MUMMY AND ME: Brilliantly organised by Bec MacLean and Christine Fittock last Saturday’s Mothers Day painting event was a great opportunity for mum’s and their children to enjoy creative time together. Such a great day – let’s do it again next year!!!

CHILDREN”S BEADING WORKSHOP: May 30 between 2 and 5pm at the Tully Visitor Centre, Bruce Highway, Tully. We have a children’s beading workshop coming up at the end of May. . Enquiries SMS 0401763767. Bring your child along to a workshop where they can design their own jewellery, develop new skills, and proudly take home a personalised tangible keepsake. This is a great way to foster self-expression, patience, and concentration in a fun, social environment. $10 per participant. Parental supervision required.

Tradition, Ritual, Community – an exhibition in July

You are invited to submit your work for our next exhibition opening on Friday July 10, 2026 at the Tully Masonic Centre in Tully. Entry forms due June 2, 2026. $15.00 fee per entry.

Inspired by 100 years of service by the Tully Masons this exhibition TRADITION, RITUAL, COMMUNITY is an opportunity for local artists to participate in an exhibition in July 2026 at the Tully Masonic Centre.

Artists are asked to look at their own lives to think what the themes of tradition, ritual and community mean to them and create artworks that respond to them.

The nominated themes are not restricted to any one community within the area but can easily be interpreted across cultural groups encouraging inclusion and diversity.

Entry forms available from tullyprecinct@gmail.com or 0484 282 888

Tully Arts and Cultural Precinct achieves DGR and Charity status……..

The Tully Arts and Cultural Precinct Inc have now achieved DGR endorsement aligned with being a Registered Charity with our ABN 20245821177.

A lot of hard work from members and the committee to develop appropriate policies, governance procedures and undertake creative activities has resulted in these great outcomes.

In short it means that we are able to receive donations and you the donor will be able to claim a tax deduction for anything more than $2.00. Please contact tullyprecinct@gmail.com to enquire about making a donation today.

Such great fun …..

Four days of printmaking workshop with a very talented printmaker Dian Darmansjah from NorthSite Printmakers. Such a great experience. We learned about use of paper and inks, printmaking processes and tried out mono printing and waterless litography Here are some images you might like.

A big shout out to Tully Masonic Centre for use of their workspace – plenty of room to move around. Thank you.

Photo: Jeannie Heynatz preparing her plates for printing using a waterless lithographic method.

These workshops were funded by CCRC RADF. The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Cassowary Coast Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.

Printmaking workshops in Tully

November 9, 2025

The Tully Arts and Cultural Precinct Inc. was successful in attracting funding through the Cassowary Coast Regional Council RADF program to engage Cairns based master printmaker Dian Darmansjah to create work for an exhibition “Tradition, Ritual and Community” at the Tully Masonic Centre in July 2026 to coincide with 100 years of Tully Free Masons. This creative development project will include collaborative processes, teach new skills, enhance professional development for artists and produce quality artworks. The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Cassowary Coast Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.

Photo: Dian Darmansjah demonstrates how to set up printing press at NorthSite Studios

This professional development project includes a minimum 4 days of professional tuition for local artist participants, a guided process of concept development around the themes of “traditional, ritual and community”, discussion and consideration of material preparation and use and ways to take the project from idea to form. A minimum of two workshops of two days each, with at least 2 weeks between workshops will give participants time to process information and build creative narratives which reflect themes and individual responses. It will give participants opportunities to learn new skills and engage with alternate ways of working. All of this in conversation with a highly skilled arts tutor and practising artist with many years of teaching in tertiary and studio settings.Artists will be encouraged to look to their own lives to interrogate the themes of tradition, ritual and community to develop creative narratives which convey individualised perspectives. This project builds on our 2025 artist book project “About Sugar Tully” and will allow artists to incorporate skills learned with new ones. Through the workshop process artists will also engage with and learn from each other, consider what the themes mean for others therein building cultural and community capacity and encouraging diversity. Thank you to CCRC RADF program for the funding to undertake this project. Further details soon.

Tully needs an arts and cultural precinct

Every thriving community has a heart – a place where people gather, ideas are shared, and culture is celebrated. For Tully, that heart could soon take the shape of a purpose-built Arts and Cultural Precinct in the centre of town. This exciting project is about more than bricks and mortar – it’s about creating a space that tells our story, honours our heritage, and inspires future generations.

The Precinct is planned as a multi-purpose hub, incorporating an art gallery, museum, theatre, gallery shop, meeting rooms, workshop and creative spaces, indoor/outdoor recreational areas, and dedicated offices for the Gulgnay Traditional Owners. It’s a vision designed to serve the whole region – artists, performers, families, schools, community groups, and visitors alike.

At its core, the project seeks to preserve and celebrate culture. For the Gulngay people, the Traditional Owners of the Tully region, the Precinct will provide safe storage and display for traditional objects, while supporting the preservation of language and stories. It’s an opportunity for recognition, reconciliation, and truth-telling – and a step towards ensuring that culture remains a living, shared part of our community.

Celebrating local arts and culture

Tully has a rich history of culture and creativity and it is our aim to make it available to everyone. There are many ways to engage – as an artist, as a knowledge holder, as a local resident, as a visitor, as an admirer and collector, as a parent, as a business owner – there is something for everyone.

We aim to create a central space, a place to gather, to build community capacity, to make art and to build life long friendships

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Together we will increase awareness of, recognise, celebrate and record Gulngay culture, and help build pathways for the future

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We will provide opportunities where you can learn new skills, collaborate with others and share your learnings

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We want to share our stories through objects, through art and performance, by storytelling, through social media, through events and through the creation of new histories

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We want to encourage visitors to our town, to work together to make Tully a place where people want to be.

Images top to bottom:

• Art tutor Dr Anneke Silver with Gulngay Traditional Owner Clarence Kinjun
• Artists work on artist books for 2025 exhibition “About Sugar Tully”
• Tully Sugar Ltd John Edwards takes artists through Tully Sugar Mill in 2024

Images top to bottom:
* Tutor Dr Anneke Silver with Gulngay Traditional Owner Clarence Kinjun 2025
* Artists creating artist books for “About Sugar Tully” exhibition 2025
* Tully Sugar Ltd John Edwards escorts a group of artists through the Tully Sugar Mill in 2024

The benefits will grow through increased community participation. The Precinct will act as a catalyst for creativity, offering spaces where artists can create, collaborate, and showcase their work. It will attract visitors to the Cassowary Coast, strengthen local businesses, and create jobs – driving both cultural and economic prosperity. For residents, it means greater opportunities to participate in workshops, performances, exhibitions, and community events right here in Tully, rather than travelling to larger centres.

This project also arrives at a significant moment in Tully’s history. A recent commemoration of 100 years of non-Indigenous settlement in 2024 reminds us that we were not the first people here, that the Gulngay people have been here for 1000s of years. Our community has a chance to commit to a way forward to create a facility that honours the past while looking to the future. The Arts and Cultural Precinct represents a legacy – a gift to current and future generations that will make Tully a more liveable, vibrant, and connected place.

Now is the time to get behind and contribute to our plans. With the support of community members, local organisations, and regional partners, our vision can become a reality. Together, we can build a precinct that reflects our identity, fosters pride, and ensures that arts and culture have a permanent home in Tully.