Studio Visit with Kate Stehr

Kate Stehr is the proud owner of every man's dream shed!  She has all the cool wood working tools you could ever want or need.  It's probably a little neater than a real man's shed, with all her goodies tucked away in organised draws and boxes stacked high on crooked, overloaded shelves.

Her studio shed is tucked away in her dad's over-grown garden in Wollongong. A magnificent jacaranda tree towers over the yard housing some of Kate's older sculptures, dotted throughout the gardens.  A creek flows past just outside the boundary soothing the drilling and sanding sounds coming from the shed.

Kate works away at one of the new sculptures she's completing for her Masters of Philosophy - Creative Arts (Research) on the translation of traditional narratives into sculptural form.  They are wooden puppet-like characters incorporating found and hand-made objects.  She sands and scrubs away on his face, but not too much, some chipping and carving marks are left visible.  They are so lovely and warm and heavy, you almost want to hug them like a stuffed toy, but this is not advised and certainly won't be permitted once they reach the gallery ;)

Kate works full time as a high school art teacher while also completing her Masters.  Since returning to Wollongong 5 years ago her artistic career has progressed in leaps and bounds.  In 2012 Kate's work was exhibited in Bondi Sculpture by the Sea.  She was also selected as the winner of the Clitheroe Emerging Sculptor Prize. There seems to be nothing but success on this very hard-working dedicated artist's horizon.

Narrative Play will be Kate's first solo exhibition in Orange, it will feature some of her new sculptures as well as smaller assemblages.

The exhibition is on display at The Corner Store Gallery from December 3rd - 20th with an Opening Night on Friday December 4th from 6pm.

Tropical paradise shed