Emeritus Professor Valerie Kirk AM ‘Plant Stories: Woven Tapestry Narratives’

Abstract

Valerie, ANBG Artist-in-Residence 2022-2023, will talk about her adventures and experiences here and overseas and how they influenced her recent work.

Biography

Emeritus Professor Valerie Kirk AM, ANBG Artist-in-residence, studied art and design at Edinburgh College of Art, where she discovered woven tapestry. As a graduate she came to Australia and worked in the Victorian (now Australian) Tapestry Workshop and travelled the country to teach in communities and colleges, work as an artist-in-residence, exhibit and lead community tapestry projects and textile tours. Between 1990-2017 she was a Senior Lecturer and Head of Textiles at the Australian National University.

While actively maintaining her practice as an artist exhibiting and creating major works, Valerie has also researched Australian Indigenous and SE Asian textiles and directed significant projects. During 2004-2019 she was commissioned to design and weave six major tapestries to celebrate Nobel/Japan/Kyoto Prizes in Science associated with the Australian National University.

Awards such as the Australia Council New Work grant, ACT Creative Arts Fellowship, Muse Arts Woman of the Year Award and the Canberra Centenary Community Tapestry project mark substantial success and her artwork can be seen in collections nationally and internationally.

In 2022 Valerie was awarded Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to tertiary arts education, and as an artist and curator.

Booking

Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development, and thank all those who have donated. 

Unless otherwise indicated, talks are held in the ANBG Theatrette.

It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly.  Bookings can be made until Wednesday night before the talk or until seating limits are reached. 

Booking link: https://www.trybooking.com/CJTYJ

The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Some summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.

The talks are in line with COVID-19 guidelines which can change rapidly.