SCIENCE AT THE SHINE DOME canberra 6 - 8 may 2009

Social program

National Portrait Gallery, Canberra

The new National Portrait Gallery building, situated on King Edward Terrace, Parkes, Canberra, bounded by the High Court of Australia and the National Gallery of Australia, displays some 400 portraits of people who have shaped Australia and who continue to shape our nation.

Home to the nation's portrait collection the National Portrait Gallery comprises gallery spaces for the collection and temporary exhibitions, public areas including a café, shop, function room, theatrette, education and school group areas, and basement car parking.

The most significant building to be constructed in the Parliamentary precinct for over twenty years, the new National Portrait Gallery opened to the public onthe 4 December 2008 with a series of vibrant exhibitions, lectures, education programs and events.

Canberra Glassworks
www.canberraglassworks.com

Built and funded by the ACT Government, Canberra Glassworks is Australia's only cultural centre that is wholly dedicated to contemporary glass art.

At its core Canberra Glassworks is a working Glassworks that provides access to glassmaking facilities for glass artists.

Australia has developed an enviable reputation nationally and internationally for the quality and skill of its glass artists. By providing essential equipment, space and development opportunities through the Canberra Glassworks the ACT Government is giving these artists, and those that follow, opportunities to grow and further develop their glass practice, and to further contribute to this very special local industry.

Canberra Glassworks provides artists with state-of-the-art equipment; intensive workshops taught by leading glass artists; studios and mentorship programs; and a unique context to explore, develop and realise new work.

Canberra Glassworks also provides diverse opportunities for visitors to interact with and learn about glass making and the heritage of Canberra's Kingston Powerhouse. Visitors can meet artists, see glassmaking as it happens, view exhibitions, take tours and have a hands-on experience working with glass.

The Ballets Russes in Australia 1936-1940 exhibition tour at the National Library of Australia

This special collection-in-focus features more than 100 items and concentrates on three themes: the artists who created the Ballets Russes and its experimental productions; the dancers who captivated Australian audiences; and the Australian artists whom they inspired. It also includes a tribute to Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev whose inaugural Ballets Russes (1909–1929) revolutionised ballet for the rest of the twentieth century. The exhibition also looks at the Ballets Russes artists who settled in Australia and established our earliest professional ballet companies. From photographs, paintings and drawings of dancers on stage and in rehearsal, to more personal mementos of life outside the spotlight, the display looks at the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, which dazzled Australia and Australians from the mid-1930s, bringing an exotic show of dance never before seen on these shores.

Treasures Gallery 2010: A Preview

Many of the National Library's greatest treasures and some of its recent acquisitions will be displayed in a special preview of the new, state-of-the-art Treasures Gallery, scheduled to open late next year. Treasures Gallery 2010: A Preview features over 80 of the Library's prized pieces, many of which will take pride of place when the long-awaited Treasures Gallery opens. The items range from Captain James Cook's journal of the Endeavour to Patrick White's notebooks, from exquisite botanical paintings by Ellis Rowan to the only complete original convict uniform. Other highlights of the exhibition will include the famous 'Gallipoli letter' written by war correspondent Keith (later Sir Keith) Murdoch, bushranger Ben Hall's revolver, papers of Lindy Chamberlain and a graphic image by the official war photographer, Frank Hurley.