Arts North West is proud to celebrate the completion of the community engagement phase of Connected to Place, a major public art initiative commissioned as part of the Gunnedah Hospital Redevelopment.
Connected to Place invited artists, students and community members to explore and express their personal connection to Gunnedah—its landscapes, stories and cultural identity. Participants created small-scale artworks responding to themes of place, belonging, environment and community, drawing inspiration from the Jean Isherwood Collection and Dorothea Mackellar's iconic poem My Country. Together, these individual works will be curated into seven to ten large-scale collaborative installations, forming layered visual compositions that celebrate the diverse voices and lived experiences of the Gunnedah community. The completed artworks will become a permanent feature of the new hospital, creating a welcoming and culturally connected healthcare environment.
The community embraced the project with enthusiasm, contributing more than 500 artwork submissions from artists, residents and students across the region.
The project was supported by an outstanding program of community workshops, including sessions with the Gunnedah Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society led by Fonda Shea, copper plate etching workshops facilitated by Louise Hill in partnership with Arts Gunnedah, and school workshops coordinated by Gomeroi artist Jack Conlan. Students from Boggabri, Curlewis, Mullaley and Carroll Public Schools, along with immersive full-day workshops at Gunnedah High School, all contributed to the growing collection of artworks.
Arts North West extends its sincere thanks to every participant, teacher, artist, volunteer and community organisation that helped bring this project to life. The overwhelming response reflects the creativity, generosity and strong community spirit that defines Gunnedah.
The submitted artworks are now entering the curatorial phase, where they will be assembled into the final collaborative installations ahead of their permanent installation in the new hospital.
The completed artworks will be officially unveiled in September 2026, providing a lasting legacy that celebrates Gunnedah's people, stories and enduring connection to place.
Lauren Mackley
Executive Director, Arts North West
📧 rado@artsnw.com.au
📞 0493 316 463