Keen to get to know others in the neighbourhood? Join us for community gardening or community craft each Friday morning from 10am … and then share morning tea out on the corner from 11.30am. You’re welcome to come along for any part of this low key community-building morning.

We’ll be starting a new yarn bombing project with community craft participants inside - all skills (and no skills) gratefully received - at the very least everyone’s always keen for a chat! And the garden needs some love after our month of holidays if you’d like to be active outside for an hour or so.

We hope to see you here in 2021!

We’re super excited to be offering a Saturday 6 week drawing workshop here at ACC in Term 1 and 2. The classes run from 2-4pm, and are led by local artist Louisa Bufardeci. Term 1 starts on Saturday 13 February. Term 2 starts on Saturday 1 May. The cost is $90 for 6 weeks - that is $15 per week.

In this class you will develop basic observational drawing skills. With all materials supplied, it is a low-cost opportunity to develop and build the observation and co-ordination skills necessary to make creative drawings in any style. The course will cover contour drawing, creative compositions, drawing with perspective etc.

There are only 2 spots left this term, so book in quickly if you are keen to join in. Just click here.

We’re very excited that our lovely local artist friend Louisa Bufardeci will be offering a 6 week program of drawing classes in the community shed on a Saturday in Term 1 and Term 2 this year.

The classes are designed for all abilities from beginners to more experienced artists, and will focus on building up participants observational drawing skills. They will explore things like perspective and composition using objects at hand (perhaps you’ll walk away with some fabulous drawings of power tools and handsaws!).

The classes could be ideal for high school students who are doing art, or anyone else who would like to come along and join in a low cost art experience.

If you have a burgeoning interest or simply enjoy company while you create please book yourself a place here.

The course costs $90 for 6 weeks (only $15 a week) and includes Louisa’s tutoring and all materials. Term 1 starts on Saturday 13 February.

Local artist Maria is keen to run a community short course ‘Introduction to Collage”.

Collage is one of those arts that is accessible to everyone. It can be serious or very funny and can be a wonderful meditative process, with the cutting and pasting and then moving the elements around and interchanging them to come up with a final design.

If you think this might be your cup of tea click here to find out more about what Maria is proposing, and to register your interest. Maria will then contact you in February to discuss how the course will progress.

Jen Neille has been teaching in our shed and building art in the garden spaces at Alphington Community Centre for a little while now.

So we thought you might like to know a little more about her!

I asked Jen how she came to be an artist and how she found her way here.

Jen said that she has never been a traditional girl. Instead she won prizes for her art and her efforts at sport. She loved science and still does today. She explained that when she was small her family went to church and because she hated to sit still, her mother brought things so she could draw and colour. From there she explored all her interests in art, including drawing and painting, and then branched out into sewing, fashion styling, landscaping (which was part of her family business), renovating houses and mosaicking (which she learnt at Traralgon Neighbourhood House - her intro to neighbourhood houses!).

Jen originally attended Traralgon Neighbourhood House with her children, but she ended up teaching there. And in doing so she discovered a passion for teaching women.

It was in 2010 when she was working in bushfire relief in the West Gippsland region that she met Laurie Collinsa metal sculptor who would become a friend and teacher to Jen. In 2015 Jen took Laurie up on his offer to show her how to use a welder and Jen went to Jindivick twice a week to learn and create with him. Here is a link to explore Laurie’s art.

It was a couple of years ago, when Jen was living in Kew, that she heard that there was a shed space opening in Alphington. And so she popped by and talked with Leanne during a community lunch - and from that conversation Jen ended up working with us. We have been so lucky to have Jen sculpt signs and make art as well as teach here at ACC.

She is now teaching our Women in the Shed program, that empowers women through practical projects involving timber, tiles and metal. The program is open to beginners on Monday and those with some knowledge of tools on Tuesdays.

And in 2021 we are also offering an additional class for women of all skill levels on Thursdays with Maylei (another creative out).

You can find out more about the program and enrol here.