Carlisle Street Arts Space
Located just inside the main entrance of the St Kilda Town Hall, the Carlisle Street Arts Space (CSAS) presents a diverse exhibition program that encourages innovation in arts practice.
Current exhibition
Nick Cave, c1980s
© Peter Milne. Courtesy of the Artist and M.33
St Kilda’s Alright!
Art and artists in the 1980s
When: 14 July to 22 September 2023
Time: 8.30 am to 5 pm. Closed Public Holidays
St Kilda’s Alright! Art and artists in the 1980s presents a selection of works by artists who played a significant part in advancing St Kilda’s creative culture during the 1980s and 1990s.
Upcoming exhibition event
St Kilda’s Alright! then, now, always
Join us for a timely panel discussion and the final viewing of the St Kilda's Alright! exhibition.
When: 6 to 8 pm, Friday 22 September 2023
Where: Carlisle Street Art Space, St Kilda Town Hall - 99a Carlisle Street, St Kilda Vic 3182
Cost: Free
We’ll be joined by three iconic artists - Jon Cattapan, Maya Vice and DELSINKI – to discuss the past, present and future of art and live music in St Kilda.
The panel will be emceed by PBS radio broadcaster and PhD researcher, Maddy Macfarlane and there’ll be an opportunity for attendees to ask the panel questions towards the end.
Following the panel, attendees will be able to enjoy a curated playlist as they view the exhibition one last time before it's gone.
Booking is required, as seats are limited.
About the exhibition
In the 1980s, St Kilda was known as a centre for experimental and independent artistic practice. Affordable rent brought not only visual artists to the area, but also musicians, writers, and film makers. The St Kilda Council recognised the importance of capturing this cultural moment by establishing a supportive artistic program through the inaugural St Kilda Festival in 1980, which allowed for works by local and emerging artists to be acquired. Alongside these acquisitions, Council commissioned an original artwork for the St Kilda Festival poster each year.
Venues such as the Seaview/Crystal Ballroom, The Venue and Bananas facilitated the dynamic St Kilda underground music scene, hosting early punk and post-punk bands such as Boys Next Door, JAB, The Editions, Teenage Radio Stars, The Fiction, Virgins, La Femme and many more Australian and international acts. The visual arts were certainly not detached from this scene with relationships built between musicians and visual artists, fuelling experimentation.
Today, we celebrate the endorsement of the Live Music Precinct Action Plan by City of Port Phillip, which recognises St Kilda as an important destination for live music, as well as the continued role the suburb plays in Melbourne’s arts and cultural life.
The title of this exhibition is taken from Melbourne punk band I Spit on Your Gravy’s 1985 album, “St Kilda’s Alright!,” courtesy of the band’s front man, artist and local legend, Fred Negro.
Celebrating live music in St Kilda – then, now, always
The St Kilda Live Music Precinct
The St Kilda Live Music Precinct is the first of its kind in Victoria and is a strong first step in re-enforcing St Kilda as a leader of live music locally and across the globe.
Past exhibitions
Pride at Play
3 to 24 June 2023
Pride at Play is a curated exhibition that celebrates thoughtful videogames and tabletop roleplaying games made by the LGBTIQA+ community, with the LGBTIQA+ community in mind.
It works to expand knowledge of game design and highlight the importance of LGBTIQA+ representation in the gaming industry.
Small Town Emo - Fnife Games
Photo: Adam Thomas
Image credit: Morganna Magee, Anahita (detail), 2021 Digital print on paper, 91 x 60cm. Image courtesy of the artist.
Distant Shores
17 March to 12 May 2023
Distant Shores is a moving exhibition showcasing the work of Melbourne-based photographer Morganna Magee developed in collaboration with participating members of the local migrant and refugee communities. The exhibition combines portrait photography, family photos and written testimony to tell the story of cultural heritage through the lens of the migrant experience.
From the Ground Up
16 December 2022 to 28 February 2023
In collaboration with Melbourne-based artist and graffiti writer – LING, 26 graffiti writers created artworks in public spaces throughout the City of Port Phillip. Each artist showcased their work at Carlisle Street Arts Space. Works include pencil work, paintings, sculpture, photography and video projection.
LING, image courtesy P1xels
Kaspian Kan What's the Takeaway? 2021
Image courtesy of the designer.
Design Fringe 2022
Continuing the legacy of its first iteration as Fringe Furniture, Design Fringe honours the legacy of the last 35 years of the program while continually re-imagining the future of design. This exhibition celebrated the changing face of design and the work of ambitious new design leaders. Design Fringe asked participating designers to ‘Design the Future: Don’t Waste Time’. Linked to the major global challenge of sustainability the exhibition encourages both designers and visitors to rethink our relationship with objects.
SAE Games Student Showcase
24 to 31 August 2022
From Peculiar Puzzles to Mind-bending Mysteries, play a sample of the latest and greatest games from the minds of the next generation of emerging talent.
All games in the exhibit were designed by SAE Melbourne's Bachelor of Games Design student teams and offer you a unique opportunity to see and interact with the early projects of future game development all-stars.
Janenne Eaton Dream Catcher 2019
Enamel and decals on canvas
Port Phillip City Collection: Recent Acquisitions 2019 to 2020
7 July to 19 August 2022
The City of Port Phillip will present recent acquisitions acquired for the City’s Visual Art Collection. The exhibition includes works on paper, paintings, photographs and video works.
Port Phillip City Collection: Art Walks
13 April to 4 July 2022
Discover our talented local artists in this Port Phillip City Collection exhibition which features a selection of the works that inspired the Summer program of self-guided Art Walks. These explored the neighbourhoods of Elwood, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne and along the foreshore from Station Pier to Point Ormond.
Bruno Benini Unknown Title (Models at Station Pier: Vida Elekna, Lynn Richmond, Terry Taylor and Gay Vardi) 1962
About the gallery
Carlisle Street Arts Space Vista exhibition
Carlisle Street Arts Space (CSAS) is a versatile exhibition space with the capacity to present a range of visual arts practice. Located just inside the main entrance of the St Kilda Town Hall, the Carlisle Street Arts Space (CSAS) presents a diverse exhibition program that enhances the cultural vitality of the community and encourages innovation in arts practice.