1361 participants.
Ignite Studios creative programs supported economic opportunities for 31 artists generating income for artists, organisations, facilitators and other creatives.
2025 saw the activation of Ignite Studios through creative workshops, external bookings and hires, NAIDOC Week programs and delivery of a range of creative events. The artist studios and artist residency have been tenanted full-time and held many visiting artists from interstate the region.
The use and re-purposing of the former fire station shed into a ceramics studio has been in continued design and development in 2025. The two Woodrow Kilns have been in use throughout 2025, with 35 bookings for firings. Ignite Ceramics services will officially launch in 2026 and be a fantastic addition to Ignite Studios.
Ignite Studios continues to expand its service delivery, infrastructure and capacity as a valuable community resource and artistic hub. 2026 aims to deliver successful creative programs and expand services and opportunities for the community to engage.
MARCH
Memory Postcards Isobel Knowles & Van Sowerwine
MAY
In-Conversation Immortal Spil
JULY
Gariima Elders Exhibition NAIDOC Week Activity
APRIL
Painting with Natural Materials Emily Imeson
JUNE
Linocut Workshop Stephen Giese
Mural Painting with Sonya Breckenridge NAIDOC Week Activity
JULY
Community Weaving Circle NAIDOC Week Activity
OCTOBER
Fibre to Form Workshop Jugan Dandii
NOVEMEBR
Live Sound Performance Home School Achiever
AUGUST
Exhibition Information Session Community Event
NOVEMBER
Pencil Drawing Workshop Lesley Ryan
Exhibition Info Session Travis Patterson
NAIDOC Week 2025 - celebrating 50 years and the local Nyangbal creative community.
In 2025, NRCG celebrated the 50 year anniversary of NAIDOC Week with a curated exhibition in the gallery and hosting a range of associated events and programs for the local Nyangbal and wider community to celebrate together.
National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year, to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 2025 marks a powerful milestone of 50 years honouring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture and resilience. The 2025 theme ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy’, celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of young leaders, the vision of communities, and the legacy of the ancestors.
During NAIDOC Week 2025 and coinciding with the gallery exhibition, NRCG programmed a range of events and a community day at Ignite Studios in conjunction with Bunjum Aboriginal Corporation and NAIDOC Committee. Events included; Gariima Elders Exhibition, Mural Painting with Aunty Sonya Breckenridge and Kylie Caldwell, and Community Weaving Circle with Jugan Dandii.
Over the course of the 8-week gallery exhibition and NAIDOC week, over 4000 people visited the gallery and just over 300 people participated in NAIDOC Week activities. This is the first year NRCG has programmed a First Nations exhibition since 2017. The success of the 2025 exhibitions and programs will inform future planning and initiatives, as well as engagement with the local Nyangbal community to better deliver creative outcomes for local artists.
NAIDOC Week 2025
Supporting emerging First Nations Nyangbal artists through arts and cultural activities.
Curated by NRCG, the inaugural Nyangbal NAIDOC group exhibition featured four local emerging First Nations Nyangbal - Bundjalung artists and was presented in conjunction with 2025 National NAIDOC Week and theme - The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.
The four participating artists were Daniel Roberts, Loren Del Signore, Savannah RobertsHickling & Levi Roberts - each who have a strong cultural connection to the Ballina/ Nyangbal community.
Daniel Roberts is a proud Bundjalung/ Dunghutti man from Cabbage Tree Island whose artworks aim to tell the story of cultural connection to country. Daniel currently works for Bunjum Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal-led community organisation providing services and support for Goori people on Bundjalung Country.
Loren Del Signore is a proud Nyangbal Bundjalung, Yaegl and Italian contemporary artist who paints colourful, feminine landscapes incorporating native plants and flowers under her business Ginibi Designs. Loren is descended from a long line of proud Aboriginal women from Cabbage Tree Island.
Levi Roberts is a young Bundjalung, Gameroi and Dunghutti man currently living and studying on Nyangbal country. Levi is a naturally gifted artist, who creates drawings inspired by a range of images from a range of references including pop-culture and Aboriginal culture.
Savannah Roberts Hickling is a Bundjalung/ Gameroi & Euahlayi woman with strong connections to Cabbage Tree Island, Jubullum, Walgett & Goodooga communities. In 2024, she completed Year 12 at Ballina Coast High School and her HSC Visual Arts Body of Work ‘All About Me’ was selected for ARTEXPRESS 2025, an exhibition showcasing outstanding Visual Arts students work from NSW. Savannah is a celebrated artist and has been the recipient of numerous awards and commissions.
NRCG commissioned local artist Sonya Breckenridge to develop concepts and design three murals in the Ignite Studios backyard as part of NAIDOC Week 2025. Assisting Sonya to deliver a whole day community mural painting event, Kylie Caldwell worked together with Sonya on all three murals.
Sonya Breckenridge is a contemporary artist of Dunghutti and Bundjalung (Nyangbal / Widjabul) heritage who works in painting, weaving and public art. Sonya grew up on Cabbage Tree Island. Sonya’s paintings are informed by her rich experiences of living and connecting together with family and listening, understanding and respecting her family and Elders. Her vibrant colour palette and symbolic line-work shares her connection to water and stories of different meeting places, often representing her people and her family.
Over 300 people attended the NAIDOC community day, with many joining in to paint three murals. The three murals represent Sonya’s connection to the Richmond River and Cabbage Tree Island and also the mullet run and pippi collecting common in the Ballina region. Supporting First Nations stories, creativity and community.
Kylie Caldwell is a Bundjalung artist and curator who is an ardent painter, weaver and fibre artist, interested in reviving and rediscovering traditional cultural practices that her ancestors have used over thousands of years. Caldwell’s practice seeks to soak up the knowledge and wisdom from Bundjalung Jagun (country), utilising varied modes to deepen and expand her own cultural creative expression and knowledge.
NAIDOC mural painting
Community weaving for well-being - a day for creativity and cultural connection.
NRCG has worked with local weaving duo Tania Marlowe and Deb Cole, the founders of Jugan Dandii for the past 6 years to deliver a range of weaving workshops. In 2025, Jugan Dandii delivered a drop-in style, free weaving workshop for the community as part of NAIDOC Week 2025.
Jugan Dandii - Embrace the Earth was founded by Tania Marlowe and Deb Cole, who are both passionate about connecting with the natural environment. Tania and Deb met 15 years ago through mutual friends, when Tania was working as an arts facilitator and educator for the Culture Matters program in Ballina, and Deb was supporting aged-care services at Jali Land Council while also freelancing as a weaving and well-being educator.
Together, they formed Jugan Dandii, meaning ‘Embrace the Earth’, and have worked across the Northern Rivers region following the 2022 Northern Rivers floods, hosting weaving and well-being workshops and in severely affected communities. Offering numerous weaving workshops and the opportunity to learn about local native fibres they write; ‘through walking our land and retracing the footprints of our Ancestors, we connect with the environment while feeding our spirit as we gather fibers’.
With over 300 participants attending the community day held at Ignite Studios, a range of young and old community members enjoyed weaving with Jugan Dandii and other local weavers to create unique baskets, earrings and other objects. The community weaving day was a great way to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2025.
