Previous Events
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2026
We're interested in ideas from artists at every stage of their career, from emerging through to established practitioners, so if you're wanting to have an exhibition, workshop, artist residency, community project or something completely new, we'd love to hear about it!
Click through for more information & to submit an EOI.
Do you love to quilt, embroider, knit, crochet, sew, felt, or are just an avid crafter or textile lover?
Join a group of like-minded individuals for an afternoon of tea and textiles surrounded by the works of Australia Wide Nine.
Bring a handheld project to work on whilst you sip and chat.
Tea, coffee and biscuits provided.
Thursday 2 July | 1:30 - 3:30 PM
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Curious about Australia Wide Nine and want to learn more?
Join local textile experts and enthusiasts Rhonda Gill and Bev Mumme for a free tour of the space, hearing about the artists, processes, materials, and more.
Thursday 25 June | 2-3 PM
Cannery Arts Centre, Main Gallery
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A live music & storytelling experience about Motherhood.
Inspired by local people from Kepa Kurl Esperance.
Step into a cosy and unforgettable winter evening with Mama Stitch — a heartfelt celebration of mums in all their beauty, messiness, strength and vulnerability. Blending powerful storytelling with live music, Whiskey & Boots bring together the voices of Kepa Kurl Esperance community members in a moving performance about motherhood, childhood and the ties that shape us.
Using the captivating form of headphone verbatim theatre — where actors wear headphones and repeat recorded interviews live, word for word — Mama Stitch is mesmerising, honest and deeply human. Stories unfold with humour, tenderness and emotion, becoming at once familiar, surprising and profoundly relatable. Some stories you may recognise, while others will leave you wondering.
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Join Kepa Kurl/Esperance-based creatives Rosie Henderson and Halla Kim for an intimate conversation exploring their creative practices, career journeys, and current exhibitions at The Cannery Arts Centre.
Together, they’ll reflect on what it means to be a professional artist in Esperance, sharing insights into their artistic career, inspirations, and the ideas shaping their work. The discussion will also dive into their exhibition processes - unpacking motivations, creative approaches, and reflections on how each body of work has evolved.
A shared thread in their practices is an exploration of environment - both familiar and unfamiliar - and how place influences their work.
Date: Thursday April 23 at 6pm
Bar will be open to purchase drinks.
Free tea and coffee.
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A pop-up exhibition in the Green Room Gallery at Bistro Louis, celebrating the work of Cannery SHOP artists and their connections to Kepa Kurl / Esperance.
EXHIBITING ARTISTS | Tammy Andrews, Rachel Bond, Kelsey Clark, Elaine Fewings, Esti Nagy, Speedline Art, and Cassie Wehrenberg.
With Ron Bradfield Jnr, Melissa Cameron & Sarsby.
SICK AF delves into the personal narratives of artists who have navigated life-altering illness or injury, using contemporary craft and the arts as powerful tools for expression and healing.
This Artist Talk, facilitated by our Artistic Director - Galleries Alex Desebrock, will unpack the themes of the exhibition, explore each artist’s practice, and consider the balance between art as profession and art as a means of survival, care, and recovery.
This talk is for anyone who has experienced — or supported someone through — life-altering illness or injury. It is also for artists and creatives interested in the exhibition and the layered relationships between art, identity, and healing.
Click through for more information & to register to attend.
There isn't one Australian that doesn't have a survival story to thank for their being a part of our society. I invite participants to share their stories and hear how we've come together to form the communities we know now. How much do you know of your family's survival story and how far back behind you, is it?
A generous and warm yarning experience for everyone.
Let's find out!
Tea, coffee & snacks provided.
Join us for Gather & Grow, a free weekly social gardening, garden crafts, and morning tea session at the Forage community garden at the Cannery Arts Centre. Running every Thursday during school terms (excluding Week 1), from 9 am – 11 am, this inclusive program is open to all members of the public looking to connect with nature and others in a relaxed, welcoming space.
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With curator Cait Edwards and artists Rani Fankha & Elaine Fewings
Go beyond the gallery wall and join us for a relaxed artist talk diving into the ideas behind Radical Futures Unearthed. Facilitated by our Artistic Director, Alex Desebrock, curator Cait Edwards will be joined by artists Rani Fankha and Elaine Fewings for an open conversation exploring the making of the exhibition.
What does Radical Futures mean from a personal, artistic, and regional perspective?
How did each artist respond to the theme - and where did the work take them?
What challenges surfaced, and what new ideas emerged through process?
This is a moment to slow down and dig a little deeper - into practice, material choices, unexpected turns, and reflections from participating in the Regional Arts Triennial. You’ll hear directly from the artists about how their work developed and how the exhibition came together as a collective response.
Whether you're an artist, a creative, or simply curious - this is a thoughtful space to engage, reflect, and chat all things art.
2025
Own a Piece of Art — and Support the Cannery
Looking for something special for your wall while supporting your local arts centre? Don’t miss the 9x5 Art Auction — our biggest fundraising event of the year!
With over 200 artworks up for grabs, you’re bound to find something you love. This lively biannual event is a true community favourite — enjoy a drink, a cucumber sandwich or a snag, and settle in for a fun morning of art and bidding.
📅 Exhibition: 14 November – 13 December
🎨 Live Auction: 11am Sunday 14 December (doors open 10.30am)
We recommend visiting the exhibition in advance to see all the works and plan your bids.
Find out more about the exhibition and bidding process here.
Join us for Gather & Grow, a free weekly social gardening, garden crafts, and morning tea session at the Forage community garden at the Cannery Arts Centre. Running every Thursday during school terms (excluding Week 1), from 9 am – 11 am, this inclusive program is open to all members of the public looking to connect with nature and others in a relaxed, welcoming space.
CLICK IMAGE TO FIND OUT MORE
younity creative sessions: free art + writing workshops for lgbtqia+sb youth (13–24 yrs)
this october and november, the cannery art room will shift into something new. an open studio space where queer stories take the front seat. it isn’t school, it isn’t homework, and it isn’t about being neat. it’s about showing up, making something raw, and being loud in a world that too oftentries to quiet queer voices.
the sessions will be facilitated by local queer artist + writer, sarsby, who knows firsthand what it’s like to grow up on the coast in regional wa and feel like your story doesn’t fit the usual script. through art and creative writing, participants will be invited to channel the grit and chaos of lived experience into something honest and powerful.
LEARN MORE - CLICK PIC
The Esperance community is invited to this series of workshops to collaborate with FORM on phase two of the Esperance Sculpture Trail project!
As we move into the next stage of the Esperance Sculpture Trail, we will be working alongside the Esperance community in a series of workshops. Feedback from these facilitated sessions will inform the Public Art Strategy, Artistic Briefs, and subsequently the artworks for the project. Workshop participants will also come away with a greater understanding of the Esperance Sculpture Trail including the project's background, work to date, governance, and decision-making structure.
CLICK IMAGE to learn more and book into a workshop today.
First Nations-Only Event at the Cannery
To celebrate the exhibition Jila Kujarra: Two Snakes Dreaming, we're hosting a special First Nations-only evening at the Cannery Arts Centre.
You're invited to come down, connect with community, enjoy live music — and grab a slice of free pizza!
Local legends Kyza and Uncle Henry will be performing live together for only the second time ever. Expect a soulful, heartfelt set in a relaxed and welcoming space. It’s all about good food, good music, and celebrating First Nations art.
Families are welcome, and the event is free to attend.
As the end of Stage 1 approaches, FORM are keen to hear your thoughts on the activities that have taken place over the last 12 months where there has been a focus on gaining an understanding of the desires of the Esperance community and its sentiment towards a potential world-class sculpture trail.
This is a quick survey that will only take a few minutes.
Join exhibiting artists Rani Fankha (RE:connecting) and Alex Desebrock (Tree Listening) for a relaxed, in-depth tour through their exhibitions at the Cannery Arts Centre.
Rani and Alex will guide you through their creative spaces, sharing the stories, concepts, and techniques behind their works.
Free to attend, with drinks available for purchase.
Spaces are limited—please register here to secure your spot.
Co-presented with Esperance Community Arts Centre
Join us for an open conversation about trees with Wudjari Elder Annie Dabb, and botanist Katie White hosted by our current artist in residence Alex Desebrock
Wander, draw, and listen as Resident Artist Alex Desebrock leads a gentle, poetic walk at Lake Monjinup—tuning into the whispers, scents, and stories of the trees.
2024
What The Eyes Cannot See is a community collaborative storytelling project facilitated by Fremantle based artists Audrey Fernandes-Satar and Arif Satar in partnership with the Cannery Arts Centre for the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial.
Community members have been participating in art making workshops creating a series of Story Books and Memory Objects reflecting their sense of identity, culture and connection to place. The Story Books are fashioned as a Zine, short for Magazine, an innovative way of creating a small book by folding creasing and re-folding paper to create artistic books exploring the concept of ‘codified’ messages using a mixed media of collage drawing, writing and painting. The creation of Memory Objects by using the medium of ceramics involved the development of skills in hand building techniques to create 3D objects as ‘codified’ forms that capture the essence of individual stories exploring the concept of What The Eyes Cannot See, leading to an abstraction of sorts when individual works are compiled into collective assemblages. The community works will be exhibited as an installation at the Cannery Arts Centre gallery alongside the artworks created by Audrey and Arif. This is a satellite exhibition for IOTA24. IOTA24 is the short name for the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial 2024
Exhibition opens 6pm 17th October and runs until 17 November.
As part of an initiative to gather metals and materiel for future stages of this project, Artist in Residence, Loren will be running an 'E-Waste Buy-Back' gathering on Friday 27 September. Promising “Pizza for Parts”, you are invited to donate your out-of-date electronics to the artist in exchange for a fresh pizza. The artist will be mining precious metals from these electronics as part of an experimental smelting process.
Please come with electronics that are no smaller than a finger, no larger than a body: this can include power cords, phones, television screens, computers, monitors, remote controls, speakers, instrument cables, and other electronics that are safe to handle. Loren will keep these items, so please make sure you are ready to let them go for good.
This workshop is free and open to all aged 16+. Bookings are essential and are available for individuals or pairs arriving in ten-minute intervals. This is a BYO event.
This scholarship is named in honour of Steve Cooke, glassblower, artist, supporter of the arts and good friend to the Cannery Arts Centre. It has been set up with the support of Debbie Warnes, Steve’s partner.
To encourage emerging artists we are giving a scholarship to our popular Art Lab series. The artist selected for the Steve Cooke Scholarship will be eligible to select and attend our massive range of Art Lab workshops from July 2024 to end of June 2025 and includes a 12 month membership to the Cannery Arts Centre.
The Cannery Arts Centre committee invite all Cannery Arts Centre members to attend our Annual General Meeting. Hear what we’ve been up to, celebrate our achievements and applaud the announcement of a new life member.
Are you passionate about our cause and eager to play a more active role? Consider joining our committee! Comprising a vibrant mix of individuals, our committee is the driving force behind the Cannery's success. No matter your background, all skills and perspectives can help shape our future endeavours. Nominations and expressions of interest for committee positions are highly encouraged and can be made by contacting us today!
Come down to the Cannery Arts Centre and off to the left-hand side of Norseman Road; our Forage Community Garden is attached to the far side of the Innerspace Building.
Kat Walkerden will lead a group of keen volunteers to tinker away at any necessary work to keep our garden beds and vegetables in full swing all year round. Join us, bring a friend, make some more, and create in our vibrant, natural haven.
Banner image by Dan Paris, Mama Stitch 2026.