Mawang Holiday Art Club
Screenprint by Mawang participant, created during a workshop celebrating 2026 NAIDOC Week: 50 Years of Deadly
Mawang (Wiradjuri for all together) returns for the school holidays! The workshop will be held from 30 September -2 October 2026.
First Nations kids aged 9 – 12 are invited to join a 3-day screen-printing workshop led by local Wiradjuri artist Bethany Thornber. Kids will design and print an artwork that will be included in a public exhibition opening at MAMA in December 2026!
Wednesday 30 September: Kids meet Bethany Thornber, explore MAMA, learn all about silkscreen printing, and begin their own design
Thursday 1 October: Stencil making, practice silkscreen printing on fabric.
Friday 2 October: Print final design onto fabric. Resulting works will be included in an exhibition opening at MAMA in December 2026.
Mawang is a First Nations art program originally developed by artists Aunty Glennys Briggs and Bethany Thornber in 2021, with a focus on First Nations creative practices from South-East NSW.
Workshop details:
Wednesday 1 September – Friday 2 October 2026
10.30am – 12.30pm
Registration includes all three morning sessions over the week 10:30am – 12:30pm. Lunch included. Please wear clothes that can get messy (aprons will be available).
This program is for First Nations kids in NSW and VIC. Suitable for all skill levels, and materials will be provided.
Contact: Alinta Maguire, MAMA First Nations Curator
alinta.maguire@alburycity.nsw.gov.au
Meet the Artist
Beth Thornber was born in Corowa, a small town on the banks of the Milawa/Murray River in NSW.
A First Nations curator, educator, and artist of the Wiradjuri people, she is currently based in Chiltern, Victoria. Her multi-disciplinary practice uses colour and a visual alphabet of animal, plant, and human motifs to question themes of impact: historical, environmental, and human impact on Country. Her work considers existing structures cemented in everyday life and applies this lens to reimagine ideas of sacredness, boundaries, common ownership, and shared responsibility.