Jane O'Sullivan

So many whales this afternoon 💙

I've cast on another sweater

3 x kids cricket matches this weekend, which only means one thing, it's time to cast on a knitting project

I know, I know. Many a slip twixt cup and lip, especially when it comes to arts funding, but gee it's nice to see ideas in the air

"Launch major writing fellowships; expand First Nations writing and publishing; ensure fair pay for creators; strengthen Western Sydney literary organisations and emerging writer’s academy; activate residencies for writers."

👏👏👏

Wow ❤️

A grassy coastal park with a big square of yellow caution tape marked out.

A high zoom (because I value my life) photo of two adult plovers and two fuzzball chicks.

They put caution tape around the demonic nesting plovers and their chicks. Wise.

We have launched the Disability Arts History Australia website!
-Visit the Disability Arts History Australia website at: disabilityartshistoryaustralia.net
-Visit the Padlet to create a post with information for the Timeline about a person, event, and/or organisation padlet.com/bree_hadley/...

Sullivan+Strumpf both at Frieze London. Photo: Reinis Lismanis via Sullivan+Strumpf insta

Actually pretty major to see Gregory Hodge, Julia Gutman, Tony Albert and Alex Seton at Frieze London with Sullivan+Strumpf. So hard for Australian galleries to crack the big international fairs. I wish them the best of luck

Your new book is out! (And now you feel like a ‘first-class numpty’) The long-awaited moment of publication can bring emptiness, anxiety and a surprising lack of fanfare.

"It’s the collapse of all that fantasy that’s miserable. But, as I have to remind myself, the fantasy was nothing more than scaffolding, so it had to fall away."

David Owen Kelly with the metaphor we all needed (even us non novelists) it's okay to dream, that's what holds up the work til it's ready

what an amazingly productive day (both kids back at school whew)

Mike Hewson’s The Key’s Under the Mat review: arty playground is joyous and chaotic Mike Hewson shatters taboos and transforms the Art Gallery of NSW’s Tank space into a light-filled, living playground.

She's not wrong! Mike Hewson's The Key's Under the Mat was so loud! Really enjoyed seeing the gallery overturned like this

www.artshub.com.au/news/reviews...

Probably best to chase it indefinitely

🔥❤️⚡

Creative Australia awards Khaled Sabsabi $100,000 grant months after dumping from Venice Biennale Funding is a silver lining in a tumultuous year for the Lebanese-Australian artist from western Sydney Creative Australia has awarded a $100,000 grant to artist Khaled Sabsabi, months after he was controversially dumped and then reinstated by the federal arts body as Australia’s representative for the 2026 Venice Biennale. The grant – one of 16 made under Creative Australia’s Visual Arts, Craft and Design Framework – will fund the creation of a new body of work for a solo exhibition opening in March 2027 at Adelaide’s Samstag Museum of Art, which will also include Sabsabi’s Venice Biennale work. Continue reading...

Creative Australia awards Khaled Sabsabi $100,000 grant months after dumping from Venice Biennale

I wrote to Tony Burke about the closure of Meanjin, and finally received a reply from the office of Jason Clare, who had been forwarded the message because it was an issue for higher education, rather than the arts (!).

This is a wholly embarrassing and inadequate buck pass and response.

Screenshot of Creative Australia media release. Media release Tuesday 14 October 2025 Creative Australia invests $1.6 million in in ambitious new commissions for leading Australian artists Creative Australia has announced the latest recipients of its Visual Arts, Craft and Design Framework Major Commissioning Projects, supporting 16 artists and collectives across Australia to deliver ambitious new projects. Among the recipients is Khaled Sabsabi, who will create a major new presentation at Samstag Museum of Art. The new commission will offer Australian audiences the opportunity to experience a major new body of work from the highly acclaimed artist, following his international presentation at the Venice Biennale.

Interesting. Creative Australia announces new package of funding and leads with support of Khaled Sabsabi

Hit Mike Hewson's The Key's Under the Mat with the kids today. I'm sure there's lots to say about suburban aesthetics & class in contemporary art spaces but mainly, it's kind of delicious being in a gallery this LOUD and busy and chaotic

www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/whats-on/exh...

Gift of Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis in honor of Klaus Biesenbach and Christophe Cherix

Marlene Dumas, Jen, 2005
https://botfrens.com/collections/14377/contents/1137121

'wily lyricism' where ' rhythm and cadence never falter'
Enjoyed this perceptive review of a worthwhile, hard-to-pin-down novella.

Thanks Michael, glad for an opportunity to write about this one after it felt like it slipped under the radar here

Kids are yelling insults at each other in their room. "THAT'S GRAMMARLY INCORRECT"

The cover of the US edition of Josephine Rowe's novella Little World is a line drawing of in gold foil on a parchment background, showing a church like space with a shining featureless head floating in the air.

"This epic sweep is a lot to ask a little novella to hold, but Rowe moves with wily lyricism and speed."

My review of Josephine Rowe's Little World is now up with Adroit

theadroitjournal.org/2025/10/08/a...

Cultural exchange on the international stage Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940, co-curated by the Art Gallery of South Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, celebrates 50 Australian women artists who tr...

Just seen Dangerously Modern at Art Gallery of NSW, presenting the art of 50 Australian women artists who pursued their passions in Europe between 1890 and 1940

Here, I talk to the curators about Bessie Davidson and Agnes Goodsir and their works made against the odds artguide.com.au/cultural-exc...

A Review of Josephine Rowe’s LITTLE WORLD The saint arrives in a horse trailer, packed in a box made from tamanu wood. She has no name, her age is uncertain, and there is no sign of death or decay. Orrin Bird is reluctant to take her. A ha…

My review of Josephine Rowe's strange, shimmering novella 'Little World' is now up online with @adroitjournal.bsky.social A joy to write about Australian literature #auslit #bookreview #novella

Task Eternal - Announcement Powerhouse Parramatta will launch with Task Eternal in 2026, one of the world’s most ambitious aerospace exhibitions

👀 Launch exhibition just announced for the new Powerhouse Parramatta in Sydney. Not dates yet but it's about flight. Exhibition design inspired by Ted Chiang’s science fiction short story The Tower of Babylon. Also a newly commissioned essay by Chiang. We like.
powerhouse.com.au/stories/task...

Oh gosh! I guess the underside of a deck makes a pretty good home 😳

The kids have spent all school holidays calling each other Timothy

(Neither of them are called Timothy)

they were cruising close this morning 🐋

Exactly. Imagine if they took this as a chance to reset and create an amazing arts, culture, history museum on an appropriate site with appropriate funding - as per the original vision. We can dream