Michele Grimston
ABOUT
Michele is an experienced facilitator and educator and has created projects with students and participants of all ages - from toddlers to people in their 80s. This includes everything from beginners art workshops, intensive skills development experiences to immersive arts experiences for the whole community.
With a Masters in Community Cultural Development, her focus is on creating a safe and inclusive space where people are empowered to develop and trust in their own creative abilities - wherever they may lead. She is committed to creating a supportive, group environment which allows all participants to challenge themselves and reach their full potential.
She also has strong knowledge of the Australian Curriculum, and has worked as an artist in residence in multiple schools in the ACT and WA creating student driven projects with groups of all year levels. She has worked as the Education Officer at Bunbury Regional Art Gallery - developing school tours, workshops and student exhibitions which link to the curriculum, and which provide meaningful artistic engagement for students.
If you would like to talk to Michele about developing a workshop or project for your group, please contact her
Breathing Space Artist Residency
Presented by Rebus Theathre through Project Alchemy - Oct 2023
From 26 September to 14 October, Project Alchemy artist Michele Grimston will be in residence at The Hive in Taylor. Michele will be spending her time exploring the powerful role of creative practice in rest and recovery through a series of workshops and events.
As well as working on her own creative practice, Michele will present multiple opportunities for the public to join her and create. You’ll be able to chat to the artist at an open studio, carve out some time to connect with your own creative practice through communal making sessions, and transform preloved textiles into treasured memories through guided workshops. The whole community is welcome at these events – you don’t have to consider yourself an artist or craftsperson to take part!
Project Alchemy is made possible by the Australian Government through the Black Summer Bushfire Grants program. Rebus is also supported by the ACT Government and Ainslie & Gorman Arts Centres. Breathing Space is proudly supported by Mingle, the Suburban Land Agency’s community development program
Dreamspace VI
Presented by You Are Here Canberra - April 2023
Dream Space (VI) creates an environment to connect with your personal creative process or craft in the company of others.
Join artist Michele Grimston in this open space for creativity, reflection, and restoration. Dream Space is an opportunity to work gently and creatively alongside others - carving out some space in your day to distance yourself from distractions and the infinite stimulation of our busy world and engage deeply in the creative process for a period of time.
You’re invited to use this time sitting with others to support your connection to your own creative energy in the space through whatever processes and mediums work best for you. All levels of experience are warmly welcomed – you don’t need to consider yourself an artist or craftsperson to participate – in fact you don’t have to have any artistic experience at all.
Emotional Repair Cafe
Presented by You Are Here Canberra - May 2022
You will have the opportunity to rest and physically process your some of your feelings through engaging in gentle textile practices that connect you to your body and your emotional experience.
Bring along a piece of textile that is meaningful to you but no longer functional – a threadbare sheet, an old shirt, a favourite dress that is much loved but no longer fits. Throughout the day, you will be taken through a process of deconstructing this object and transforming it into a small vessel using twining and stitching techniques.
This shared experience of the simple process of creation and transformation creates a meditative space to just be, and to sit with what comes up. The simple processes and the personal meaningfulness of the materials helps to facilitate this. The physical process of deconstruction and creation helps to create a container to be present with yourself and others in the space.
Art While You Wait
Presented by You Are Here Canberra - October 2020
Art While You Wait is a new project from Michele Grimston which invites you to dive into a deeper understanding of the time and labour involved in the creative process, and the meaning that this labour is invested with.
Over the course of You Are Here, Grimston will gift three hand-made, embroidered artworks to lucky punters. The only catch? To receive one, you’ll have to be present with the artist for the entire making process.
Each artwork takes between 6-8 hours to create – they are slowly built up stitch by stitch, resulting in tiny, precious objects. These works are part of an ongoing series Virtual Hugs, which explores changes in the way we connect and communicate with those we love under isolation or social distancing restrictions.
As you sit with the artist in the studio space you’ll be invited to take part in creative and conversational experiences which will allow you deeper insights into Grimston’s creative practice, as well as opening up possibilities to engage more mindfully in your own creativity.
Nanna's Tea Tent
Presented by Tree Street Art Safari - 2017
Nanna's Tea Tent was presented as part of the 2017 Tree Street Art Safari in Bunbury, Western Australia.
The Tree Street Art Safari is a community based event, which aims to build local networks by inviting the general public into the private homes of local artists. Nanna'sTea Tent responds to the idea that these networks are something which have been lost and must be reconstructed. Community networks are by their nature organic, but this no longer seems to be the case.
Nanna's tea tent presented a freestanding, temporary house in a public space along the Tree Street Art Safari Trail. Constructed from salvaged and donated hand-knitted and crocheted blankets, the space was soft, cosy and comfortable, referencing an imagined version of the safe space of a grandmother’s house. The warmth and softness of the structure invited audiences to put themselves at ease and encourages community members to forget their awkwardness at the prospect of connecting with other people.
Inside the tent, the artist offered tea to audiences - who were invited in to the tent in groups of up to six strangers for a brief, 10 minute conversation, prompted by question cards provided by the artist.
Overall, 140 people participated in the project, sharing a little bit of themselves with the wider world.
Photograph courtesy of Taj Kempe Photography
Awesome Creative Challenge - Coolgardie Primary
Presented by Awesome Arts - 2017
Michele Grimston and Claire Pendrigh worked with the children of Coolgardie Primary School to explore the theme I Hear You! Exploring the practices of speaking and listening, the two important parts of being heard, the students created body percussion, voice exercises, musical instruments,noise machines, masks and sculptures for a raucous end of program noise parade - proudly putting their voices and creativity out into the world.
For more information on the Awesome Creative Challenge, visit www.awesomearts.com
Awesome Creative Challenge Coolgardie was supported by Go for 2&5
Awesome Creative Challenge - Djidi Djidi Primary
Presented by Awesome Arts - 2016
Artists Lex Randolph and Michele Grimston went on a great printmaking adventure with the students of Djidi Djidi Aboriginal School. Students used their powers of observation to collect seeds and other treasures from the school grounds and then worked with collograph printing, drawing, stencilling, layering, contact printing and more to create a series of bright, colourful flags to liven up the school grounds.
Awesome Creative Challenge: Djidi Djidi Primary School was supported by Go for 2&5
For more information on the Awesome Creative Challenge, visit www.awesomearts.com
Awesome Creative Challenge - Newman Senior High
Presented by Awesome Arts - 2016
Theatre director Jeffrey Jay Fowler and visual artist Michele Grimston worked with students from upper primary through to year 12 at Newman senior High School to create immersive, experiential dreamspaces - celebrating the stories and the potential of the students.
Students worked collaboratively to construct dreamspaces from a variety of re-purposed and recycled materials, creating imaginative structures which they could then climb inside, and which acted as incubators for the seeds of new stories and ideas.
Through improvisational theatre exercises, these spaces became places for students to share their experiences, to play out their alter egos and to express what they would usually keep inside.
For more information on the Awesome Creative Challenge, visit www.awesomearts.com
The 2016 Newman Senior High S
Fortification
Presented by Tree Street Art Safari - 2016
Fortification was presented as part of the Tree Street Art Safari 2016. The team at BunbARI - an artist run initiative in Bunbury WA - filled an entire house with custom built forts for a day - inviting people to come inside, lose themselves and rediscover their inner child for a few minutes or a few hours.
Artists Michele Grimston and Alisa Blakeney presented this curated selection of forts, fun and a little bit of magic.
For more informationon the Tree Street Art Safari, visit their Facebook page
South West Sports Centre Mural
Presented by City of Bunbury - 2015
Under the mentorship of artist Michele Grimston, a team of 8 high school students worked together to brighten up the foyer in Bunbury's South West Sports Centre with a new mural. Participants responded to a design brief from the centre and worked together as a team to create and paint the design on the wall - learning from each other, and finding ways to make each of their unique styles work together as they went.
The Travelling Piano Project
Presented by City of Bunbury - 2015
Two artists, six talented young people, one week and an old piano. All these things came together to create Bunbury's Travelling Piano Project.
Working under the mentorship of artists Michele Grimston and Hannah Harper, six local high school students spent one week, and over 120 woman-hours pouring their creative energy and talent into transforming a donated piano into an incredible work of art.
The piano is looked after by the City of Bunbury, and now spends it's days moving between local businesses, waiting for locals to belt out a tune.
For more information on the The Travelling Piano, visit its Facebook page
Artist In Residence - Lyons Early Childhood School
Presented by ACT Government - 2011
Textile artist Michele Grimston worked with children at Lyons Early Childhood School on a collaborative quilt which is now displayed in the school hall. The children created the ‘School of Our Imagination’ quilt based on the school values and creative ideas from the children. A range of new and recycled materials were used, encouraging children to explore colour, design and construction under the guidance of Ms Grimston. Ms Grimston also involved the school community in other fabric-based activities including a project with parents ‘up-cycling’ old clothing.
This project was part of the ACT Government's Artists in Schools Program. Click here for more information