SALA – the month-long, annual South Australian Living Artists Festival – continues to bloom, with a record number of nearly 5,000 artists represented in the 2013 program.

According to Flinders academic and SALA board member Dr Christine Nicholls, SALA’s value lies not only in providing an outlet for established and budding artists, but also through its function of building connections and creating social capital.

“SALA brings people together through art and promotes a form of community engagement that is often lacking in this day and age,” Dr Nicholls said.

“It becomes a hub where people can get together with others with similar interests. And the art always creates a talking point.”

Dr Nicholls, a senior lecturer in Australian Studies at Flinders, was appointed to the eight-strong SALA board four months ago. A veteran of Jam Factory and Craft South boards, she has a strong interest in visual arts, with a particular emphasis on contemporary Indigenous art.

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Of special interest to Dr Nicholls is one of SALA’s bigger “pop-up” exhibitions in the Assembly Hall of Seymour College, where a wide selection of works by Indigenous artists will be on display. Initiated and organised by retired Seymour teacher Heather Klose, the exhibition features works selected from the arts centres of remote settlements in South Australia and the Northern Territory.

“Hundreds of people come to the opening, they usually pretty well all of the works and they bring down some of the Aboriginal artists who also do workshops with kids at the school,” Dr Nicholls said.

She said increasing numbers of schools are exhibiting under SALA, joining venues that range from the State’s major galleries to artists’ studios, cafés and hairdressers.

“Dare Hair at Unley, for example, opened an exhibition of master photographer Grant Hancock’s works on Wednesday evening,” Dr Nicholls said.

“It’s a really democratic event – anybody who wants to mount an exhibition can approach SALA, go under under its umbrella and be part of the program.

“Literally hundreds of SALA exhibitions are happening all over the State, not just in the metropolitan area, and more are coming on board every year. There will be something for everyone, even right out in a little country town.”

One of SALA’s new major venues is Gallery 1855 in the Tea Tree Gully Council Chambers, where the exhibition has been curated by the Council’s Cultural Officer, Flinders arts graduate Niki Vouis.

“This exhibition really reflects the nature of SALA:  they have some celebrated name artists such as printmaker Margaret Sanders, jewellery artist Leonie Westbrook, and Ann Newmarch, as well as recent migrant Chinese-Malaysian landscape artist Pheh It Tao, but many of the 45 artists are locals exhibiting for the first time,” Dr Nicholls said.

“Included in the latter group there are also some really talented artists, like local Tea Tree Gully man John Palmer.”

Dr Nicholls encourages people to attend the free SALA exhibition openings, which are happening “left, right and centre” over the Festival’s first weekend. Full details of the program can be found at the SALA website.