Beyond the studio by the MAPgroup

Dancer Edna Reinhardt. © Brian Carr.
Dancer Edna Reinhardt. © Brian Carr.

MAPgroup has been working on an exciting new project, Beyond the studio – a collection of over 90 portraits of the artists of Castlemaine, captured by 18 documentary photographers in the MAPgroup (Many Australian Photographers Group). The images will feature throughout the town's walls as large-scale, black-and-white paste-ups. The exhibition is part of the Open Studios program which is a component of the Castlemaine State Festival.

Sculptor Lyn Edey. © Naomi Herzog.
Sculptor Lyn Edey. © Naomi Herzog.

The innovative exhibition transforms the streets using large-scale paste-up portraits which provide a snapshot into the amazing diversity of the artists of Castlemaine. Paste-ups are a form of street art where images are printed onto paper and pasted directly onto walls and buildings, resulting in an accessible way for people to experience artwork.

With over 90 local artists, spanning diverse mediums including painting, installation, printmaking, writing, dance, music, and circus performance, the project only just manages to scratch the surface and is the first installment of an ongoing series documenting Castlemaine’s artists.

Ceramicist Phil Elson. © Jaime Murcia.
Ceramicist Phil Elson. © Jaime Murcia.

MAPgroup will install the large-scale, black-and-white photographs as 1.8 metre panels throughout the town. The work marks the quickest route between the town’s two key performance spaces, from Mostyn Street near the Castlemaine State Festival Hub at Theatre Royal to the Phee Broadway Theatre on Mechanics Lane as well as further exhibition sites at The Mill and Lot 19.

Images will be on display at the following locations: Mechanics Lane, Bendigo Bank, Frederick Street including the Town Hall, The Mill, Lot 19.

Furniture maker Hugh Makin. © Jaime Murcia.
Furniture maker Hugh Makin. © Jaime Murcia.
Painter Jenny Rodgerson. © Krystal Seigerman.
Painter Jenny Rodgerson. © Krystal Seigerman.
Printmaker Clayton Tremlett. © Tobias Titz.
Printmaker Clayton Tremlett. © Tobias Titz.

Upcoming Events Submit an Event

July

Sydney: Until 31 Dec 2025. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

September

Canberra: 11 – 23 November. Step into the heart of Canberra through the eyes of local photographers. Essence of Canberra marks 80 years of creativity, community, and the unique perspectives of Canberra Photographic Society (CPS) members.

November

Canberra: Until 1 March 2026. Women photographers 1853–2018 highlights the transformative impact of women artists on the history of photography.

Canberra: Until 6 Sept 2026. Trent Parke’s photographic series The Christmas tree bucket 2006–09 is a tender and darkly humorous portrayal of his extended family coming together to celebrate Christmas.

Sydney: 7–30 November. The festival transforms Sydney into a photography haven with major exhibitions at Bondi Pavilion Gallery and outdoor displays throughout Paddington Reservoir Gardens and along Bondi Beach.

Sydney: Until 30 Nov 2025. Infranatura reveals the hidden beauty of Australia’s flora, exposing both its resilience and vulnerability, and exploring how light and perception shape our connection to nature today.

Sydney: Until 27 Nov. As part of the 2025 Head On Photo Festival, Sydney-based photographer Tony Maniaty is showing his latest monochrome work from recent trips to Japan, in an exhibition curated by Japan arts expert Kathryn Hunyor.

Sydney: 17 Nov – 23 Nov 2025. This collection of photographs offers a glimpse into the lives of the community of Varanasi, capturing the spirit of its people and the beauty often found in ordinary moments.

Melbourne: 28 Nov 2025 – 26 May 2026. The exhibition celebrates the wide-ranging photographic practices of more than eighty women artists working between 1900 and 1975.

December

Sydney: 4 Dec – 19 Dec 2025. The project brings together around 70 images over 50 metres of wall space, profiling a wide spectrum of practical action on climate