8 January 2026
Helpmann Academy is delighted to welcome emerging artist Crista Bradshaw as the mentorship recipient for Project Curator, Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition 2026.
Crista Bradshaw, a proud Wangkumara contemporary artist based in South Australia’s Barossa region, is gaining recognition for her multidisciplinary practice that spans painting, sculpture, installation and text. Her work draws deeply on her Wangkumara heritage, exploring cultural identity and the enduring impacts of colonial dispossession.
Crista’s practice investigates the ways Aboriginal and Western art forms can come together as expressions of healing and resilience. She has exhibited widely across South Australia, including her solo show Yuru Walbiri-ana: Only Shadow at Burra Regional Art Gallery, Still Self at The Mill in 2023, and through her role as commissioned artist for The Guildhouse Collections Project + City of Adelaide for the 2025 Tarnanthi Festival. You can visit this exhibition Between the Archives: an Indigenous Perspective right now at ART POD on Pirie Street!
Crista’s relationship with Helpmann Academy began in 2023 as a Featured Artist in the Graduate Exhibition, where she received the SALA Award and the Helpmann Academy People’s Choice Award. Since then, she has continued to engage with the organisation through multiple programs, most recently in the Stobie Pole Project 2025.
We are thrilled that Crista will now step into a new chapter with Helpmann Academy as the Project Curator for the 2026 Graduate Exhibition, taking on a mentored leadership role that allows her to support the next generation of emerging artists while continuing to deepen her own professional practice.
“I’m really excited to learn directly from a Curatorial Mentor and gain hands-on experience that will shape my transition into curating. This opportunity feels like the next step in my creative journey, building on my artistic practice while developing the skills and confidence to curate with purpose and care. I’m looking forward to exploring how exhibitions can create dialogue, connection, and understanding, particularly through First Nations perspectives. Most of all, I’m excited to contribute to greater First Nations representation and leadership within the curatorial field.” Crista Bradshaw, Graduate Exhibition Project Curator 2026
Working under the guidance of curatorial mentor Anna Zagala, Associate Curator, SAMSTAG Museum, and the Helpmann Academy Program Manager, Toni Wills, this opportunity will provide Crista with the opportunity to develop and broaden her skills to create a cohesive, impactful exhibition of works that speak to different themes and ideas. Congratulations, Crista!
“We are thrilled to welcome Crista Bradshaw as the mentorship recipient for Project Curator of the Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition 2026. Under the guidance of her curatorial mentor and our team, this opportunity will support her to refine and expand her skills as she shapes a powerful and cohesive curatorial vision. The Graduate Exhibition remains a vital platform for South Australia’s most promising emerging artists, and we are proud to once again encourage early-career visual artists—brought together through this mentorship—to step forward and showcase their creative prowess.” Jane MacFarlane, CEO, Helpmann Academy
The Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition is set to return in February 2026.
The Helpmann Academy Project Curator Program is proudly supported by the City of Adelaide.
Image credits: (1) Crista Bradshaw, ACE Headshot, 2025 Photography by Lana Adams. (2) Crista Bradshaw, Something Missing, Installation Photography, 2023, image supplied. (3) Crista Bradshaw, Yawara Muku Nara, language graveyard, 2022, Various Media.