From libraries to op shops, ebay and even linen closets-artists, Associate Professor Margaret Woodward and Ms Justy Phillips from Charles Sturt University (CSU) have gone to extraordinary lengths to explore how the symbols of Australia seen in tourist souvenirs contribute to our national identity. Professor Woodward is the Head of the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU while Ms Phillips is an adjunct lecturer at the School. Their work, Greetings from Aggaw Aggaw can be seen at the Art Gallery in Wagga Wagga from Friday 29 July. Professor Woodward said the exhibition uses textiles, vintage souvenir ware, upholstery, text and sculpture to challenge ideas of national identity and the tourist experience. “It is an extension of ideas developed in research into tourist ephemera and how souvenirs contribute to defining a sense of place through evoking nostalgia and constructing stereotypes.” Ms Phillips hopes people will question how we name, record, promote and establish our familiar places. The exhibition is the culmination of three years of collaborative research focusing on cultural iconography and representations of contemporary Australian identity.