Bernadette Smith is an interdisciplinary artist based in Sydney using painting, photomedia and installation to emphasise non-human agency and sustainability. In 2020 she graduated with a Master of Fine Arts by Research at Sydney College of the Arts majoring in photo media. Most recently her artwork was featured at the 10th Canberra Festival of Art. She has also been a finalist in Sunstudio Emerging Photographers Prize, Art on the Greenway, Beams Festival, Electrofringe
Festival, Harbour Sculpture Prize, Sawmillers Sculpture Prize, Fishers Ghost Art Award, Mosman Art Prize and SCA Showcase at
Verge Gallery, University of Sydney. Academic qualifications include a Master of Fine Arts by coursework from San Francisco Art Institute, USA, Graduate Diploma of Professional Art Studies from College of Fine Arts, UNSW, Sydney and a Bachelor of Education in Art from the University of Newcastle. Her art practice includes painting, photography, film and screen-based art and cultural critique. She has an extensive international exhibition record with work included in collections in Germany, France, Britain, Australia and the USA. In Singapore her work was exhibited at Art Forum Gallery, Chijmes Caldwell Gallery, and the Australian High Commission. Her photo media works are available through Disorder Gallery and Soho Galleries in Sydney or Linton and Kay Galleries in Perth. Her paintings are available at Manyung Gallery in Melbourne or by studio appointment. Email Bernadette Smith at bernadettesmithart@yahoo.com.au
SOLO EXHIBITIONS2019 "Translucent Interactions" Disorder Gallery, Darlinghurst, Sydney
2018 "Don't Let the Sun Go Down", art installation at Sydney College of the Arts Gallery
2015 Newtown Art Seat public art commission
2012 “Aesthetic Transgressions” 2 person exhibition at Chrissie Cotter Gallery, Sydney
2009 “Fluid Abstractions” 2 person exhibition at Art Systems Wickham.
2008 “New Works”, 2 person painting show Meld Gallery, Sydney.
2006 Two person show John Miller Gallery, Newcastle.
2005 “Different Strokes”, 2 person show at Sauc Gallery, Sydney.
2003 Two person exhibition, Chancellery Exhibition Program, University of
Newcastle.
2000 “Affinities” Photographic Exhibition, Seniwati Women’s Gallery, Bali
1999 Two person exhibition, “Destinations” Art Forum Gallery Singapore
1998 “First Sighting, Second Coming” two person exhibition at
Art Forum Gallery, Singapore.
1995 “Landscape of the Surreal”, photographs at Elizabeth Gallery, Sydney.
1994 “Reflections on the Bight”, photographs at Newcastle Region Art
Gallery, Australia.
1993 “Australia - The Disappearing Land”, photographs and film at
Fotogalerie Kommunale Friedrichshain, Berlin.
1991 “Visions of the Heart”, photographs at Kodak Gallery, Sydney.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020 Abstracts and Impressions, Manyung Gallery Flinders
Today I, Tomorrow You at Nishi Gallery for 10th Canberra Festival of Art.
2019 Water Above and Below at Linton and Kay Gallery West Perth.
Just Art, Law Society of NSW Law Society Charity Fundraiser Exhibition, Sydney
Eden Unearthed 2018-2019 outdoor exhibition at Eden Gardens, Sydney
2018 In Translation at Verge Gallery, University of Sydney
New Artists at Linton and Kay Galleries, Perth
Light Objects - Photography in the Expanded Field at Perth Centre for Photography
2017 SCA Showcase at Verge Gallery, University of Sydney
Just Art, Gauge Gallery, Glebe, Sydney
Salon Show, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
ElectroFringe 17 art and technology showcase at 107 Projects Redfern
Let's Take the Next Steps, Short Space gallery SCA curated by Janelle Evans
Sculpture at Bayside Art Festival
Art Crawl at University of Sydney
Harbour Sculpture Prize
2016 Assistants & Emerging Photographer Award at Sunstudio Sydney and Melbourne
Beams Festival Chippendale
Sawmiller's Sculpture Prize
Redfern Biennale temporal guerilla art intervention
Vanishing Shore performance installation at Wollongong Nocturnal Arts Festival
'Fresh Art' SCA graduate show at Articulate Project Space Leichardt
2015 Leichardt Fringe Festival Subliminal Artist Trail
Art on the Greenway outdoor art installation commissioned by Leichardt Council
Redfern Biennale outdoor artwork.
2014 Fishers Ghost Art Award Finalist Cambelltown Art Centre, Sydney
2013 Out of Hand exhibition at the Depot Gallery, Sydney.
2012 The Great Unknown curated show at Artesite Gallery, Sydney Fringe Festival.
3 person show at the Depot Gallery, Waterloo, Sydney
2011 On Sale! Shops & Shopping, State Library, NSW
2010 The Star Show at the Lock Up Museum, Newcastle
5 Artists 4 Mediums Gallery Adagio, Glebe, Sydney
2009 Newcastle by Name II, John Miller Gallery, Newcastle.
2008 Xmas shows at John Miller Gallery, Newcastle and Meld Gallery, Sydney
2007 MATE exhibiton, Newcastle Art Space. Newcastle.
2005 Goya Collection Show, Goya Galleries Melbourne.
2004 preselected Cromwell’s Art prize and auction.
SAUC gallery, Surry Hills, Sydney.
“Triple Visions” Tighes Hill Gallery, Newcastle.
2003 Mosman Art Prize finalist, Sydney.
Gosford Art Prize Highly Commended
Tighes Hill Gallery, Newcastle.
1999 Shell Discovery Exhibition Paragon Gallery, Singapore.
Australia Day group show, Australian High Commission, Singapore.
“Women: A Celebration”, Notices the Gallery, Singapore.
1998 “New Generation Artists”, Art Forum Gallery, Singapore.
Chance Encounter photographic installation, Crossover Artists Group
1995 Howard Leonard Gallery, Darlinghurst, Sydney.
1993 “Primavera” Spectrum Himovitz Gallery, San Francisco.
1992 “Landscape Photography”, Blaxland Gallery, Sydney.
1991 “Cross the Creek”, faculty show, Great Hall, University of Newcastle.
“Contemporary Photography”, Stills Gallery, Sydney.
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
2020 Master of Fine Arts by Research at Sydney College of the Arts.
2007 Multimedia Certificate IV Hunter Street TAFE, Newcastle
1988 Master of Fine Art, by coursework San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, USA.
1984 Graduate Diploma of Professional Art Studies, College of Fine Arts,
University of N.S.W; Australia. Major: Photography and film/video
1980 Bachelor of Education in Art, University of Newcastle, Australia.
AWARDS and RESIDENCIES
2018 Artist in Residence at Vancouver Art Centre, Albany, Western Australia
2003 Highly Commended for painting, Gosford Art Prize.
1985 Louis B Mayer Award for Post Graduate Film, SFAI, California
COLLECTIONS
Marriott Hotels, Australia
ARCO Experimental Cinema Library, Madrid, Spain.
Kodak Photography Collection, Sydney,
Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, U.S.A.
Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France.
Fotogalerie Kommunale Friedrichshain, Berlin.
State Library of New South Wales, Mitchell Archive, Australia.
Australian National Film Archive.
PUBLICATIONS
"A Speculative Field Guide to Blackwattle Bay" published for Sustaining the Seas Conference 2017
"Visceral Art and Political Voids" in Rochford Street Review January 2016
Interview in ARTS ZINE march 2016
"Radical Newcastle" chapters 'The Star Hotel Riot and its Legacy' and 'A Hidden History of Stockton Bight' published by NewSouth Press, UNSW May 2015.
"Australian Art Responses to the GFC" Arena Magazine No. 132 Oct/Nov 2014
"Behind Government Spin - Dissing the Disabled" Green Left Weekly, December 3, 2011
“From Where I Stand” Australian Fabian News Vol 50, 2010
"Letter to Liao Yiwu" The Guardian 8 June 2011
"Work and Worklessness"paper COFFEE conference 2009 University of Newcastle
Featured on The Art Club TV program, CNN, Singapore, 1998.
“Human Intervention on Australian Beaches”, Surfrider Foundation, 1997.
Playbox Theatre 21st Anniversary Catalogue, Melbourne 1997.
“Of Thoughts and Dreams”, Peter Eastway, Australian Camera, Sept.1991.
“Real Artists Paint Seascapes...”, Bernadette Smith, Art City, Nov. 1991.
FILM & VIDEO SCREENINGS
2019 Lucent Encounters, Curatorial Lab film installation, SCA gallery, Sydney
2018 Curatorial Lab, Verge Gallery, University of Sydney
2017 Electrofringe Festival, 107 Projects, Redfern
Sydney Underground Film Festival Secret Cinema 16 mm extravaganza
2016 Beams Festival, Sydney
2013 finalist Footprints Eco Film festival, Leichardt, Sydney
2012 finalist Novembrism 2012 – Sydney’s underground music video festival
2011 official selection Festival Internacional de Cinepobre 2011 film festival
2010 Newcastle’s Cold War Secret screened at the Mori Gallery, Sydney.
2007 screening Stockton Bight – A Retrospective Screen & Media Expo, Media Centre,
Hunter St TAFE, Newcastle.
1998 video installation for Progeny dance performance, Substation
September Art Festival, Singapore.
1996 The Dispensary Cafe Theatre, Enmore, Sydney..
1994 Television Broadcast on the Community Channel, Sydney.
1993 3rd Week of Experimental Cinema, ARCO, Madrid.
1992 “Storytelling Revisited” San Francisco Cinematheque, USA.
1991 Fringe Festival at the Lounge, Melbourne.
1990 Matinaze Film &Video Survey, Domain Theatre, AGNSW. Sydney.
Australian Film and Video at the Millenium, New York, USA.
