Greenbush Art Group Steel Life exhibition on at Araluen Arts Centre until February 2025

The Red Centre capital’s premier arts centre is displaying 170 pieces of ‘steel life’ crafted by artists from an unexpected location. Find out how you can see it.

Araluen Arts Centre in Alice Springs. Picture: Supplied

An exhibition has brought the “hidden talents” of a group of artists – whose work is normally only seen by those behind bars – onto the main stage of an Alice Springs art centre.

From November until February next year, works by Charles Darwin University’s corrections program are on display at the Araluen Arts Centre as part of GreenBush Art Group’s exhibition called Steel Life.

Featuring more than 170 pieces, the works are made out of recycled materials and use welding techniques to showcase the connection between the artists and nature.

Araluen Arts Centre is hosting Greenbush Art Groups sixth exhibition from November 2024 to February 2025.

“I tried to capture the action of the lizards in movement, using reused and repurposed items such as nuts, wire, ball bearings and motor parts which is the style of art I find interesting,” one of the artists said, speaking about their lizard creation.

Alice Springs Correctional Centre general manager Bill Carroll said the exhibition presented works which were “more than just pieces of art made of timber and steel”.

“They represent and symbolise the thoughts, feelings and creativity of people who are incarcerated for long periods of time,” he said.

One of the works by Greenbush Art Group.

“For those prisoners who participate in these exhibitions it is the only opportunity to express themselves in a community forum where I know people will value the many hidden talents that are behind the wire of our prison system.”

This is the sixth exhibition by artists from the GreenBush collective, with this year containing one key difference: participating artists were able to get a Certificate IV through CDU TAFE.

CDU TAFE Visual Arts lecturer corrections Sue McDonnell said the artists had been working on the pieces for most of the year.

“These students work hard and are determined to become artists, these exhibits allow them to see their work become a reality,” she said.

All of the works on exhibit are for sale, with a small percentage going to the artists.

Originally published as Greenbush Art Group Steel Life exhibition on at Araluen Arts Centre until February 2025