Ah, the great outdoors, and what better place to paint? Monet said that (I think). Kerry Johns and Vicki Hersey, a pair of artists who have long worked together have a joint exhibition of plein air paintings opening at Form, one of many collaborations they've had in the past 20 years. On the Spot is a large selection of unframed works – more than 150 paintings – to be "enjoyed individually", and to offer a glimpse into the way the two artists work. In stark contrast, Clare Martin's Sea of Dreams is an inward-looking show of sculptures, "as its creator wrestles with insomnia and the irrationality of dreams. I chose the title because it suggests we share an underlying cultural symbolism in dreams, even though the specifics vary with individual experience." On the Spot, by Kerry Johns and Vicki Hersey, and Sea of Dreams, by Clare Martin, opens May 31 at Form Studio and Gallery, 1/30 Aurora Avenue, Queanbeyan, and run until June 19.

Morning and landscape at Beaver

Two new exhibitions just opened at Beaver: Dean Bowen has been inspired by changing studios: "Moving into a new light soaked studio space filled Dean with the optimism of a new morning as he developed the works for this exhibition with comets and the starry night, skyscrapers, urban and country life, birds and animals." And Melbourne artist Judy Holding continues on her trajectory of intricate depictions of trees and birds. "Working as a landscape artist in Australia, one is always conscious of those who have gone before," she says. "I have used the layering of watercolour images to stress the richness and unresolved tensions of the Australian bush." New Morning, by Dean Bowen, and The Loaded Landscape, by Judy Holding, are showing at Beaver Galleries, 81 Denison Street, Deakin, until June 12.

Make waste into craft

There's a whole new set of demands on artists these days when it comes to focusing on social issues, especially those in the craft sector. "They don't make things simply to get admired," says the new chief executive of Craft ACT Rachael Coghlan. "They use materials to tell stories about society. They're changing how they produce, integrating new approaches and techniques and reworking traditional ways." Two new shows at Craft ACT reflect these concerns: in Crafting Waste, Niklavs Rubenis focuses on waste and consumerism, "re-evaluating design and extending it beyond just the pursuit of aesthetics and function". And in Aesthetics in the Time of Emergency, five Melbourne-based craft artists each "explore an idea surrounding a current 'state of emergency' that has an impact on the individual and society". Crafting Waste, by Niklavs Rubenis, and Aesthetics in the Time of Emergency, by Sarah Field, Jennifer King, Nadia Mercuri, Jasmine Targett and Bethany Wheeler, open May 27 at Craft ACT, Level 1, North Building, 180 London Circuit, Civic, and run until July 9.

Permeate at Belconnen

Belconnen Arts Centre is all vital and energised this week with the arrival of a bunch of shows by a group of recent ANU Grads, all recipients of the 2015 Emerging Artist Support Scheme. In Peripteros, Janis Lejins has a show of light-based new media installations, that "present an interface between a sublime real-time vision of our networked world and physical experience". In Shift, Madisyn Zabel combines "traditional craft techniques and digital technology to create installations, which explore physical and virtual relationships in the contemporary world". Sculptor Ned Bott "uses the emotions attached to risk in his work and highlights its positive aspects" in Five Fathoms. And in Insight | Perspective, Clare Peters and Hannah Gason present "works [that] are individual expressions of our personal journeys and responses to the world around us". All are on show at Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen, until June 19. The artists will participate in a Think Tank Talk with Canberra Contemporary Art Space director David Broker on Saturday May 28 at 2.00pm.

The fanfare of a brass band

The musicians of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Brass are venturing out of their native home of the Sydney Opera House to bring the "drama, energy and fanfare of brass" to the good people of Canberra in early June! "The SSO Brass Ensemble, which combines the exhilarating sounds of trumpets, trombones, French horns and tuba, will perform a magnificent program ranging from Bernstein's famous West Side Story to film composer John Williams' Music for Brass." Sounds rousing! The Sydney Symphony Orchestra Brass Ensemble are performing at Llewellyn Hall at ANU on Thursday June 2, 7.00pm. For information and bookings, visit llewellynhall.anu.edu.au.

Dreamsake at CCAS

Jenna Poore has a new show at the CCAS City space, an installation of mixed media collages and assemblages that "incorporate the idea of dreams as personal keepsakes…" Her work explores "the divide between the conscious and subconscious realms through dream interpretations which ask the viewer to re-evaluate their perception of reality. She creates objects that represent her own personal dreams and, by giving them form, aims to create an awareness of the importance of our dreams." Dreamsake, by Jenna Poore, is showing at Canberra Contemporary Art Space City, Canberra City Framing, corner Hobart Place and London Cct, Civic.

Material Objects at Nishi

Elliot Bastianon and Andrew Carvolth have an intriguing joint show opening at – where else? – Nishi Gallery this week: "Bastianon's work is a speculation of material possibilities that draws inspiration from folded structures. Carvolth's work looks to create a contemporary Australian vernacular through a series of thoughtful objects that celebrates regional materials and processes." Material Objects, by Elliot Bastianon and Andrew Carvolth opens June 4 at Nishi Gallery, 17 Kendall Lane, New Acton, and runs until June 26.