'Breathtaking' Scarborough Art Show draws a crowd

Scarborough Public School successfully transformed into a popular art gallery once again this month, with more than 150 artists, collectors and parents queuing for a first look at the annual show on Friday, October 10. 

“This event is a celebration of creativity, community and care – values that sit at the heart of our small school,” school principal Emma Hutchinson said at the opening night event.

“The funds raised tonight and across the weekend make a tangible difference.

"They support additional in-class support, innovative creative arts programs and experiences, and a range of rich resources that help us deliver an inclusive and aspirational education for every child.”  

Artists and art lovers shared their reviews with the Illawarra Flame.

Mollie: “The show is breathtaking. We've come the last three or four years. It's a fixed calendar item every year for us, and it's a beautiful evening and an amazing event. The art is always depicting the local area so beautifully. It's supporting local artists, it's a lovely social event…

"I think it's a great way to snap up amazing art for a not-crazy price.”

Anh: “A lot of my work is just about everyday visual experiences. I'm a very busy person with young children, and so a lot of my work is just about what I've seen – like local scenes.

"A lot of the works that are hanging tonight are Cringila. There's a bike park there and we spend a lot of time there. My partner usually looks after the children and I've got my little sketchbook and I love the visual beauty of the area even though it's quite industrial. It's so interesting.”

Arja: “I've been exhibiting in this show for several years. It’s my fourth or fifth time back. I just love that it's such a great fundraiser for the community and for the little school. I love supporting the school and that's why I bring work almost every year …

“My work has been, for quite a while, about being underwater. I started working with water after I had an accident in the ocean. I was stung by a stingray. It actually tore through my tendon and it was a very painful encounter. I got stitches and I was limping for eight years. So, the experience definitely lives in my body.

“I am still petrified but have a healthy respect for the ocean. I admire it and I walk near water almost every morning with my dog. But I'm just looking from afar.”

Graham: “I like Scarborough because it's a good place to sell my art, it's very well run and I think this year is quite well hung. It's a little bit slow at the moment, but I'm sure people will dig deep and buy something they like before they go home.

“I've got 15 paintings exhibited, not all of them are on show tonight. I just paint scenes that grab my attention – they could be local or they could be somewhere further down the coast or inland. It's mainly landscapes and I do it in a contemporary way.”

“I've painted with traditional artists and so I can play traditional, but I tend to go off into a bit of a zone and I start to experiment, change colours, I might change things so that gives you the impression of a rock or a mortar, so I’m painting an abbreviation of something – it’s interesting.”

Alex: “We are the entertainment for the evening at the Scarborough Art Show 2025, but we're certainly not the highlight. The highlight is the art! We’re here to entertain the people and have a good time, but it’s what’s on the walls that makes it a show.

“I keep coming back because of duty. My kids were at this school for quite some time and they've since left. But once you're in, you can't escape. You have to help out at the Scarborough Art Show. It's a really nice community event.”

Paola: “I think Scarborough Art Show really showcases some outstanding work in the Illawarra …

“When I used to teach, and introduce art to children, it's the most magical thing, I’d put on music and watch their faces. There was total concentration… Especially the younger ones, the kindergarten kids, they're just wonderful. They engage in everything. They don't ever ask, 'Is this good or is this right?' They just go for it. It was my job to keep that going into the old grades. And that's what I love the most – seeing their faces and seeing them happy with what they've done. It’s the best job I've ever had, and this show supports that.

"Society without the arts just isn't a society. The number of people that come to these exhibitions, that go to art galleries every day is staggering and they contribute so much.”

Amala: “We are here to support my mum, who is an artist. Her name is Marissa Gunning. She has some very nice oil paintings here and I've come every year, it's nice to look at. It's fun."

Cassius: “This is my first time. I am the newest boyfriend of the Gunning family. I do like art. I think it's really cool to support the cause.”