Ink It Up - Bayside City Council Corporate Centre Show until the 26th November 2024

Located in Bayside, Bayley House specialises in enabling individuals with an intellectual disability to live a full, rich and rewarding life. Our art program, run at the recently opened Bayley Arts in Highett, demonstrates that having a disability is no barrier to being a talented artist.

In August 2023, Bayley House received a community grant from Bayside City Council marking the beginning of Ink it up, a printmaking initiative with an aim to expand the artistic skills of adults with intellectual disability while celebrating inclusion and diversity in the arts.

Master Printmaker Adrian Spurr was invited to conduct a series of professional development workshops for Bayley Arts instructors to enable them to confidently support Bayley artists ink and print their own artworks. Adrian introduced collagraph and monotype printmaking methods, exploring easy to use materials and tools accessible to people with a range of abilities. Materials included bubble wrap, lace, collage, rice, string and metal ring pulls.

In June 2024, the final prints were exhibited at the Bayley Arts Gallery. The works amassed to almost 200 prints, a range of which is on display here, representing the varied techniques accomplished by the talented artists this year. As a result of Ink it up, Bayley artists developed a new skill-set, self-expression, and attuned fine motor skills, while finding accessible means to create art using traditional and contemporary printmaking methods.

Printmaking is now a regular practice at the Bayley Arts studios and a dedicated Saturday printmaking club has commenced for Bayley artists and the wider community.

This work may be available for licensing. Please email Tessa Hens  thens@bayleyhouse.org.au