The Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre’s Summer Series of exhibitions will launch on 21 November 2026, transforming four gallery spaces, including the newly developed North Gallery, with vibrant colour and a distinctly summer atmosphere. Inspired by the beach, water and surf, the exhibitions celebrate the people, places and stories of the Limestone Coast, showcasing the region as the ‘Coast with the Most’.
The exhibition program features Salt Fruit by Henry Jock Walker, Once I Loved the Torn Ocean’s Roar by Gerry Wedd, and Seven Stitches by the Embroiderers’ Guild of Mount Gambier, all on display until 7 February 2027. Meanwhile the North Gallery will host Frida Las Vegas’ Coast with The Most running through to 6 June 2027. The exhibition includes interactive creative experiences designed to inspire and engage visitors of all ages.
Riddoch Curator Chris Clements said visitors can expect a memorable summer gallery experience when the exhibitions open later this month.
“The exhibitions we’re bringing together at the Riddoch this summer are hot, bright and exciting with a love of making behind all of them. There is a strong ‘surfs up’ theme and some of the brightest colour combinations you are likely to see this season. These shows are a real win for The Riddoch and we are very proud to be opening such a strong set of exhibitions,” Mr Clements said.
Through Salt Fruit, Henry Jock Walker delivers a body of works that tie back to memories of growing up on his parents’ farm in Willalooka.
A recipient of the prestigious Samstag Scholarship, Walker is currently studying and living in Los Angeles and returns to the Limestone Coast with this exhibition which showcases his multidisciplinary and vibrant creative practice that intertwines fine art with surf culture. Working with found and repurposed wetsuits, Walker cuts, splices, collages and sews the material into tactile works that pulse with line, shape and vivid colour, celebrating the ocean, sustainability and experimentation.
From Mount Gambier’s collective of embroiderers, Seven Stitches showcases works highlighting seven embroidery techniques that form the foundation of the craft as we know it. Displayed alongside key works from the South Australian Embroiderers’ Guild Museum, works by members of the local guild take viewers on a journey from the art form’s humble beginnings to its place today as a contemporary practice.
Exploring an enduring connection to the coast, Once I Loved the Torn Ocean’s Roar brings together ceramic works by one of Australia’s most celebrated ceramists, Gerry Wedd. Celebrating the beach, surfing, the ocean and its inhabitants, the exhibition features vessels painted in the tradition of blue-and-white pottery, weaving stories of the ancient and mythological with the personal, contemporary and hyperlocal. Wedd was also an influential graphic designer for clothing label Mambo between 1986 and 2006 and has exhibited extensively across Australia, and internationally.
Debuting in the North Gallery, Frida Las Vegas’ (AKA Stavroula Adameitis) Coast with The Most draws on research undertaken on Adameitis’ residency at The Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre in April 2026. This interactive exhibition takes nostalgia out of the past and into the present, spotlighting local legends and celebrating icons of the Limestone Coast community for visitors of all ages. Frida Las Vegas is a South Australian artist and designer known for her maximalist graphic artwork and textiles that celebrate colour, kitsch and Australiana.
Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre Director Ashleigh Whatling said the launch of the Summer Series represents a significant moment in the ongoing evolution of The Riddoch and its exhibition programming.
“The opening of the North Gallery marks an exciting new chapter for The Riddoch and there is no better exhibition to launch the space than Frida Las Vegas’ Coast with The Most. Frida’s immersive and interactive exhibition shines a spotlight on the people, stories and local icons that help define the Limestone Coast, inviting visitors to participate and create their own icons,” Ms Whatling said.
“Together with the work of Henry Jock Walker, Gerry Wedd and the Embroiderers’ Guild of Mount Gambier, this Summer Series offers a colourful and distinctly local experience that celebrates our connection to place.”
The public is invited to attend the exhibition openings on Friday 20 November 2026 with doors open from 5:30pm and proceedings commencing at 6:00pm. The event will feature a free live performance from Limestone Coast icon Dave Graney, and Clare Moore.
Adding to the opening weekend, artists Gerry Wedd and Frida Las Vegas will be at The Riddoch on Saturday 21 November 2026. Gerry Wedd will discuss his work in conversation with Curator Chris Clements at 11:00am, while Frida Las Vegas will present a floor talk on Coast with the Most at 12:00pm, offering insights into the exhibition and signing copies of her new book, Australianarama.
