Acclaimed Australian painter Angus Nivison has expressed his excitement about working with the next generation of artists as part of the New England Regional Art Museum’s (NERAM) newly launched mentorship and exhibition program, New Horizons: Emerging Voices in Landscape.
“During years of art practice, I have always, when the opportunity arose, given time to teaching and mentoring young and emerging artists,” Nivison said. “The chance to take part in the New Horizons project is exciting indeed. It is always rewarding to ‘give back’, so to speak, and to impart some of the many lessons learnt over such a long career.”
NERAM is proud to present New Horizons, an ambitious ten-month creative development initiative designed to support emerging artists living and working in regional New South Wales. Expressions of Interest are now open, with the program culminating in a major exhibition at NERAM in late 2026.
At the heart of New Horizons is an intensive professional mentorship with Nivison,
whose distinguished career spans more than five decades. His own major retrospective will be presented at NERAM in 2026, creating a rare opportunity for emerging artists to develop their practice in dialogue with an artist of national significance.
Up to five selected artists will work closely with Nivison at both NERAM and his Walcha studio, taking part in masterclasses, studio-based mentoring, critical conversations and guided professional development across the year. Nivison said he looks forward to the exchange of ideas that mentorship programs such as New Horizons encourage.
“I look forward to meeting and interacting with the next generation of artists,” he said. “In situations like this, the benefits of programs such as New Horizons are a two-way process, and one that is immensely important to the development of a long-lasting and productive career.”
NERAM Director Rachael Parsons said the program reflects the museum’s ongoing commitment to regional artists.
“Supporting the growth of regional artists is central to NERAM’s mission,” she said. “New Horizons gives emerging practitioners direct access to an artist of national significance while fostering the skills, conversations and creative confidence that help build resilient, long-term careers. This program is an investment in the future of regional arts – and in the extraordinary talent that exists across our communities.”
In addition to mentorship with Nivison, participating artists will receive curatorial and professional development support from NERAM staff, including guidance on writing, exhibition preparation, career planning and documentation. Artists will also engage in public programs, community activities and digital storytelling throughout the year. The program will conclude with a group exhibition presented in dialogue with Nivison’s retrospective, offering emerging artists a rare opportunity to position their work within a broader conversation about landscape, practice and influence.
New Horizons is open to artists working in any medium whose practice engages with the expansive theme of landscape, including conceptual and non-representational approaches.
Expressions of Interest close on 25 January 2026. Selected artists will be announced in February 2026, with the creative intensive taking place from 23 to 27 March 2026. The final exhibition, New Horizons: Emerging Voices in Landscape, will run from 2 October to 8 November 2026.
For full project details, visit:
https://www.neram.com.au/event/new-horizons-emerging-voices-in-landscape/
This project is supported by the Australian Government through the Regional Arts Fund, and by the Country Arts Support Program administered by Arts North West.
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