Gallery of Young Art (GoYA)

In recognition of Wear it Purple Day, Boroondara Youth and Solar Productions presented the exhibition 'Flashback of Fabulous: A History of Wear it Purple Day', about the history and importance of the day by exploring a visual timeline of the themes from the last five years:

• 2020 theme: “We are the change” artwork created by Timothy Cubbo.
• 2021 theme: “Start the conversation…. Keep It Going” artwork created by Timothy Cubbo.
• 2022 theme: “Still Me Still Human” artwork created by Timothy Cubbo.
• 2023 theme: “Write Your Story” artwork created by Lawson ‘Wukawe’ Dodd.
• 2024 theme: "Your Passion, Your Pride", artwork created by Nicky Tsekouras.

In collaboration with the 1,000 Hearts Project, this exhibition comprises of 1,000 handmade eco-friendly pocket hearts, creating a welcoming entrance to GoYA and the Youth Hub. Volunteers, or 'heartists', make these hearts so that they can be distributed to charities, services and individuals who need a bit of love. As part of this exhibition, young people were encouraged to write positive affirmations, highlighting the power of kindness in action as the project intends. Check this exhibit out next time you're at the Youth Hub!

We invited young artists to step into the future with our upcoming exhibition themed '50 Years in the Future: What Does the Future Mean to You?'. 

Young artists, aged between 10 and 25, had the unique opportunity to unleash their imagination and explore their visions of tomorrow. Imagine a world transformed by technology, sustainability, cultural shifts, or even utopian scenarios. However, this exhibition is not just about imagining flying cars or futuristic cities; it's about diving deep into the core of what the future means on a personal level. Whether it's through illustrations, photography, or digital art.

To celebrate the richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture during NAIDOC Week, Boroondara Youth teamed up with Murnong First Peoples Gathering Place for an exciting Dreamtime story boomerang workshop. Young people dove into the world of Aboriginal Dreamtime, symbols, and history to design their very own dreamtime story boomerang.

‘Celebrating Community’ was an exhibition to celebrate Pride Month, showcasing the work of young artists that focussed on LGBTQIA+ themes. Though the month of June 2023, Boroondara Youth and the Gallery of Young Art invited young artists to creatively express their thoughts and feelings through art with the theme of ‘celebrating community’. The showcase saw many different forms of creativeness through drawing, painting, digital art and more. The event showcased the many talents of local young people whilst celebrating and acknowledging their unique versions of community. 

In response to desires to support young creatives during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the Social Imagination Project was born. With curated online content, access to industry workshops and tutorials, artists connected with one another and shared in their love of all things creative. Celebrating the resilience of young people, the Social Imagination Project showcased a variety of beautifully crafted artworks created during the 2020 Victorian COVID 19 lockdown. The exhibition involved an array of pieces ranging from paintings to mixed media to sculpture, providing an understanding into the resilience, minds and experiences of young creatives during this time.

In December 2021, young people had the opportunity to take part in Kitsch Collective. Kitsch Collective gave participants the opportunity to take part in 2 workshops run by local creatives Sarah Seahorse and Making A Mess. In these workshops, they created a piece of wearable art to keep. The final pieces were also displayed in GoYA in January 2022.

Picture our Words was the second exhibition created by GoYA (Gallery of Young Art), run in collaboration with Solar Productions. 

The journey to create Picture our Words began with a two-day workshop when young artists and writers gathered together to tell their story through visual art. They were joined by artist and poet Cameron Semmens, who helped the artists brainstorm ideas for their works. 18 participants who attended the event created art for the exhibition. They were encouraged to practice their circular drawing skills and to think about non-linear phrases and words. 

GOYA’s first exhibition, A Mile in my Shoes, was developed following a workshop where young artists gathered together to tell their story through creating a pair of shoes. They were joined by art therapist, Melinda Eason, who helped the artists brainstorm ideas for their shoes. From the 40 participants, 11 artists were chosen to have their portraits and creations displayed at GoYA. These creations can still be viewed in the Youth Hub today.