Young Manly-based arts writer, Emma-Kate Wilson—recently awarded one of Council’s Creative Community Support Grants  for her project ‘Documenting Art in Time of Corona’— is exploring how our local artists are staying connected and continuing to create work during COVID-19, through a series of online interviews in Sydney art journals, Art Almanac and Artist Profile.

Emma-Kate has interviewed Northern Beaches painter Amber Boardman for Art Almanac and local Aboriginal artist Billy Bain for Artist Profile. The articles explore the artists’ work and the influence the Northern Beaches has had on their art practice during this time of dislocation and global upheaval.

Emma-Kate’s fresh perspective has also been applied to Manly Art Gallery & Museum’s (MAG&M) current ‘Portraits Project’ exhibition. Her review and interview with curator Katherine Roberts, explores the power of portraiture during the pandemic, and has been published in Artist Profile online.

Emma-Kate writes, “The portraits pose a suitable reflection during the time of Corona, capturing a moment of time where our environment is entirely local… and even though the MAG&M curators could never have predicted the relevance of ‘Portrait Project’, it comes at a critical time as we are searching for a way to connect with each other.”

Follow Emma-Kate’s art writing project ‘Documenting Art in Time of Corona’ as she publishes her articles online and collaborates with artists and galleries on the Northern Beaches over the next six months.

Learn more about our Creative Community Support Grants program and other recipients.