The Donnelly Verandah Residencies
July 15 – 28 June 2021
Donnelly River Village is on Pibelmen Noongar Budjar (land, and all the life that grows from it).
The Donnelly Verandah Residencies provide an opportunity for artists to immerse themselves in the unique Karri Forest at Donnelly River where imposing old-growth Karri-stands dominate a 1950s mill town. Artists undertake a residency for just over a week allowing them time to develop ideas, grow their art practice or create new work. They stay in one of the 35 cottages in the village with the intention that the forest surroundings will provide a ground for creativity and artistic development.
As part of the Bridgetown Fridgetown Fest 2021, this year, well-known Western Australian artists Andrew Daly, Sharyn Egan, Tania Ferrier, Marcia Hadlow, John Toohey, and Rima Zabaneh will be in residence at Donnelly River Village from 15 June to 28 June 2021.
To mark the fifth-year of the programme, an exhibition of selected work from this and previous years residencies will be held at the Workers Club in the village from 3-18 July 2021. A Perth-based exhibition of works produced by this year’s Artists in residence will be held on 10-19 September, 2021. Please check back for updates and more information.
Winter at Donnelly is wood-smoke misty mornings and star-filled winter nights. On ancient land, surrounded by state forest, the 1950s mill town’s thirty-five workers cottages, boarding house and workers club each have verandahs that overlook the central stand of magnificent Karri trees. If wintery conditions keep artists to their cottages, these verandahs offer a sheltered outlook to the natural environment. The original steam mill, school, butcher shop and general store add unique architectural notes. Tame kangaroos, emus, possums, kookaburras, magpies, parrots, blue wren and other wildlife wander through the village and visit cottages. If the weather is fine and artists are looking for a change of scene, heading into the surrounding forest along any of the many bush trails offers new aspects at every turn, including a deep forest lake surrounded by majestic trees. We hope the Donnelly environment will provide a place of contemplation and inspiration for the artists-in-residence.
For accommodation bookings contact
Donnelly River Village PHONE: +61 (8) 9772 1244
or visit the website: donnellyriver.com.au
Latest News
Artists talks, workshops, paintings and exhibitions
A glimpse into Donnelly
Tuesday 4:30pm "Rules for residency: respond to surroundings on impulse. Follow impulse. Start two new works each day. No rethinking. Complete all works later." [...]
Kirsty Sadler, first artist to arrive at Donnelly
A glimpse into Donnelly Monday 5:11pm "Lit the fire on Friday and it hasn't gone out yet. Three 8 hour days painting so far, first time in [...]
2019 Donnelly Verandah Residencies artists announced
Kirsty Sadler James Giddy Linda Fardoe Jeana Castelli Mark Welsh As part of the Bridgetown [...]
Peter Barker’s paintings arrive for the 2018 Donnelly Verandah Residencies exhibition
This exhibition features the work of the 2018 Donnelly Verandah Residency artists who each spent a week living in one of the workers cottages [...]
The Donnelly Verandah Residencies exhibition 2018
Beginning with an official launch at 6:30pm on Friday 23 November 2018, the exhibition will be open from 10am – 4pm daily 24 November to 2 December, [...]
Ben Sherar, managing the weather
Ben Sherar's emails from Donnelly continue the wintery theme, "It's been pretty cold…". As well as working on the verandah, in the village and in nearby Bridgetown [...]
Andy Kent joins Ben Sherar as artist in residence at Donnelly
When their latest exhibition Small Works finished on Sunday 12 August, Ben Sherar and Peter Barker invited Andy Kent to join them at Donnelly River Village for [...]
Bronwen Newbury, misty winter forest
Bronwen Newbury's studies of the Donnelly karri forest in winter.
Peter Barker, painting and hailstorms
With a cold front bringing below zero temperatures to the village and a dusting of snow to Bluff Knoll, Peter Barker headed out to paint 'en plein [...]
Referencing Great Uncle Hal
A few more sketches from Donnelly. I'm trying to reference some of my great uncle Hal Missingham's 'Bush images' re style and medium as a loose "conceptual [...]
Ben Crappsley – from the verandah
"Having a great time at Donnelly River! Managing to make some drawings from the verandah so all good." - Ben Crappsley, 5 August 2018 [...]
Robyn Varpins – 2018 Donnelly Verandah Residency works
Robyn Varpins sent through almost-finished works at the end of her 2018 residency at Donnelly River Village - with the following notes."None of them are finished [...]
2018 artists arrive – Robyn Varpins
Robyn Varpins describes some of the techniques and decisions applied while painting on the verandah of cottage 9 at Donnelly River Village. Video Steve Alfrich. [...]
Final weekend of the 2017 Perth-Based exhibition
Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October, 2017 are the final days of the 2017 Donnelly Verandah Residencies exhibition. Each artist spent a week living in one of [...]
Not strictly a verandah residency …
… but responding to Donnelly in the same spirit, Michael Spight, one of the Friends of Donnelly Village (FODV) Committee members, has just completed this series of [...]
The 2017 Donnelly Verandah Residencies exhibition
Donnelly River Cottages, Harvey Mullen - one of the works included in the exhibition which features six well-known WA artists. The artists each spent a week living [...]
Flowering wattle, forest rain and patches of sunshine …
Jennifer Hopewell caught the Donnelly Forest in misty rain, in patches of sunshine and in bright yellow flower while the local kangaroo mob tried to make off [...]
Kate Campbell-Pope, Forest Garland
A forest garland in two settings, the Donnelly River Forest and the cottage studio. Visit the General Store from 4pm on Saturday 19 August to meet Kate [...]
Jennifer Hopewell’s Donnelly (back) verandah studio setup complete with a mob of kangaroos
Jennifer Hopewell worked from the back verandah of her cottage at Donnelly. She was well protected from the driving rain, not [...]
Wet paint and possum prints
Jo Darbyshire spent a wet week in residence at Donnelly dealing with small complications like getting paint to dry and possums plodding across her paintings. Beneath the [...]
Michael Knight – pastel on paper
Small sketches in pastel. The river in winter at Donnelly. See other work from Michael's residency here
Donnelly River Residency – Michael Knight
"What I first noticed when I arrived at the accommodation was the massive Karri trees reminiscent of the work done by Australian Impressionists like Roberts, McCubbin and Streeton. [...]
Donnelly Verandah Residency workshop with Michael Knight
Michael Knight held a painting workshop while he was in residence at Donnelly River Village. Even the verandahs weren't enough protection from the winter rain which kept [...]
Artists talks at the Donnelly River Village General Store – 4pm Saturdays
Join us at the General Store from 4pm, meet the artists in residence for an informal discussion about their week and their work. Stay on, by the fire, [...]
Koi Child in the Karri forest
This is the second time Koi Child have visited Donnelly River Village to spend a week writing music. The seven piece band all have a part in [...]