Housed in a heritage building initially used as a fish cannery on the beautiful Esperance foreshore, the Cannery Arts Centre is the most dynamic arts facility in the region.
This vibrant not-for-profit charity organisation presents contemporary visual art exhibitions and an eclectic menu of concerts and events from local and touring artists. It hosts artists and thought leaders engaging in their residency program and is home to the Esperance Pottery Club. With a wide range of creative workshops for adults and kids all term and every school holiday, a quaint community garden to discover and an impressive lookout to conquer, there's always a reason to visit.
Driven by community wellbeing and learning, the CAC is run by an innovative group of staff and a dedicated volunteer management committee.
The Cannery Arts Centre is a not-for-profit organisation and a registered charity reliant on membership, fundraising, sponsorship and donations to provide a unique and premier facility on the southern coastline of Western Australia. The heritage building was built in 1948 and used as a fish Cannery. After serving as a car yard, a dance hall and a youth centre, it was renovated in 1984.
The gallery and art studios are available for hire to members. Don't hesitate to contact us.
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Exhibitions
CAC's exhibitions program presents work by artists practising locally and touring exhibitions offering a diverse selection of contemporary art. All CAC exhibitions are free to visit to ensure our visual arts program is accessible and inclusive to everyone.
View our upcoming exhibitions, and past exhibitions or find out how to submit an exhibition proposal.
Events
We offer free and ticketed events year-round. The program is incredibly varied, showcasing different artforms and catering to a broad cross-section of the community. CAC is a unique venue to enjoy larger contemporary music concerts, artist talks, intimate music concerts, exhibition openings, open mic nights, poetry slams, film and performance art.
Music
CAC hosts an annual music program with Kyza Presents, using the centre's varied spaces. Throughout the warmer months, mini-festivals arrive, with Balmy Nights in November and There Goes The Sun in January. Held in the Round Garden, both ticketed events feature a curated lineup of local and touring artists.
Winter calls for a change in pace with CAC's signature series Club 75, held within the main heritage building. Club 75 creates an intimate live music environment, allowing songwriters to deliver their original compositions to a highly engaged audience. These events regularly run alongside art exhibitions, with each artistic medium strengthening the overall experience.
We believe deeply in supporting and creating pathways and opportunities for emerging local artists. Our year-round program features many songwriting, and contemporary music industry focussed workshops aimed at giving local musicians the skills to develop their craft. In addition, we host monthly open mic events. Open Mics allow musicians to further their abilities within the live music environment, acting as an essential point of connection for musicians and our supportive audience.
If you would like to touch base regarding our annual music program please contact Kyza Presents.
creative workshops
CAC delivers a much-loved creative learning and workshop program for adults and kids aged 5 to 17 years. Art Lab runs throughout the term, and KickArts is on every school holiday. Our professional tutors teach all workshops in our well-equipped maker studios. The program continually expands to incorporate different artforms alongside traditional mediums and includes painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, photography, performing arts, creative writing and more.
If you have an idea for a workshop or would like to be a Cannery tutor please get in touch with our Community and Engagement Director Katie Witt katie@canneryarts.com.au
Artists in Residence
CAC has one studio space for residencies and a residential studio for visiting artists. The relaunched Artist in Residence program attracts artists from around the world and just around the corner. We look for artists that can enrich our community program of exhibitions, workshops and learning.
The residencies allow creatives to research new concepts, develop their practice or create work for exhibitions.
Submit a residency proposal or learn more about our current and past artists in residence.