Three things I love: Art with kids is possible! Perth artist parents share their secrets

Each week, WAtoday reaches out to the Perth community to discover three things people love most about our coastal capital. Today we feature Anna Louise Richardson and Abdul-Rahman Abdullah, artists who live on a cattle farm with their three small children on Whadjuk Nyoongar Boodja in Mardella, just south of Boorloo/Perth. Anna Louise, a 2020 Ramsay Art Prize finalist whose practice centres around drawing, has a solo exhibition currently touring nationally. Abdul-Rahman Abdullah, a council member for the National Gallery of Australia, works primarily in sculpture and installation and has exhibited extensively both around Australia and internationally. The pair have collaborated on a new family-friendly installation, Shelter, opening in November in Applecross. Here’s what they love about Perth.

WA artists Anna Louise Richardson and Abdul-Rahman Abdullah with their children.Credit: Bo Wong

1. Our farm just south of Boorloo/Perth is far enough to get a truly rural lifestyle but close enough to enjoy the great things the city has to offer. And nature is everywhere! We love that Perth is a surprisingly green city. Our favourite spaces are Kings Park/Kaarta Gar-up, Serpentine National Park and Perth Zoo. The zoo has a special place in our hearts not only for its stunning botanical gardens and because of our shared interest in animals, but for the role it played in our origin stories – Abdul-Rahman worked on many of the sculptures and enclosures in his early years as a model-maker through which he was connected to the farm, visiting to find cow bones to mould way back in 2004, little knowing that it would be his future home. We are so lucky with our slice of the world and these public spaces not only provide sanctuary but remind us how important they are to fight for and to create in our own neighbourhoods as the world gets hotter and harder for wildlife to thrive in.
2. The art galleries. Now that we have three little kids we really love the galleries that are family-friendly, places that provide amazing programming as well as space for the kids to run around. The best options in town are Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle/Walyalup, which has loads of gallery spaces, including a dedicated kids’ creative space and a massive lawn. Goolugatup Heathcote, Applecross, is another favourite with a beautiful gallery and gift shop right next to a deluxe pirate playground overlooking the river. And The Art Gallery of Western Australia has a dedicated artist-led space for families: Gallery 9.
3. The beach, of course! No list is complete without mentioning the beach, this is Perth after all, and we have the best. We’ll let you in on our secret. We live in the deep south so our favourite – kid-friendly, easy parking, most beautiful – beach is Waikiki Beach, Warnbro Sound. It’s got everything we need, without the crowds and traffic you’ll find at the more popular beaches. You can expect pure white sand, at least 50 metres between towels and no big waves. Perfection!

The family at the beach, farm and zoo. Credit: Top right by Bo Wong. Others supplied.

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