Carla Velting’s brooch collection is colourful, quirky and, according to Carla, just a little bit silly.

Wearing brooches brings joy to Carla and to others. Her colleagues and friends eagerly await her brooch of the day – this might celebrate an event or occasion or communicate her mood. Carla says, ‘you never know who you will meet,’ with her brooches inspiring strangers to approach her and share memories or stories with her. A proud member of the Canberra ‘broochie’ community, Carla owns more than 500 brooches, mainly from Australian designers such as Erstwilder, LLL Designs and Fractured Lace. This exhibition showcases Carla’s brooches with personal stories, as well as her favourite themes including Australian birds and animals, flowers, and art and television inspired pieces.

Carla says, ‘these are definitely not your nana’s brooches!