READ

Explore stories and ideas – from Q&As with exhibiting Artists to our ‘Art Matters’ article series.

2026/27 Artists in Residence Program

The 2026/27 Artists in Residence program brings together artists working across visual art and sound, exploring how audio and visual elements intersect to create richer experiences for audiences and artists. 

From live, sound-responsive painting in the gallery to sound-generated photographic portraits at the Conservatorium, the program invites audiences into the process of making. 

Additional artists and projects will be introduced throughout the program, reflecting an evolving series of creative experiments and collaborations across the region. 

The resulting works will contribute to a 2027 exhibition at Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, exploring how we listen to art, and how audiences become part of the creative experience.

Ben Kenning working in the Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre during the 2026/27 Artist in Residence program.

Caleb Arcifa

The photographer Caleb Arcifa brought his ‘Sonant Autograph’ practice to the Hunter Regional Conservatorium as part of a collaborative initiative led by Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre in partnership with Arts Upper Hunter.

Musicians of all kinds were invited to take part in a portrait experience where sound shaped the image, through performance, improvisation or original composition.

Caleb Arcifa, Sonant Autograph #001 (Joini), 2023, silver gelatin print. 

Ben Kenning & Rully Zakaria

Visitors experienced the gallery as a working studio, open daily and activated through drawing, painting and live sound. They were invited to observe, ask questions and engage in conversation with the artists in residence.

This collaborative project transforms gesture into sound. Marks made on a surface are captured through contact microphones, processed in real time and returned to the space, creating a dynamic loop between action and response. 

Ben Kenning and Rully Zakaria working in the Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre during the 2026/27 Artist in Residence program.

The 2026/27 Artist in Residence Project is made possible by the Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre in partnership with Arts Upper Hunter and the Hunter Regional Conservatorium.

READ more

The READ Archives