Outback Arts is proud to present Our Stories—a Living Arts & Culture program that delves deep into the practices of Aboriginal artists across our region.
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Through powerful videography and storytelling, these artists share how their work is shaped by Country, culture, and community, offering a deeper look at how art keeps stories and traditions alive.
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Thank you to the artists, knowledge holders, and custodians who generously shared their time and stories.

Rising artist Peyton Johnson is set to debut her first-ever solo painting exhibition, marking a significant step in a creative journey that began with simple pencil sketches on printer paper. While the exhibition title is still under wraps, Johnson hints at Country Race Day as the inspiration behind the vibrant new body of work.

A self-taught artist from Coonamble, Johnson began drawing quietly at home — unnoticed at first — until a lion sketch entered in a local show caught her sister’s eye. Since then, she’s nurtured her creativity, evolving from pencil drawings to expressive paintings made with anything she can find — often borrowing materials from around the house with her mum’s permission.

“This exhibition is the first time I’m showing paintings instead of drawings,” says Johnson. “I’ve learned a lot while preparing, and I’m still using my quirky, colourful self — the colours are a bit more muted this time, but the personality is still there.”

Johnson’s work is deeply personal, drawing on family memories and rural life. Her dad and grandpa feature as muses in many of the pieces, including a tribute to the Thallon pub and a lovingly painted riding saddle. Influenced by artists like Lottie Rae and the lesser-known Barry Eyles — whose rustic depictions of farm life first sparked her passion for art — Johnson’s collection brings the energy, charm, and eccentric style of bush race days to life.

“I want people to enjoy looking at it,” she says. “To feel happy, to stop and notice the quirky little details. That would mean a lot.”

Peyton Johnson’s exhibition promises a unique blend of old and new — a fresh take on rural Australia through the eyes of a bold young artist.

A project by NetWaste, supported by Outback Arts and Coonamble Shire Council, this regular event attracts a wide range of artists, including youth. It engages the imagination and showcases our community’s artistic and creative endeavours using items that are traditionally considered waste.

This highly anticipated annual exhibition shows the talented patchwork artists in the region and the stories they tell with fabric and thread. The professional space at the Creative Arts Centre helps each item shine, individually and collectively, as the works of art that they are, in a demonstration of diverse skills and riotous colour.

Neville Owen's photographs detail many individuals and events in the Coonamble and surrounding areas over 40 years. The collection includes buildings, properties, industries, transport, health, religion, sport, leisure, and community organisations.

The collection contains images of civic events between 1970 and 2009, including Anzac marches, sporting events, weddings, school plays, and debutante balls in Walgett, Goodooga, Lightning Ridge, Gulargambone, Baradine and Coonamble.

It is unique in recording the life of the region's inhabitants in towns, villages and on properties, at work and play.

Approximately 850 photographs are showcased on the Coonamble Shire Website, reflecting a small portion of Neville's collection. The Council will continue to expand the collection, enabling community members to appreciate the unique visual history of Coonamble Shire and its surroundings.

This exhibition was made possible and successful thanks to the contributions of the photographs, cameras, and film owned by;

Coonamble Shire Council

Commercial Hotel

Pauline Ditchfield

Peter sherwood

Jamie-Lea Trindall

Goldsmith Family

Yvon Gatineau and Peter Jackson started collecting works of art in 1996.  Their aim was to give support to Australian artists and to make their lives more joyous and stimulating because of the works of art that they were fortunate enough to have around them in their home. With the support of the King St Gallery Outback Arts is fortunate enough to thank Peter and Yvonne for their donations spanning 20 years that have supported exhibitions, exposure and experiences for the arts and cultural life of outback NSW.

This group of women artists live in a place that ain’t Texas, but each live an authentic creative live based on their connection to the outback, the people and its cowgirl culture. Some of us have ancestors whose very survival meant adapting to new ways, some of us are raising the next generation of cowboys and cowgirls, some of us love and share a special relationship with domesticated animals horses, cattle, sheep and dogs, and some of us love the wildness of country - the dust and sunrise and sunsets, the expanse starlit sky, the eagle riding high. All of us are in it for the boots.

Anna Kennedy

Amy Neaf

Jamie-Lea Trindall

Jill Kelly

Melissa Kelly

Celebrate the 2024 NAIDOC theme with artists from around our region, with artworks curated by Outback Arts Executive Director Jamie-Lea Trindall

NAIDOC Week, which first began in 1975, provides an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.

The theme honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This exhibition celebrates our regions Indigenous identities, empowering us to stand tall in our local heritage and be proud of who our community is in these modern times. 

Keep the Fire Burning – Blak, Loud and Proud

7 artists from 7 communities

Sooty Welsh

Petina Smith

Joahanna Parker

Maddi Hodgetts

Brian Smith

George Williams

Dwayne Biles

This highly anticipated annual exhibition shows the talented patchwork artists in the region and the stories they tell with fabric and thread. The professional space at the Creative Arts Centre helps each item shine, individually and collectively, as the works of art that they are, in a demonstration of diverse skills and riotous colour.

“My work is based on my observance, understanding, and connect on to the natural environment. It evolves from painting the landscape that surrounds me and that I am familiar with.

The area of ironbark and cypress pine forests, national parks and conversation areas that combine to make up the area broadly known as 'The Pilliga' covers half a million acres, and I have spent more than two years investigating what was once an unfamiliar landscape trying to understand better and connect to this extraordinary place.

My great-grandmother was born on the edge of the Pilliga at a little place called Cutabri. Hearing her stories about her family and connection to the area was the original inspiration for my journey. And what an amazing journey it has been…... starting with an extremely wet season with lush green growth and an abundance of wildflowers through to dry times and devastation in the aftermath of fires.

I hope the artworks in this exhibition convey my joy in exploring the beauty and uniqueness of the forest - an ode to an incredible place that should be treasured and protected for generations to come.” - Maree Kelly

This exhibition was a result of Maree’s win in the 2023 Major Outback Archies Prize with her piece ‘Min Min Lights in the Pilliga.’

A project by NetWaste, supported by Outback Arts and Coonamble Shire Council, this regular event attracts a wide range of artists, including youth. It engages the imagination and showcases our community’s artistic and creative endeavours using items that are traditionally considered waste.

The 2024 Waste 2 Arts Winners listed as below :

Primary School - Three Dimensional

Anne Hertel

'Colourful Flowers'

Primary School - Functional

Elka Trindall

'School of Fun'

High School - Two Dimensional

Annabelle Harris

'Everyone puts on a different Mask to hide their Feelings'

High School - Functional

Annabelle Harris

'Everyone puts on a different Mask to hide their Feelings'

Community - Two Dimensional

Coonamble Childre Services Red Rom

'Recycled Rainbow'

Community - Three Dimensional

Sarah Rodgers

'Let Them Eat Cake (consuming each other to death)'

Community - Functional

Coonamble Public School - Maliyan

'The Dress'

Open - Two Dimensional

Anna Kennedy

'Believe What you Will'

Open - Three Dimensional

Christine Young

'Aegis of Medusa'

Curators Award - Youth

Coonamble Public School Preschool

'Our River'

Curators Award - Open

Patrick Kennedy

'Castlereagh Castle '

Curators Award - Community

Chelsea Young

'Unicorn'

2024 Theme Award

Christine Young

'Aegis of Medusa'

Yvon Gatineau and Peter Jackson started collecting works of art in 1996.

Their aim was to give support to Australian artists and to make their lives more joyous and stimulating because of the works of art that they were fortunate enough to have around them in their home. With the support of the King St Gallery, Outback Arts is fortunate enough to thank Peter and Yvon for their donations spanning 20 years that have supported exhibitions, exposure and experiences for the arts and cultural life of outback NSW.

Birds singing, ukulele strumming, delicate piano notes and the voices of five local community

members are some of the sounds and music you will hear in Cobar High School’s Sound and

Stories Installation. Students from Cobar High School, with the help of composer Elizabeth Jigalin

and music teacher Laura Andrew, have collaborated to create their own sound installation that

will be played inside the Cobar Sound Chapel at a future music festival. The installation weaves

together original student compositions, interviews and recorded environmental sounds to

capture the tales of the old Silver Tank, sitting on the hill on the outskirts of Cobar.