Words Out Loud again collaborated with Soldiers Hill Artist Collective to present an ekphrastic exhibition in June 2026.

Centred on the theme of the winter solstice (but not exclusively), the Solstice 26 exhibition entailed 24 Central Highlands writers providing responses in prose and poetry to SHAC artworks.

The exhibition was supported by a Creative Inspiration grant from Ballarat City Council, for which we were auspiced by Ballarat Arts Alive

The exhibition ran at Ballarat North Bowling Club, 402 Gregory Street, on Saturday 20 June and Sunday 21 June.

The exhibition was officially opened on Friday 19 June by Ballarat poet Melissa Watts, who also conducted an ekphrastic writing workshop on the Sunday.

Artwork and literature by SHAC and the writers were on sale at a pop-up for the duration of the exhibition.

CONTRIBUTORS:

artist – writer
April Welfare – Kirstyn McDermott
Cliff Adeney – Kylie Supski
Donna Crebbin – Steven Paulsen
Abigail Robertson – Laura E. Goodin
Stella Clarke – Annie Hall
Therese Moloney – Garry Fay
Jan Leishman – Jessica L. Wilkinson
Alan Leishman – Francis Thompson
Keith Wilson – Megan J Riedl
Ralph Domino – Craig Coulson
Wendy Whitford – Jen White
Christine Nordenadler – Melissa Watts
Neale Thompson – Evelyn Hartogh
Kate Cullinan – Heather Whitford Roche
Peter Hughes Swaddle – Rhonda Poholke
Julie B Ceramics – Annika Ludvigsen
Ian Kemp – Jason Nahrung
Olie Fraser – Rebecca Fletcher
Pru Saimoun – Georgie Stokol
Tracey Jarick – Laura Fitzwilson
Heather Campbell – Cassandra Arnold
Louise Dalton – Jennifer Zimmer-Wilson
Jannine Bennett – Fehraz Lateef
Kayden Mott – David Waldron

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