By Ryahn Rahme
The Staff Group Show is an exhibition celebrating the creativity of TAFE staff across NSW, drawing from campuses at Ultimo, Enmore, Meadowbank, Coffs Harbour, Gymea, Hornsby, Northern Beaches and St George.
“There’s so many staff that have come into the show with experience in prizes and notable achievements,” said Mel Baveas, head teacher of the TAFE Ultimo Arts and Cultural Administration course, referring to the talent on display at The Muse Gallery.
After being open for two weeks (Wednesdays to Fridays 12-4pm) the show is due to close on September 4.
The exhibition has been curated and installed by Arts and Cultural Administration (Galleries/Museums) Certificate IV students, with the support of their teaching delivery staff.
“They’ve done everything beyond my expectations,” Baveas said. “They’ve only been in the program for five or six weeks these students, and they’re nailing it.
“A huge thank you to Isobel Johnston, Stephen Thompson and Amanda Warrington who’ve curated, supported and run this entire show.”
The gallery’s heritage-listed partitions are kept company by the works of finalists and contributors of the Art Gallery NSW Wynne Prize, Wollongong Art Prize, Goulburn Art Award, Sculpture by the Sea and Kaldor Public Art Project.
Featured artists
Sam Valenz (Meadowbank): Approaching 40 years of teaching sculpture, Valenz’s long list of contributions to the art community extends from the classroom to public sculptures. The Kaldor Public Art Project 10 – Jeff Koon’s Puppy brought both worlds together, where he supervised over a hundred students to help plant 65,000 flowering plants in the three-storey dog structure outside the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Craig Elliott (Enmore): A career working with graphic design, screen and media, and experimental practices: Elliott’s Schrödinger the Cat was a finalist in the Art Gallery of NSW Wynne Prize 2024. @craigusvegas
Nikky Morgan-Smith (Coffs Harbour): A Northern Rivers painter and visual artist, Morgan-Smith’s work has been staged nationally and internationally in both solo and group exhibitions. Her latest series Index Act has been touring galleries, exploring the interplay between an original act and the indexes that refer to it. @nikky_morgan_smith
Aedan Harris (Gymea): Harris has taught at Nepean, Hornsby, and Gymea TAFE campuses; bringing his career to a full circle after his education in ceramics began at East Sydney TAFE. An example of the catalyst a TAFE education can be. He’s been a recipient of Japan Foundation grants, an Honour Award at the 5th World Ceramic Biennale Korea International Competition 2009, and more recently, a finalist of the Goulburn Art Award 2026. @aedan_harris
Michele Edinger (Gymea): A recent graduate and award recipient of the National Art School (NAS), Edinger’s ceramic works frequently feature in group exhibitions across Sydney. Her Entangled in the Wake sculpture was a finalist in Sculpture by the Sea 2025. Come see some of her Entangled Anatomy works on display in this exhibition. @michele_edinger
The exhibition closes in time for the team’s next one: Museum/Object. An exploration of the concept of the museum as a space shaped by display, interpretation, memory, and power.
Museum/Object’s (free) ticketed opening night is the September 11, book now to attend. The exhibition will run from the 14th to the 25th of September. See The Muse Gallery Humanitix page for further details of past and upcoming events.
Featured image: A sculpture (top) by Arts and Cultural Administration head teacher Mel Baveas at The Staff Group Show. Photo: Ryahn Rahme
Thank you for sharing these and for organising such a great event! Extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to show off my tiedyes and spread the awareness that tiedye it’s not just rainbow spirals! 🙂