July Exhibitions open Thursday 26 June. 

Personal narratives and First Nation's art on show this July at Northern Rivers Community Gallery

Northern Rivers Community Gallery (NRCG) presents four new exhibitions this July including an exhibition by four Ballina-based Nyangbal artists, ceramic sculptures of resilience and hope, reflections on a childhood shaped by an absent parent and a whimsical interpretation of childhood cinemas and a willy wagtail's visit.

The exhibitions open from Thursday 26 June with Welcome to Country by Aunty Denise Duroux and Official Launch by Mayor Sharon Cadwallader. All are warmly invited and welcome to attend.

Wagtail at the Picture Palace | Robin Saunders

Wagtail at the Picture Palace by Robin Saunders is an exhibition of relief printmaking on Japanese Kozo paper inspired by a serendipitous visit from a noisy willy wagtail, coinciding with the artist's visit to an Art Deco Picture Palace. Linking these experiences, Robin imagines a nostalgic wagtail flight through her childhood 'Picture Palace' memories of bold coloured Art Deco architecture, exotic geometric patterns, fascinating bird motifs, golden statues, and choc-tops

My life has changed a lot since I spoke to you last | River Mueller

When River was nine their dad went missing. They tried to contact him through his family, but nobody knew where he was, and they thought that he had passed away. After school one day River's mum took them out for ice-cream. Over a boysenberry waffle cone from Sweet Pea, she handed River a letter: it was from their dad. This exhibition is an interpretation of the letter River's dad wrote to them 19 years ago.

I will not regret hope | Belinda Smith

I will not regret hope showcases an evolving body of figurative works exploring personal and collective emotion through ceramic sculpture. Central to the exhibition is a female bust, reproduced and reimagined at various scales using traditional and digital techniques. Smith's use of slip casting and hand building transforms this simple object into a symbol of resilience and hope. Through repetition and playful reinterpretation, Smith's work captures fleeting moments - joy, fear, and everything in between - expressed through intricate textures and forms. I will not regret hope is both a personal mantra and artistic meditation, offering viewers a poetic lens for navigating uncertainty and embracing beauty in the everyday

Nyangbal NAIDOC | Group Exhibition

This exhibition will feature the work of four local emerging First Nations artists from the Nyangbal clan of the Bundjalung Nation - Daniel Roberts, Loren Del Signore, Savannah Hickling and Levi Roberts, and celebrates 2025 NAIDOC Week and this year's theme - The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.

All exhibitions open Thursday 26 June and continue until Sunday 17 August. 

NRCG is grateful for the generous sponsorship of our exhibitions by The Ballina Gallery Cafe, The Cellars Ballina, Pyewacket's Traditional Drinks and Yulli's Brews.

The Northern Rivers Community Gallery is located at 44 Cherry Street Ballina and is open Wednesday to Friday from 9am until 3pm and weekends from 9.30am until 1.00pm. For further information contact the Gallery on 02 6681 0530 or visit the website www.nrcgballina.com.au