Artists In-Conversation: The Power of Negative Spaces

Next date: Thursday, 15 October 2026 | 05:30 PM to 07:00 PM

Darren Harrold - The Next Town Over no 3 (Cropped).jpg

Enjoy a panel discussion in the gallery with Regional Spotlight artist Darren Harrold and two accompanying local artists Jo Williams and Luke Macqueen as they guide us through topics covering the multidisciplinary applications of the power of negative space in art.

About the speakers:

Darren Harrold

Regional Spotlight artist Darren Harrold experiments with black and white photography to capture focused yet atmospheric perspectives of local cityscapes. In the series The Next Town Over, Harrold works with the contrasting shapes and edges of Maryborough buildings and the evening sky to frame new perspectives of urban scenes that are often overlooked in everyday life.

"I regularly volunteer with Council establishments in Maryborough during the weekends. I've found that in the evenings after these shifts there is often a shocking drop in people and cars active on the streets. Coupled with the unique architecture of Maryborough and when captured in high contrast black and white, the scenes can be quite haunting. I'm rather fond of this mood in street photography, so when I decided to begin a project for Regional Spotlight, I sought to capture more of this ambience around Maryborough. I believe that The Next Town Over no. 3 captures this best, while the rest do so to a lesser degree. I am, however, still proud of the outcome of this project."

Jo Williams

Jo Williams is a conceptual mixed media artist and writer. In 1990 she graduated from National Art School in Sydney with a Diploma of Art (Fine Art). In February 1991 she was admitted to McKinnon De-tox unit at Roselle Hospital with chronic alcoholism. The combination of her recovery from alcoholism and her inherent need to express herself creatively are parallel lines on which she travels in life. Most of the foundations of Jo's work is autobiographical and comes from a deep well of authenticity. She currently lives on the Fraser Coast and creates and teaches from her studio in Howard: Jo's Art Cave.

Luke Macqueen (Flamm Academy)

Luke Macqueen has been involved in music for over 20 years, beginning their journey with the drums at a young age. Age-old story of tapping on desks, chairs, or pots and pans until his parents relented and bought Luke's first drumset. They studied drums at Waratah School of Music in Katoomba NSW for 10 years, honing their skills and deepened the understanding of various musical styles.

🕝Time: 5:30 - 7:00pm
📅Date: Thursday 15 October
📍Location: Hervey Bay Regional Gallery, 166 Old Maryborough Rd, Pialba
🎟️Tickets: Free, please register

Book here

Regional Spotlight on view until 15 November 2026

This event is supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund, a partnership between the Queensland Government and Fraser Coast Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.