Subject: September 2025 eNews: Annual Studio Exhibition opening 27/9, Student Profile: Dinah Davis, Special Fundraising Raffle + more

September 2025 eNews: Annual Studio Exhibition opening 27/9, Student Profile: Dinah Davis, Special Fundraising Raffle, Workshop offerings + more

Hi Friend


This month's features are:

  • Annual Studio Exhibition opening Saturday 27 September 3–5pm!

  • Student Profile: Wednesday AM student Dinah Davis

  • Special Fundraising Raffle, amazing prizes to be won!

  • Last chance for Early Bird discount on Term 4 Workshops!

  • New Special Workshops available to book

  • Make a tax-deductible donation to TBSSS

Read on to learn more...

TBSSS Annual Studio Exhibition 2025

September 27th, 3-5pm. All welcome!

The 2025 Annual Studio Exhibition will open on Saturday 27th September at 3pm – all welcome to come along! We are excited to be able to throw open the doors to once again welcome students, current and past, along with friends and supporters into the studio.


Current and recent students are encouraged to submit a finished work that they have created in the past year at either a TBSSS Term or Special Workshop. The ASE is a wonderful opportunity for all our students to exhibit their work and for everyone to celebrate our fantastic creative community.


We hope to see you there to celebrate another creative year at TBSSS and we welcome you to invite your family and friends!


The exhibition will be open for viewing at 1A Clara St, Erskineville on:

Saturday 27 September 3–5pm (opening event)
Sunday 28 September 10–4pm

Monday 29 September 10–2pm

Tuesday 30 September 10–2pm

Wednesday 1 October 10–2pm

TBSSS Student Profile:

Say hello to Dinah Davis

This month we're speaking with Wednesday AM student Dinah Davis, a wonderful part of our creative community at TBSSS, as part of our student profile series—it's been great to learn more about everyone's inspirations, backgrounds, and works, so please get in touch if you'd like to be featured.


How long have you been at TBSSS?

Sculpting has been on my radar since I created my major work for year twelve in high school, “Lady in the hammock”. There was a gap from then until Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School became an essential part of my week about 7 years ago. Before then, I was mainly raising a family and working as a nurse. I did however grab a few chances to do life drawing so I could be more prepared to sculpt one day.


What are some sculptures that inspire you?

Most of our travels overseas see us wandering through some wonderful galleries and/or Roman/Greek ruins. There are a couple of sculptors that I feel are standouts, Ivan Mestrovic and Barbara Hepworth. Both very different but very bold, powerful and tender sculptors.


What do you love about sculpting?

My mind while occupied by what is happening within our family, is often getting some ridiculous idea that leaves me at odds on how to go about the construction. I love that the ideas and the sculptures are always evolving and depending on the medium, take different turns during development.


Coming to TBSSS provides me with the opportunity to learn many different techniques and use different mediums with the guidance from a wonderful group of teachers and inspiration from fellow sculptors!


What do you do when you’re not at the studio?

Since retirement, life revolves around grandchildren, gardening, and of course sculpture.


Tell us about what you’re working on currently…

Currently, my goal is to complete an alabaster bust of an unknown woman. The good thing about that, is she is able to evolve without me worrying about not getting a likeness. Given that she is missing the back of her skull due to lack of stone, I would like to achieve a way to add to her head to create a beautiful shape. A work in progress…


Thanks for chatting with us Dinah!


Pictured above:

Life study of Benedicta with Wendy Black (top left)

Dinah with Life study with Ingrid Morley (top middle)

Dreaming, my daughter Eliza (top right)

Persephone, by Ivan Mestrovic (bottom left)

Toes, my granddaughter Millie (bottom middle)

Two Forms (Divided Circles), by Barbara Hepworth (bottom right)

TBSSS Annual Fundraising Raffle—Tickets now available for purchase!

Support TBSSS and go into the draw for your chance to win some fantastic prizes!


1st Prize - A dinner for 4 people at Aria Restaurant to the value of $1200, generously donated by Solotel Group.


2nd Prize - A $500 credit towards any workshop or specialist class at Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School.


3rd Prize - An 'Inspire' Family Membership to the Art Gallery of NSW for one year valued at $180, kindly donated by the Art Gallery Society and a $100 credit towards any workshop or specialist class at Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School.


Ticket prices:

1 ticket @ $ 20

3 tickets @ $ 50

8 tickets @ $100


Click here to purchase your tickets! The raffle will be drawn at the Annual Student Exhibition on 27 September, 2025.


The raffle will directly benefit various scholarship students who will be able to access sculpture classes. The raffle also supports the Life Study Program (a program very dear to our founder, Tom Bass’s heart) by subsidising the cost of the life model. Some of the funds raised will also go to assisting with upgrading the studio in the most needed areas, such as new carving tools.


Each raffle ticket you purchase will have an impact on the School and affect the next generation of sculptors by enriching our community’s cultural landscape. PLUS there are some fantastic prizes lined up. With a limited number of tickets to be sold, there is a chance you could walk away with something special - a celebratory dinner perhaps in one of Sydney’s finest restaurants, overlooking the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

Bookings open for TBSSS

Term and Special Workshops

Term Workshops


Term 4 runs Monday 13 October – Thursday 18 December, 2025
3 hour weekly sessions, over 10 weeks (9 weeks for Saturday)
EB fee: $645.30 / Full fee: $695.30


The Early Bird Discount ends soon, on 23 September, for Term Workshops in Term 4 2025! These workshops are for all skill levels and aim to develop your knowledge and understanding of all aspects of creating sculpture in a range of media. Everyone is invited to encounter a unique artistic experience in an inspiring studio space! Book in for your preferred session here. 


Sculpture in a Day: Carving Soapstone with Wendy Black


Sunday 26 October, 2025

10am – 4pm

Fee: $250 (bring a friend for a discount to $220 each!)


Create a small finished soapstone sculpture in this one day workshop. Soapstone is a soft easily carved stone with beautiful patterns and available in a variety of colours. You will be shown how to use rasps and files to reveal the hidden organic shapes and forms within. The final polishing is always a wonderful surprise as that reveals the beautiful colours and texture hidden within the stone. Fee includes one piece of stone. Bookings open here!


Working from the Life Model with Jenny Pollak


Fridays: 17 October – 12 December, 2025

(9 weeks)
10:30am – 3:30pm
EB fee: $805.30 / Full fee: $895.30


This intensive life study class offers students the unique opportunity to make a study of the nude in a single extended pose. The human body is one of the most challenging, eloquent and time-honoured subjects for the exploration of artistic expression. While the class is not focused on the anatomical study of the body, deep observational skills are essential to the realisation of the finished work and will form a part of the discussions held over the course of the nine week term. Click here to book now!


Stone Carving with Elena Murgia


Mondays: 13 October – 10 November, 2025 (5 weeks)

6 – 9pm

Fee: $355.30


This brief course will help students undertake the basic techniques of carving. Learn how to remove step by step the material that is surrounding a sculpture, starting from unveiling the basic volumes connected together in harmonious composition and the beginnings of the finishing process where time permits. Book in here!

We thank the City of Sydney for their ongoing support of TBSSS, through the Accommodation Grants Program.

Donate to the Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School

We wanted to bring to your attention that every donation you make to the Tom Bass Fund for the Promotion of Sculpture (over $2) is completely tax deductible. You can donate either through PayPal or call 02 9565 4851 to make a donation over the phone.


We thank you for your consideration.


Pictured above: TBSSS scholarship students working in the Studio.

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