ADELAIDE.- This August, artists across South Australia will share their creativity as the 28th South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Festival unveils its 2025 program. From city streets to country towns, SALA invites everyone to join this statewide celebration of visual art, where neighbours, families, and friends can discover a diverse array of exhibitions within their own communities.
The 2025 program is now available online at salafestival.com, with printed copies available from Saturday 19 July at Foodland supermarkets, SALA venues, civic centres, and visitor information centres across the state. Running from 1–31 August, the festival will feature more than 700 exhibitions and events, with over 10,500 artists in a celebration of creativity spanning every corner of South Australia.
SALA continues its proud tradition of being Australia’s largest open-access visual arts event, encouraging artists at every stage of life and level to share their creativity. This year’s festival champions local stories and the unique character of our communities, with exhibitions popping up in galleries, cafés, outdoors, libraries, schools, community halls, and unexpected places. SALA offers opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect, explore, and discover the artistic spirit that thrives in every neighbourhood.
SALA CEO Bridget Alfred said “SALA Festival 2025 is quite literally bursting with artists, exhibitions, events and tours. There is a great sense of momentum this year as we are seeing a deepening of visual arts practices and connections right across the state. This August, SALA Festival claims South Australia as the nation’s centre for creativity and is there for everyone to participate and enjoy.”
The SALA Hub at ILA Light Square is hosting two SALA exhibitions and is a great place to enjoy a meal or meet friends for a drink before viewing or attending any SALA events on site:-
Nature: A SALA Roving Exhibition will be at the Light Room Bar and features the work of four artists inspired by the natural world, working across printmaking, moving image, painting, ceramics and textiles, celebrating moments of connection to the creatures, plants and landscapes we see every day. In partnership with ILA.
Coffee, Turps & Devotion brings together two incredible artists who have shared their lives and studio building for almost two decades, both working directly from life, inspired by surrounding scenes and objects, Robert Hannaford and Alison Mitchell Hannaford’s creative output is, nevertheless, distinctly different. This exhibition brings together their recent drawings, paintings and sculpture at The Light Room Gallery at ILA, presented by Hill Smith Art Advisory.
ILA will host a fantastic line-up of SALA events during the festival including:-
The SALA Forum ‘Arts in Health – The Gut Feelings Project’, will explore how the health of our gut and the health of our environment are deeply interconnected, influencing not only our physical wellbeing but also our mental health. Artist Jake Holmes is collaborating with the Dietetics Unit, with Flinders University College of Nursing and Health Sciences and Flinders University College of Science and Engineering to illuminate these connections, fostering awareness, engagement and new perspectives on holisitic health, 22 August.
Artists & Galleries networking event on 12 August, where artist and gallery representatives can meet each other in a relaxed setting. This is a chance for artists to enquire about opportunities, callouts, programs, workshops, studios spaces or perhaps put a face to a name.
‘It Takes Two’ workshop with Dan Withey on 21 August, a guaranteed night of fun and creativity; bring a friend, a date or loved one for some creative drawing manoeuvre’s.
SALA Slide Night, discover what’s on the minds of our South Australian contemporary artists, the event will be hosted by Christina Peek and will feature artists Dameeli Coates, Brenton Drechsler, Toni Hassan, Mark Valenzuela, Frida Las Vegas, Jeffrey Brown, Alyssa Powell-Ascura, Jo Fife, Swapna Namboodiri. 14 August.
The SALA Hub is also the departure point for the popular SALA Art Bus and Art Walking tours. The Karoonda Silos Bus Tour will take to the hills and beyond with exclusive artist talks and lunch at Ondeen Farm and culminates in dinner under the stars at the Karoonda Lights opening event, 9 August.
The Barossa Light Art Tour will visit Lyndoch Lavendar Farm, the arts of Angaston and Tanunda and delights of Seppeltsfield JamFactory and Wonderground, with local artist talks, platters and tastings all part of the tour, 30 August. There are also a number of regional self-guided tours, just scan the QR code in the program for more details.
This year’s Guided Walking tours include the Street Art Walking Tour with artist Nicole Black, where you will explore the work of South Australia’s street artists and the painted walls of the Adelaide CBD. 10 August.
The Local and Contemporary Art Tour will be led by artist Gregory Ackland. Discover independent spaces that nurture and support local artists and learn about the rich diversity of practices that come under the enormous umbrella of Contemporary Art. 16 August.
Sketch your way across the city on the Sketchy Walking Tour led by artist Fran Callen. No drawing experience is necessary to join this afternoon of social sketching while you explore exhibitions throughout the city. 23 August.
Join artist Farahnaz Ghofrani on a special walking Art Tour in Persian as he guides participants throughout Adelaide’s CBD, discover hidden gems and hear some unique insights about the city’s vibrant art scene. 23 August.
Some new events in the SALA program happening on 23 August include;
The Art Tour ‘Listening (to) Architecture’, looking at what kinds of acoustic spaces the architecture of our city offers us. A guided listening tour through the CBD with Tom Borgas, taking you to some of his favourite pockets of sonic intensity.
‘Fire Talks’ are a critical response yarning circle, that use a simple and effective model to generate audience reflection and connection to art.
Stranded Colourwork Knitting Workshop with artist Makeda Duong. Makeda will bring more colours into your knitting in this stranded colourwork workshop and you’ll learn tips, tricks and the best techniques to knit multiple colours with confidence.
SALA’s 2025 featured artist is Sue Kneebone. Sue is a multidisciplinary visual artist with a career spanning more than twenty years. Informed by deep research, Sue fearlessly tackles disquieting subject matters, asking viewers to confront the troubling aspects of Australia’s colonial history that still haunt us. Characterised by a distinctively Australian gothic aesthetic, her often-wry work emerges from a creative practice that encompasses assemblage and montage. Sue will be part of a SALA Forum ‘Unnatural Causes’ at Adelaide Central School of Art, Lecture Theatre on 16 August. Sue will be joined by the writers of her new monograph, Elle Freak, James Tylor, Andrew Purvis and Nicole Clift. Sue’s exhibition will also be open for viewing at Adelaide Central Gallery.
