Masters Work 117 Exhibition, Open Studio and Ceramic Wood Firing by Malcolm Cooke and Marily Cintra

Malcolm Cooke and Marily Cintra have a combined experience of 117 years working as artists. They will open their studio in Tharwa during the UPSTAGEING Festival and present an exhibition of recent and past works. You can see a wood kiln firing on Saturday 21st March and celebrate the kiln’s opening on the Thursday 26th March. Works are for sale.

How about a drive to Tharwa? See the old bridge and the Murrumbidgee River. The Art Shed will be open for a visit during 2026 UPSTAGEING Festival. It is a great opportunity to visit an established local studio, see how the work is made, speak to the artists, be part of a ceramic wood firing and the opening of the kiln.

The Art Shed was established in Tharwa in 1992 by Malcolm Cooke and Marily Cintra. The Art Shed has a gallery open to the public on weekends, and by appointment.

Malcolm Cooke has 56 years experience working as a potter. Trained in the Bendigo Institute of Technology now La Trobe University’s Bendigo Campus, Malcolm then worked at Bendigo Pottery having the opportunity to further develop his skills. He worked in various studios in Victoria and in 1982 became the studio potter at Cuppacumbalong, until setting up The Art Shed. You might remember the pottery at Cuppacumbalong, where you could see him and Marily working.
Malcolm won many awards for his work including 2025 Canberra’s Potter Society main prize. He is an expert in the pottery wheel, carving and inlay decoration. In the past years Cooke has enjoyed the challenge of wood firing with great success.

Brazilian born Marily Cintra is celebrating 60 years of artistic career in 2026. Her ceramic works show innovation and have been presented in many international and national exhibitions.
An artist with a multidisciplinary practice, Marily has collaborated with health, waste management, local councils, banks, education including university, primary and secondary schools, museums and galleries. Cintra received the 2006 Australia Council Ros Bower Award for Community Arts and Cultural Development, 2014 Australia Council’s Residency, Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris), 1998 Create NSW Women and the Art Fellowship.
Marily founded Health and Arts Research Centre, Inc. in 1999, an organization focused on arts, culture and heritage in health.