Strength Love and Joy 

by Philippa Leader

The opening night for Strength, Love and Joy – an exhibition of works by local treasure Philippa Leader, is from 5.30 till 8.30pm on Thursday the 24th of April.

Philippa Leader was a Northern Rivers artist for over 30 years and was one of the alternative artists to move to the area in the early 80’s. This exhibition is a celebration of her life as an artist and commitment to the arts in our region. Philippa was a local art teacher who explored diverse mediums such as fibre art, sculpture, drawing and painting.

For the past decade Philippa faced a terminal illness that ultimately took her life in 2024. This exhibition is a showcase of Philippa’s life work. Sixty hand painted pieces form “The Book of Strengths” which is presented as a collection as a card set of the 60 paintings each with words of inspiration, each card with a unique meaning that formed Philippa’s philosophy. The exhibition will be the launch of “The book of strengths” card pack, with the original paintings as well as a display of her private collection of her own work.

James Sippo and Lynette Leader (Philippa’s son and sister) will host the event, along with local artist Kate Stroud who designed the strength cards using Philippa’s works. This will be a special event and everyone is welcome.  Philippa’s exhibition will be on show until Saturday the 3rd of May, 2025.