Ararat Rural City Council is pleased to announce Susan Wirth | Sleeping, Dreaming, Waking, a new exhibition at Ararat Gallery TAMA opening on Saturday 29 August 2026 and running until Sunday 14 February 2027. Admission is free, with the exhibition open daily from 10.00am to 4.00pm
Sleeping, Dreaming, Waking presents a series of textile collages developed through Wirth's research in and around Ararat and the Wimmera Mallee. The works use found textiles and second-hand woollen blankets to explore visitor status, site specificity, and settler heritage through geometric, rhythmical compositions.
Susan Wirth is a Naarm-based artist working across sculpture, collage, and video, with a practice focused on materiality, process, and the transformative potential of everyday experience. Her work has been exhibited widely in Naarm and interstate, including recent exhibitions at Mejia Gallery, Brunswick, and Montsalvat.
Mayor Cr Bob Sanders said the exhibition adds another strong reason to visit Ararat Gallery TAMA and experience the depth of contemporary textile practice on show in the region. "Ararat Gallery TAMA is a gallery that really punches above its weight, and this exhibition is another great reason for people to come down, have a look, and support a wonderful local institution. It's a really interesting show, and using something as familiar as blankets makes it feel accessible, recognisable, and worth experiencing firsthand," Mayor Sanders said.
Susan Wirth was born on Gadigal Country and now lives and works on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country on the northern fringe of Naarm. She began her formal art training in Garramilla/Darwin, before completing further studies in sculpture and art therapy.
The exhibition will be on display at Ararat Gallery TAMA, free to attend, from Saturday 29 August 2026 to Sunday 14 February 2027.
Image caption: Susan Wirth, Untitled (detail), 41cm x 43 cm- wool, cotton and polyester. Photo: Matthew Stanton
