Meet the 2026
Artists in Residence
We are thrilled to announce the three successful applicants for the 2026 Artist in Residence program at the Suburban Land Agency Display Village and Innovation Precinct. Each of these artists will be spending three months working on a specific project, engaging with the community and committing time to developing their artistic practice.
Jessika Spencer
Suburban Sky, Ancestral Ground
Visit Jessika in the studio
Time: Thursday and Friday between 10am and 4pm, February to May 2026
Jessika Spencer is a Wiradjuri woman currently based on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country. Her practice weaves together traditional and contemporary fibre art techniques.
Drawn to slow, ancestral processes, her artistic expression is hands on, with weaving, writing, and photography as her primary mediums. Sustainability, land care, and cultural heritage are at the heart of Jessika’s practice. The materials she uses are biodegradable and respectfully gathered from Country. Empowerment and self-determination underpin everything Jessika creates. Each work is an act of cultural strength and personal sovereignty.
Jessika’s residency will involve creating a new multi-disciplinary body of work, weaving together photography, fibre weaving, textile banners and sculptural forms. She will be delivering a weaving workshop during this residency.
To find out more about Jessika, visit ngurru.my.canva.site or instagram.com/Ngur.ru
Heidi Smith
Big Kite Sky - paper hawks and the tiny Dancers fly kites, hold hands, and sing to the wind
Visit Heidi in the studio
Time: Thursday and Friday, May to August 2026
Heidi Smith works in the arts and education sector. She lives in Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country, Canberra, with her two sons and small dog. She identifies as an artist living with a disability and advanced illness. Heidi is an artist who finds answers in the action and outcome of crafting multi-media objects, textile installations, and drawings. Her explorative drawings express a tender interrogation of the role of artists in society, including their responsibilities and challenges. Smith seeks to cultivate creativity as a personal and societal force for kindness and empathy. Her exhibited works are one iteration of a creative process and dedication to life-long making.
During the residency Heidi will be making a series of kites of varying sizes, constructed from bamboo, fabric, paper and illustrations which reflects the location of Whitlam and its surrounding landscapes. She will deliver a kite making workshop during her residency.
To find out more about Heidi visit heidismith.org
Lee Evatt
New Friends
Visit Lee in the studio
Time: August to December 2026
Lee Evatt is a multidisciplinary creative based in Canberra on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country. He works across mediums such as animation, print media, photography, dance, puppetry, comics and more. His practice often explores themes such as queer identity, gender exploration, friendship, community building and his love for the natural world.
He is also the founder of Sticky Beak Comics Magazine, a local comics magazine featuring a diverse range of artists across So-Called Australia.
Lee will be creating a group of puppets for his residency, culminating in a community puppet show.
To find out more about Lee visit leeevatt.com
