Image: New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale
Julie Edgar’s exhibition ‘Fins, Fetlocks & Feathers’ is presenting an expressive selection of prints centred on sea creatures, horses and birds at the New England Regional Art Museum in Armidale, New South Wales. The exhibition is on view from 31 July to 27 September 2026, with free admission.
Based on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Edgar is widely recognised for her bronze portrait sculptures, but printmaking is also a central part of her practice. ‘Fins, Fetlocks & Feathers’ brings that aspect of her work into focus through a collection shaped by observation, personal memory and an interest in the natural world.
Birds feature prominently in the exhibition. According to the museum’s exhibition description, many of the works are inspired by the range of species that visit Edgar’s studio, reflecting a direct connection between her surroundings and the subjects she depicts. The works do not simply catalogue local wildlife; they form part of a personal response to the animals and environments that have informed her practice.
The exhibition’s marine imagery draws on Edgar’s childhood memories and observations of rock pools, as well as an ongoing concern for ocean ecosystems. Her horse imagery, meanwhile, reflects a lifelong appreciation of the animals’ strength, intelligence and companionship. Together, these strands connect the prints to distinct areas of experience: childhood encounters with the coast, continuing attention to ecological conditions and a sustained relationship with horses.
The exhibition includes ‘Gold Fish’ (edition 5/5), a 2024 linocut print. Its inclusion points to the importance of relief printmaking within the presentation, a process that allows Edgar to translate her subjects into strongly defined, expressive forms. The museum describes the collection as vibrant while also characterising it as reflective, with the works brought together through memory, close observation and respect for nature.
‘Fins, Fetlocks & Feathers’ is part of the current exhibition programme at NERAM, located at 106–114 Kentucky Street, Armidale. It is presented alongside other exhibitions including ‘Unfamiliar Territory: Angus Nivison’, a survey of five decades of practice by the Walcha-based painter, and ‘Road Trip: A Residency’, which features new work by Col Mac, Rhianna Phillips, Jessica Mc Nicol and Samuel Kiernan following an intensive, site-responsive encounter with Armidale. Edgar’s exhibition remains on display through 27 September 2026.
