Hands On Studio turns 30 as artist hopes Gillard portrait hangs in parliament

Hands On Studio, a community arts organization in Australia, is marking its 30th anniversary this weekend. Artist Stephen Corsini, who has been with the studio since its inception, is hoping his recently completed portrait of former Prime Minister Julia Gillard will find a home in Parliament House.

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To have this on Parliament House [would be] better than the other one 'cause it's coloured.

Corsini chose to paint Gillard, Australia's first female prime minister, depicting her in her parliamentary office with the Australian and Aboriginal flags in the background. He described his deliberate layering technique as a way to make the colorful painting "stand out."

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I love colour.

Established in 1996 by a group of parents for their children finishing school, Hands On Studio has grown from a small shed operation into a "flourishing studio." Now managed by Marymead CatholicCare, it operates from the M16 Artspace in Griffith and O'Connor, Canberra. The studio offers a supportive environment for 125 artists weekly, guided by 25 art teachers across disciplines like painting, textiles, ceramics, animation, and sculpture.

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We've made lots of things in the past 30 years.

Tilly Davey, the manager and creative director, highlighted the studio's unique atmosphere, describing it as a "creative vortex." Many artists have attended for decades, with some returning for 15 to 20 years, and a few, like Corsini, for the entire 30 years. The popularity of certain classes has led to waiting lists that can extend for years, with Davey noting, "A lot of our artists, once they start, they don't leave."

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The parents worked together and decided to start an arts program, which started in a shed in Curtin and since then has grown into a flourishing studio.