This year we are again super pleased to receive funding from the Department of Education and Training to deliver a Children’s Week neighbourhood activity … and here’s a sneak peak at one of eight playstations that will be out on the street as part our efforts to promote creative and imaginative play and create opportunities for children to play by themselves or with others as they choose.

How cute are all these little snails? Lee made them from polymer clay and shells donated by Shirley

Take a stroll past ACC and the Wingrove Street shops to check out our snail world … and the other seven playstations we’ve created as well - from Wednesday!

And what about these pot plants with appendages? Gorgeous.

The next artist to feature in the Alphington Neighbourhood Gallery is Stephen Armstrong, and you are bound to recognise the scenes in his works.

Over 3 years Stephen regularly documented the Alphington Paper Mills site as it was demolished, and painted over 200 works. Our fence will include a collection of these paintings along with paintings of familiar streetscapes and landscapes in our neighbourhood.

The originals of the works featured in the Alphington Neighbourhood Gallery are all for sale. They range considerably in size and price (from $350 to $4000).

This year Stephen’s studio will be open as part of the Alphington Open Studios weekend (at the end of November). If would like to see more of his art in real life, keep an eye out for the details - coming soon!

In the meantime here’s a sneak peek of the works that will be on our fence. Pop past ACC on your next neighbourhood walk to see them in our street gallery. They’ll be up from Wednesday. And we’d like to once again thank Yarra Council for supporting this neighbourhood arts initiative.

Local artists collective Alphington Open Studios is hoping locals who use Instagram will follow their site … and are having a ‘giveaway’ to encourage you to do so … a series of lovely cards and some delicious chocolate are on offer.

Click here to both ‘like’ the giveaway post and ‘follow’ the page … then you’ll be in the running! Something positive we can all easily do at this time to support other locals who do neighbourly things in the neighbourhood right?

We’ve still got our fingers and toes crossed that the Alphington Open Studios weekend (currently scheduled for 27-28 November) can go ahead.

And did you know that we’re planning to host a small works exhibition at ACC as part of the event? If you are a local artist who would like to participate (you’ll need around 2-4 small works) please email your interest here. Thanks Yarra City Council for supporting this local arts initiative.

And good luck in the draw everyone!

You could win these gorgeous cards made by artists from Alphington Open Studios.

The latest artist to feature in the Alphington Neighbourhood Gallery is Sharyn Madder. Sharyn has lived in Alphington for over 30 years and has spent countless hours wandering around the local parks and along the creeks and rivers, watching and sketching the natural environment at different times of day and in different seasons.

Over the past 18 months she has regularly shifted her attention to the human aspects of life in lockdown, attempting to entertain herself and her family and friends with slightly black-humoured illustrations.

Find out all about her here.

And then pop past any time to check out her works in the gallery on our fence. Many of the original works featured are available for purchase. Just contact us here.

You can get a sneak peek of the gallery and her works here.

Saw this yesterday on a walk … on the north west corner of Heidelberg Road and Grange Road. Fun.