Creative Spaces

Make • Create • Connect • Activate

Creative Spaces 2025-26

The Central Coast boasts a vibrant community of talented makers and creators

And, it's for this reason Creative Spaces was born. Designed to foster innovation and creativity, the gallery container at Toukley Village Green will provide an exciting space for selected artists to exhibit and connect with the community through creative workshops, talks, collaborations with other artists and installations throughout the year.

Photo by Isaac Tseng

Toukley Gallery container with doors open showing installation work

Photo Credit: Central Coast Council X Aaron Leslie

Introducing Hyun Hee Lee

From 12 January to 30 June 2026, creativity takes centre stage at Toukley Village Green with Hyun Hee Lee’s captivating art experience!

HyunHee Lee, a distinguished Korean-Australian artist, blends traditional Korean and Australian art practices to reimagine rituals, spiritual customs and cultural heritage in contemporary contexts. Her award-winning work, showcased internationally from Paris to Seoul, weaves memory, migration and identity into luminous, immersive forms.

This interactive installation invites visitors to step inside Hyun Hee Lee’s creative world and observe her process, engage with her techniques and contribute to evolving artworks. Rooted in Korean traditions yet expressed through modern artistry, the experience promises a unique celebration of imagination and connection.

What's On

Korean Dreams

Korean Dreams is an exhibition showcasing the work of five Korean women artists whose unique ad diverse vision explores culture, identity, and life through the lens of Korean diaspora in Australia.

Through their individual artistic practices, the artists reflect the sensitivity, colour and emotional resonance that remain deep embedded in memory and experience.

Date: 15-28 June 2026
Times: 10pm-3pm
Open daily

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Calligraphy and Stitching Workshop

Explore connections between language, memory and making. Learn traditional calligraphy, transform handwritten messages into stitched lines, and experiment with textile techniques. Create a personal artwork or contribute to a collaborative piece. Reflective, beginner‑friendly, with all materials and guidance provided. Work at your own pace in a welcoming studio environment.

Book a workshop

Calligraphy and stitching workshop Hyun Hee Lee

Fragments of Memories Workshop

Students explore childhood memories, transforming moments into keywords cut from coloured paper. Positive and negative shapes are assembled on canvases, using colour to express emotion, memory and loss. Guided by the artist’s practice and Korean childhood experiences, participants create artworks to take home as reminders of childhood.

Book a workshop

Children's portrait workshop

A free, family‑friendly portrait drawing activity where children create portraits of their parents using coloured pencils and crayons. Drawings are displayed as a public installation each weekend. Families can share and exchange Korean stories, creating a playful, cross‑cultural experience. Children participate with parental supervision, and everyone is welcome to enjoy the evolving exhibition.

More information

Future residencies coming up...

Margot Hislop

1 July - 25 September 2026
Margot Hislop is a watercolour artist whose residency showcases and sells her work while encouraging environmental awareness. She will deliver workshops for kids and adults focused on whale migration, including a collaborative mural. The program will highlight seabird and estuary wildlife through activities, displays, and partnerships with groups like Take 3 for the Sea.

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Hyun Hee Lee

12 January - 27 March 2027
We welcome back Hyun Hee Lee to the Gallery Container. Her residency features a Korean-Australian artist blending traditional and contemporary practices to explore memory, migration and identity. Visitors can observe her process, engage with techniques and contribute to evolving artworks in an immersive experience celebrating creativity, connection and cultural storytelling.

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Amy Corcoran

30 March - 25 June 2027
Amy Corcoran's residency focuses on inclusive, community-driven creativity through collage and mixed media. She will deliver accessible workshops encouraging connection, self-expression and play. Through hands-on and collaborative activities, participants will explore creativity, build confidence and connect with others in a welcoming, supportive environment.

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Past artist residencies

Susan Merchant

Susan Merchant, founder and creative director of Graphic Merchant, is a graphic designer and hand-lettering artist whose work celebrates the expressive power of words and colour. Susan runs engaging workshops in modern calligraphy, watercolour and digita

Debra Meier

A highly respected watercolour artist who draws inspiration from the natural abundance around her, from painting the local Yellow-tailed Black cockatoos, to capturing the vibrancy of the Australian flora around her home.

David Hough

A local sculptor who specialises in sculpture work, drawing his knowledge from a life of heritage plasterwork to a world of sculptural art. David created sculpture pieces for your home, and also partakes in jewellery making.

Grace Agnes

A local painter and photographer who blends her Fijian and Australian roots together to draw inspiration for her artwork. Her work explores the themes of self-discovery, beauty, culture and nature.