2026 Craft + Design Canberra Artist-in-Residence Recipients Announced | Jeffrey Sarmiento, Julie Bartholomew and Lea Durie

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Image | Jeffrey Sarmento Encyclopedia 2015 | Photograph Supplied by the Artist

Craft + Design Canberra is thrilled to announce that Jeffrey Sarmiento, Julie Bartholomew and Lea Durie have been selected as the 2026 Artists-in-Residence. This competitive program undergoes a rigorous review by a committee of Accredited Professional Members of Craft + Design Canberra, representing diverse craft and design mediums. 

For 19 years, we have collaborated with the ACT Parks and Conservation Service to offer residencies that explore the intersection of craft and nature. The residency provides artists with solitude and space for creative reflection, opportunities to engage in public workshops, and culminates in an exhibition at Craft + Design Canberra. 

In 2026 the research partner will be the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), offering a two-week research period focused on Australia’s rich audiovisual heritage. During this period, artists will engage with archived voices and stories that capture our collective memories, cultural shifts and evolving identity. 

Following the research period, artists will spend three weeks at Gudgenby Ready-Cut Cottage in Namadgi National Park. Since 2006, this residency has offered a profoundly transformative environment that fosters reflection, inquiry and the development of new work. 

This program supports exploration of the 2026 Artist-in-Residence theme of Dissent, encouraging artists to consider how craft and design can embody productive disruption and meaningfully challenge established norms. 

The residency will be followed by an Open Day at Ready-Cut Cottage in in Namadgi National Park on Saturday 28 March 2026, where the artists will host creative workshops. Stay tuned for more details so you don't miss this exciting opportunity to take part. 

In 2027 the artists will present their work in the annual Artist-in-Residence group exhibition at Craft + Design Canberra. 

Congratulations to Jeffrey, Julie and Lea!