Darwin Turf Club is excited to bring a striking new outdoor exhibition to the Darwin CBD called ‘Horsing Around’.

Horsing Around will feature eight life-sized fiberglass horses that will be transformed in to works of art by some of Darwin’s most exciting artists and creatives. The horses will trot out from the 16th of June, and will be exhibited until the 11th of August. The thoroughbreds will be popping up around the CBD and surrounds; on display in parks, precincts, and even jettys.

“The Darwin Turf Club is proud to bring this exhibition to life as a platform to promote the inspiring art scene in the Top End. Horsing Around will brighten up the CBD and share the excitement of this year’s Carlton Mid Darwin Cup Carnival of Colour with the local community”, said Marketing and Sponsorship Manager Laura Tucker.

Today the horses have been delivered to the various studios of the artists and community groups involved. These include:

  • Marnie Jay, put forward for this exhibition bythe Paul Johnstone Gallery.

Ms Jay’s horse will be called Neddy the Gee Gee.  Ms Jay says she will be “Combining artworks I’ve already painted to mesh together and create one big scene in a kind of Marnie Jay wonderland.”

  • Gary Lang, put forward for this exhibition by Larrakia Nation, Palmerston Cultural and Family Centre.

Mr Lang’s horse will be called Spirit Horse (Milky Way).  His horse will tell theJourney of souls through the river of stars (Milky Way). The inspiration is family stories (my Grandfather’s and Mother’s story)”, said Mr Lang

  • Rob Brown, put forward for this exhibition bythe Paul Johnstone Gallery.

Mr Brown’s horse will be called Racing Stripes. “I envisage a strikingly beautiful zebra of the black and white variety, garnished with an exquisite saddle blanket of the finest material that one can paint”, said Mr Brown.

  • Parap Primary School with headmaster Yvonne Harding.

With the horse yet to be named “The children at Parap Primary School are currently brainstorming ideas” said headmaster Yvonne Harding.

  • Ingrid Gersmanis, put forward for this exhibition by Tactile Arts NT.

“For the ‘Carnival or Colour’ I will call the horse ‘Gypsy’ because I intend to make very colourful hand-made clay pieces to decorate the horse in a typical Gypsy style”, said Ms Gersmanis.

  • Collaboration with artist Johnny Romeo and Sprout Creative. Produced by SignCity

“The horse’s name is Ned Kelly. When asked to create an artistic horse we looked for an artist (Johnny Romeo) that we have professionally worked with, who has a national and international foot print and a link to horses somehow. Ned Kelly was perfect – an iconic Australian outlaw bushranger who’s only mode of transport was his horse”, said Sprout Creative Director Anya Lorimer.

  • David Collins owner of Mayfair Gallery.

Mr Collins’ horse is called Uncle. Uncle is still in the design process; “the ideas are locked in my busy brain” said Mr Collins

  • Chayni Henry, put forward for the exhibition by Mayfair Gallery

“One of my favourite quotes about horses is by American vaudeville actor Will Rogers- ‘You know horses are smarter than people, you’ve never heard of a horse who went broke betting on people’ ”, said Ms Henry.

“This loosely forms the theme behind the work I want to do that expresses my history with the equine species and how I’ve largely been outsmarted and outmuscled by them throughout my life (I grew up with them as a child). It’ll be a humorous, but slightly resentful take on my relationship with horses”, she said.

For those that wish to take home one of these works of art, there will be an auction at the end of the exhibition. Funds raised will go to the individual artist’s charity of choice.

This project has been proudly supported by: the Northern Territory Government, Haymes Paint, Sprout Creative, Ascend Sales Trophies, and U-Cart Concrete.

Follow the progress of the horses on the Darwin Turf Club Website darwinturfclub.org.au and through the Darwin Turf Club Facebook (/darwinturfclub) and Instagram (@darwin_turf_club) pages. Interact with the horses on social media through using the hashtag #HorsingAround.

For interview opportunities with the artists or community groups involved please contact Kelly Harding DTC Marketing and Media Executive Ph: (08) 8923 4222  Mob: 0481 270 884 kharding@darwinturfclub.org.au