Rebecca McIntosh

Charcoal Stories. A @chrysalisprojects Project in collaboration with Vernon Ah Kee, @waanjiman Avid Reader and Tim Bennetton Architects See their name. Say their name. Vernon Ah Kee’s homage to local writers, writ large at Avid Reader. It takes a Village to make a landmark mural. Charcoal Stories was seeded in late 2020 by @becmacstudio and @mscarmelh during the COVID crisis to employ artists, revitalise the struggling Boundary Street shops, and bring the West End community together. The flagship creation of Chrysalis Projects 4101 has transformed the literary hub of Brisbane’s iconic West End – Avid Reader – into a major landmark public artwork by globally recognised, Brisbane based, contemporary artist Vernon Ah Kee. The mural wraps around the bookstore and celebrates a curated list of Brisbane authors, whose names fill square tiles in Ah Kee’s signature bold black and white text. This mosaic of word play is overlaid by dark surfboard shields, which feature the names of Brisbane’s Aboriginal authors in Ah Kee’s own handwriting. The work is a testament to the power of art in place. Video produced by @mhansonmedia @chrysalisprojects @waanjiman @avidreader @timbennetton_architects @becmacstudio @mscarmelh @allcitywalls @resenecolour @uapcompany milanigallery @artsqueensland

I don’t just want window dressing, I want real systemic change! What is clear is that fear limits women’s participation, economic security, quality of life and social cohesion. It is time to reimagine how we design our cities by centring women, girls and marginalised people’s experiences. If a place is safe for women, it’s safe for everyone. @churchill_trust Read Article link in bio ⬆️ I am open for business - to collaborate, partner and for key note speaking opportunities that advance making places safer for women and girls. DM me! #safercities #feministplacemaking #arts&culture #safercitiesforwomen

Being here in New York has brought back so many memories of the time @victoriajohnstone presented LOVE TV in 2012 with the @nyc_dotart & made so many great connections with people like @kendalhenry @ekentnyc & @emcola57 to name a few. It was such an epic undertaking on a grand scale with the work being presented in The Bronx, Flatiron Plaza, Coney Island, Staten Island, Queens & Brooklyn on a minuscule budget. The LOVE TV installation was stored in an old people’s home in Bedsty thanks to @kendoba_bklyn then driven to all our sites by Kane Naylor. The team catching the train to these far off destinations, bumping in, presenting the work, bumping it out then heading home to do it all the next day. This work has definitely informed so much of my thinking & understanding of the value of art in place, developing projects in partnership with communities & most importantly DIY - because no one else is going to do it for you!!! Lots of conversations I’ve had this time have reinforced how important it is for creatives to get on with making work against all odds. I had no funding from Australia so we had to crowd source our funds. Even with the City of New York as a partner no funding body would support us from Australia. I also remember when I came home there were crickets from the sector & I had to clean houses to pay off my debts. Thanks New York there is nowhere else like you! #placemaking #nyc #diy #lovetv

Incredible day of powerful self transformation at the @flyingfoxwoman mask making workshop. I’m blown away by the beautiful, intricate, thoughtful work that was made yesterday by the participants. The day opened with an introduction to mask making through the ages by @lainiburton that placed the space we were working into an ongoing historical cultural dialogue of women using masks as a way to empower and redefine identity. I then introduced my twenty year body of work, Flying Fox women and the significance of this work to the greater Logan Project making safer spaces for women & girls. Then @kimischieren led a brilliant workshop providing participants with a framework that allowed people to define their mythological guardian and then bring her to life through the process of the mask making. Thanks so much to @anthropoltergeist for all your support work and eye for detail & @silveypatrick for doing all the extra running around. Massive thanks also to @artisanqld for sponsoring this workshop & all the staff at the @loganartgallery This feels like the beginning of something big and evolving. #flyingfoxwoman #safercitiesforwomen #craftivism

Massive congratulations to @_leelai winner of the 2026 @thestellaprize for her book Cannon a graphic novel that Lee described as a portrait of anger. This is the first time the National literary Award Founded in 2012, to celebrate Australian women and non-binary writing has been presented in Brisbane. Congratulations to all the other finalists as well! It’s good to be reminded about the power of reading and to put down the phone and pick up a novel something I really need to practise myself!!!

I caught up with @lainiburton at her panel discussion about @jemimawyman incredible exhibition Deep Surface @qutartmuseum @lainiburton will soon publish her book “Masked: Anonymity, Empowerment, and Identity in Fashion and Popular Culture”. She will be talking about the history of masks as a tool for transformation & self-empowerment at the @flyingfoxwoman mythological mask making workshop on Saturday 16 with @kimischieren @loganartgallery Book for the workshop link in bio. @flyingfoxwoman is @becmacstudio six-part participatory project — this workshop is a crucial step in the journey towards the major exhibition.This workshop is proudly supported by @artisanqld Queensland’s leading organisation for makers. This project is supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF). RADF @artsqueensland is a partnership between the Queensland Government and @logancity.council to support arts and culture in regional Queensland.

It was seven years ago Richard Bell @heshowzoff took his work Embassy 2019 to the @venice.art.biennale A powerful protest work that continued his artist as activist dialogue on the impacts of colonisation and capitalism on the First Nations People of Australia. It’s been interesting to see the heightened activism that has played out against the backdrop of the world’s biggest art fair this year with @pussyriot protesting the Russian Pavilion inclusion, a 24-hour Labor pause for Palestine and workers’ rights – the first in the biennale’s 131 year history, even Banksy’s Migrant Child restored and travelling the city on the back of a barge, amongst others. Large scale global events will always be an opportunity to bring to attention injustice and inequality and in a way these conversations and actions are as vital and important as the main events. Produced @popsartbecmac Filmed @cazuarina @milanigallery #venicebiennale #richardbell #activist #biennaleprotest

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! 💐💝🦇 Image: Rebecca McIntosh Untitled Photo collage 2008

We were thrilled to win the @creativebrisbane Awards for @mscarmelh and @becmacstudio @chrysalisprojects @vernonahkee Ah Kee Charcoal Stories! Winner First Nations & Industry collaboration, Highly Commended Public Art collaboration, @popsartbecmac finalist best Social Media News Story! 🏆🥇♥️ A true testament to the power of collaboration to overcome all obstacles & still be friends Carmel Haugh @fionastager @avidreader Vernon Ah Kee @leesawatego @timbennetton_architects The judges said Charcoal Stories ensures Indigenous literary voices are physically entrenched in the city’s fabric and was developed with rigorous Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property protocols. It embeds a story and identity that will stand the test of time, as Country does, and is a landmark achievement in permanent urban storytelling. Thanks so much to the @creativebrisbane directors who produced a world class event and took Brisbane next level in its support and celebration of artists and creatives in this town @barton_d_green @Bec Pini @taghaode123 @pedrojono @becmacstudio @carmenza_nyinqld , MBA, GAICD @troycasey85 Phillip Stork @Tanya Ellen Congrats to all the other finalists & winners - the calibre of work was extraordinary! Also big thanks to the sponsors Rachel Healy Queensland Performing Arts Centre (@atqpac ) the first movers whose support helped make it possible! Charcoal Stories, Chrysalis Projects Carmel Haugh, Bec Mac & POPSART, in collaboration with artist Vernon Ah Kee, @milanigallery Iscariot Media, Avid Reader Bookshop, Tim Bennetton Architects, @allcitywalls Drakos and Co, Resene Paints, Gadens Lawyers @stoohey70 , (the late) @eatoncameron , Bligh Tanner, Jonothan Oldham, Caroline Gardam and UAP | Urban Art Projects #dreamboldly #chrysalisprojects #popsart #creativebrisbanecollab

It was so refreshing to spend time with world leader in @placemakingx @ekentnyc Kent, and Australia leader @village.well @grochecouste & @Emma Hall at the Regenerative Placemaking Master class last week. It was also great to join the following amazing thinkers and doers in Placemaking for the industry panel. Stephen Burton @pomodesign_strategy Brooke Williams @fourfold.studio Natasha Doherty Dr. Gregor H Mews Key Take-Aways 🍏The core of placemaking is shifting focus from objects and design to people and places, emphasizing community-led, culturally rich environments worldwide. 👯‍♀️Effective governance requires empowering communities, moving from project delivery to collaborative, place-led approaches. 🏪💈🛍️Diverse public spaces attract mixed users, encouraging interaction and sustaining community presence over rigid designs. 💐Regenerative Placemaking Model includes five pillars: Healthy Planet, Flourishing Cultures, Joyful People, Lovable Places, and Thriving Economics. 💵20-25% ROI seen in placemaking projects, enhancing community cohesion and preventing economic leakage through local spending. 🥰Joy and Culture are vital for community attachment; public markets and night economies, like Queen Victoria Market, drive vibrancy. 🏡Gentrification Risks necessitate policies like affordable housing zoning to maintain community authenticity and inclusivity in development. 🎨Transformative Engagement emphasizes deep listening and community empowerment; workshops yield practical solutions and funding for local initiatives. 🎯Place Curators are essential for managing ongoing vibrancy; success relies on continuous community engagement and adaptive governance structures. #placemaking #creativeplacemaking #artistled #bettercities

How do you move about the city at night after dark? What feelings come up for you? What does your body feel like, what thoughts are going through your mind? Are you looking for escape routes, friendly faces, open doors. Do you move with ease taking your time enjoying the magic of night just lingering under the stars. These photos taken on the recent Logan Night Walk were capturing spontaneous reactions from participants to the places we traversed. A simple invitation to stand in space at night and express how you feel. A woman alone at night brings up many connotations, tapping into age old thinking around what is she doing there, what is she up to, what is she wearing and what is she looking for. These images examine lone women in night spaces and asks you to consider what feelings and ideas they bring up for you? @flyingfoxwoman #Flyingfoxwoman #safercitiesforwoman

We won @creativebrisbane Awards for @chrysalisprojects @vernonahkee Charcoal Stories! Winner First Nations & Industry collaboration, Highly Commended Public Art collaboration, @popsartbecmac finalist best Social Media News Story! 🏆🥇♥️ A true testament to the power of collaboration to over come all obstacles & still be friends @mscarmelh @fionastager @avidreader @leesawatego @timbennetton_architects Thanks so much to my fellow @creativebrisbane directors who produced a world class event and took Brisbane next level in its support and celebration of artists and creatives in this town @barton_d_green @becstarp @taghaode123 @pedrojono @carmenza_nyinqld @troycasey85 @phillpstork @tanyaellen Congrats to all the other finalists & winners - the calibre of work was extraordinary! Also big thanks to the sponsors the first movers whose support helped make it possible! Now it’s time to get a job! #dreamboldly #chrysalisprojects #popsart #creativebrisbanecollab