Westside Stories - Little Galleries
Suburbia in West Torrens – February to May 2025
As you make your way around the City of West Torrens, be sure to keep an eye out for the little pink roofed galleries - found in parks, along the river, near cafes and even in front of Hamra Library.
These Little Galleries have become a much loved part of the West Torrens landscape, exhibiting the works of talented artists themed around fascinating Westside Stories.
The latest Little Galleries exhibition is all about Suburbia in West Torrens – evoking familiar scenes and feelings, the artists involved represent a diverse understanding of what Suburbia in West Torrens means to them.
Little Galleries
Little Galleries are exactly what they claim to be. A small space - 500 x 600mm gallery - for exhibitions of small art created by amazing artists. Lovingly hand made by the talented team at the Camden Men's Shed.
Check out the Little Galleries map to help you find all nine locations.
HINT: They're hard to miss with their bright pink roofs drawing your attention.
Please enjoy these beautiful diverse Westside Stories artworks in the Little Galleries exhibitions while exploring West Torrens.
1. Hamra Centre Library - front garden bed, Hilton
Alyssa - I am a crafter and artist of every kind, if there's something to make or a new skill to acquire I'll give it a go. You can find me facilitating the Craft and Art Space at the Hamra Centre Library, a space where I get to share these skills. My favourite part of art - aside from buying supplies - is it's capacity to inspire community building.
Garden Life - the suburbia in West Torrens I have the most frequent view of is within the library walls and looking out onto the Memorial Gardens. The diverse ways people interact with the spaces - from picnics, dog walking, to business meetings and a place of rest - inspires the colour in the piece. Wanting to combine the two spaces, I've used paper representing the collections of the library, to craft this scene inspired by the garden.
The Craft & Art Space is located in the Hamra Library Sun Room and is open every Monday 3pm - 5.30pm and every Thursday 10.30am - 1pm. All (18 years and over) are welcome!
2. West Torrens Memorial Gardens, Hilton
Alex Nizamis - I’ve been an illustrator and character designer for over a decade. My main medium is digital art, however, I love to dabble in various physical mediums from time to time. I also interact with pop culture and its communities by selling art and merchandise to conventions all over Australia.
Through the Seasons - When thinking of the surburbs, I always think of when I take my dog for a walk and notice how the seasons change with all the fauna that we have in West Torrens, that was my inspiration for this piece. I wanted to capture the different seasons all in one.
Sales and enquiries
3. Weigall Reserve Playground, Plympton
Leesa Pertsinidis - I am a portrait artist, working with both animals and people, mainly in acrylic, pastels and colour pencil. I especially love the challenge of funny faces, crazy poses and incredible light. Every piece of work is a journey of discovery both of the personality of the subject and the play of colour and light.
K-Poppin’ Kid - A mad enthusiastic K-pop dancer, singer and fan Ev embodies enthusiasm, honesty and inspiration….. for this portrait I have worked with a limited pallet on a wood panel and distressed it to create a conversation between the raw material and the magical colour of Ev.
Sales and enquiries
4. Holland St/Winwood, Thebarton
Tristan Barlow - I am a photographer based in the inner western suburbs of Adelaide. Inspired by the everyday beauty and the feelings of solitude and isolation that exist within greater suburbia, I aim to document the growth and evolution of suburban spaces within West Torrens. Having spent time living overseas and interstate I have recently made my way back to Adelaide where I have had the benefit of seeing my hometown through a new lens.
Franchises Available - My images naturally adhere to the theme of Suburbia in West Torrens and this image is no different. Residential areas in West Torrens commonly overlap with light industrial areas which makes for a visually interesting pastiche of themes, colours and textures which I am inherently drawn to. With a lot of the West Torrens landscape evolving rapidly, I have tried my best to document a combination of the existing and the emerging landscapes within suburban West Torrens.
Sales and enquiries
5. LoveOn Café, Mile End
Melak Khaleel - born in Baghdad, Iraq, is a visual artist blending traditional and contemporary themes to explore historical connections to the present. Her work seeks to deconstruct cultural, religious, and political stereotypes, with a strong focus on community engagement through an artistic lens. Influenced by her heritage, Melak uses vibrant colors and a diverse range of materials and techniques, integrating painting, sculpture, and installation into her practice to explore these ideas.
My Colourful Home in West Torrens - By integrating traditional items and symbols into a reimagined modern home in West Torrens, this work encourages viewers to reflect on history and the beautiful homes that make up their neighbourhood - each filled with stories and the colourful people who inhabit them. These private spaces are rich with cultures and memories, often carried across oceans and countries. This project aims to celebrate the beauty and significance of multicultural suburbs while emphasising the importance of preserving these cultural legacies, inspiring future generations to keep creating and stay inspired.
Sales and enquiries
6. Apex Park - West Beach
Adele Justice - I’m an emerging artist based in Kaurna Country, near the Barossa Valley, specializing in oil painting. After studying the arts in New Zealand and Adelaide, I’ve spent 20 years in arts education and leadership. I re-committed to my art practice in 2020 and now run AJ ARTS CO full-time, where I facilitate creative events and paint commissions. My work begins photographically and develops through spontaneous play with materials and a meditative, layered painting process. Though emerging, my art is gaining recognition, with selections in the 2022 Kennedy Art Prize and a special mention in the 2024 West Torrens Art Prize.
Suburbia in West Torrens evokes the concept of sonder - where each home, sitting side by side like books in a library, holds a complex story within. The objects in the yard offer glimpses into the lives of the people who reside there, prompting us to reflect on our own spaces, childhood memories, and the nostalgia of home.
Sales and enquiries
7. Inparri Wama - Thebarton
West Torrens Historical Society is a voluntary not-for-profit organisation founded in March 1976. It records, collects and researches matters of historical interest relating to the people, businesses, events, land and buildings within West Torrens.
Memory Lane - The suburbs of West Torrens have, and continue to, change over time. The history, colour, look and feel pieces together to create a familiar picture of this place we love – even in black and white.
Want to see more? The West Torrens Historical society, together with the Hamra Centre Library, has been digitising its records. Hundreds of the Society's files - photographs, images, documents, transcribed interviews and newspaper reports are already accessible on the Libraries SA website.
8. Linear Park Trail/Main St, Lockleys
Gabi Cirocco - completed her Bachelor of Visual Art at ACSA in 2015. Her current practice involves reflections on her Italian heritage. She works primarily in portraiture however and is widely skilled in installations, set design, drawing, embroidery and sculpture. Gabi works as an Arts Assistant and creates from her studio at Collective Haunt Inc.
Golden Views - My work is a celebration of the quiet beauty found in the ordinary moments of suburban life. Through my paintings, I explore the small, intimate joys that ground us and bring a sense of peace to our often chaotic world. Each piece is rendered on gold leaf, infusing the everyday with a sense of the sacred. The use of gold recalls ancient art traditions while creating a contemporary dialogue about what we choose to honour and revere in our lives. For me, these paintings are meditations on presence, comfort, and the beauty of appreciating our surroundings.
Sales and enquiries
Want to know more stories of West Torrens?
The West Torrens Historical Society has compiled an amazing breadth of diverse and fascinating stories that will add many layers of new meaning to the streets, parks, shops and areas that you know and love.
Keep an eye out for future Westside Stories, Little Galleries exhibitions.
For all enquiries contact Di Caught.
Check out Little Galleries of the past.