Penrith Regional Gallery's "The Pool Show" exhibition explores Australia's relationship with swimming pools, delving into social history and issues of access. Gallery director Toby Chapman initiated the exhibition after observing limited public swimming access in Western Sydney, contrasting with his view of public pools as vital civic spaces.\n\n## Exhibition Themes and Artworks\nThe exhibition incorporates historical works, including those from the Art Gallery of New South Wales, such as David Hockney's "Water pouring into swimming pool, Santa Monica" (1964) and Ian Fairweather's "The Pool" (1959). Curators noted that these works primarily represented a monocultural view of Australia's swimming history.\n\nTo broaden this perspective, five artists—Marian Abboud & the Seed of Hope Collective, Katerina Asistin, Dennis Golding, Mike Hewson, and JD Reforma—were commissioned to create new works.\n\n## Addressing Unequal Access\nMarian Abboud's multimedia work, "Watch the Water," documents the experiences of migrant and refugee women concerning water access. The work highlights barriers such as geographic distance, transport challenges, and cost, which can limit communities' ability to access beaches or public pools. Abboud's project emphasizes the liberating impact of learning to swim for these women.\n\n## Revisiting Historical Discrimination\nDennis Golding's "Echoing Pathways" revisits the 1965 Freedom Ride, a significant protest against discrimination towards Aboriginal people at public facilities in regional NSW, including swimming pools. Golding collaborated with students from Collarenebri, 140 kilometers west of Moree, whose experiences indicated ongoing forms of discrimination or segregation, alongside stories of resilience. Golding also created ceramic sculptures representing lane dividers, etched with "we can go to the pool now."\n\nThe exhibition encourages visitors to reflect on their personal connections to swimming pools and recognize the complexities of social access and community life.\n\n"The Pool Show" is on display at Penrith Regional Gallery until February 15.