INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT: GUEST LECTURE - Tiffany LeeShoy

Figure 1: Tiffany's PowerPoint slide about Penrith City Council's Murals - part of their Cultural Strategy Action Plan

The guest lecture by Tiffany LeeShoy provided a clear understanding of how the arts industry works behind the scenes, especially within local government. Drawing on over 25 years of experience across Western Sydney, Tiffany positioned cultural work as something that exists within systems of policy, funding, and community engagement.

Working as a Senior Cultural Strategy Officer at Penrith City Council during a time of growth, Tiffany explained how policies are not neutral but shapes the kinds of creative opportunities that become available. Her experience working across councils like Fairfield and Parramatta showed how cultural planning changes depending on the community and its needs. This made it clear that artists are part of larger systems, and understanding how these systems work is important for building a sustainable practice.

Figure 2: Tiffany's PowerPoint slide about Penrith City Council's Creative Hoardings Program.

At the same time, the lecture raised a critical tension between institutional support and artistic autonomy. While councils and organisations can provide funding, infrastructure, and visibility, they also operate within bureaucratic and political frameworks. This suggests that artists must learn to navigate these structures carefully, balancing creative independence with the realities of working within institutional systems.

Figure 3: Tiffany's PowerPoint slide about Penrith City Council's opportunities, in particularly VendorPanel Marketplace, to find local suppliers and to invite them to quote on work.

Tiffany suggested using Arts Law templates, explaining that they are “written in favour of the artist,” which shows how important it is to protect your rights when working professionally. This made the lecture feel very practical, as it showed that being an artist isn’t just about creating work, but also about understanding contracts and how the industry works.

Figure 4: Tiffany's PowerPoint slide about Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest.

Another key point from the lecture was Tiffany's focus on storytelling and personal expression. Despite her strategic and policy-driven role, she still sees herself as an artist. This shows that these roles don’t have to be separate, but they can work together and support each other.

Overall, the lecture expanded my understanding of what it means to work in the arts. It highlighted the importance of engaging with systems, building professional knowledge, and advocating for yourself, maintaining a strong creative voice. Tiffany's experience demonstrates that a sustainable artistic career requires both critical awareness and adaptability, positioning artists not only as makers, but as active participants within complex cultural and institutional networks.

Figure 5: Tiffany's PowerPoint slide about the Love Your Local Toolkit from NAVA.

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References:

LeeShoy, T 2026, Guest lecture presentation, PowerPoint presentation, viewed 18 March 2026.

National Association for the Visual Arts 2020, Love Your Local Toolkit, NAVA, viewed 18 March 2026, <https://visualarts.net.au/media/uploads/files/NAVA_Love_Your_Local_Toolkit_8Tx6vXl.pdf>. (Figure 5)

Penrith City Council 2026, Creative Hoardings Program, Penrith City Council, viewed 18 March 2026, <https://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/building-development/development/creative-hoardings-program>. (Figure 2)

Penrith City Council 2024, Cultural Strategy Action Plan 2024–2028, Penrith City Council, viewed 18 March 2026, <https://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/images/documents/community-library/community/culturalstrategy_actionplan_2024-28_final.pdf>. (Figure 1)

Penrith Regional Gallery 2026, Penrith Regional Gallery, viewed 18 March 2026, <https://www.penrithregionalgallery.com.au/>. (Figure 4)

VendorPanel 2026, Work with Penrith City Council, VendorPanel, viewed 18 March 2026, <https://info.vendorpanel.com/workwithpenrithcitycouncil/>. (Figure 3)