Admirers of design, art and general coolness: Melbourne Design Week begins today, and it’s absolutely chock-full of awesome stuff. The program – which runs from March 17 to 27 – is so packed that we’ve decided to point out a few of our top picks.

ART BOOK FAIR
Swing by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) between Friday, March 18 and Sunday, March 20 and you’ll find loads of stalls run by ace publishers, artists and designers. The fair is free, provided you rock up between 10am and 5pm, however, there are two paid sessions on Friday night and Sunday morning. The Art Book Fair is also hosting a bunch of individual events for the duration of Melbourne Design Week. Peep the program here.

BARK LADIES: ELEVEN ARTISTS FROM YIRRKALA
This exhibition (which is free to view at NGV) showcases the painted bark artworks created by incredible Yolŋu women artists from the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre – an Indigenous community-run art centre – located in the small community of Yirrkala, North-East Arnhem Land.

FOND
Presented by ceramicist Tantri Mustika and textile designer Megan McNeill (whose work we adore), this installation of impressive handcrafted objects “reimagines traditional domestic interiors with dream-like qualities”. Pop by Tantri Mustika Ceramics at Collingwood Yards to see the show.

FORTIFIED
Swing past the RMIT Design Hub to see Fortified – a collab between nine crafty folks from South Australia’s JamFactory and their chosen producer from the Barossa Valley. The makers include Ivana Taylor, Matt Pearson, Drew Spangenberg, Ashlee Hopkins, Dean Toepfer, Jordan Gower, Danielle Barrie, Alexandra Hirst and Alison Smiles.

MYCOLOGICAL STORIES
If you’re a fan of mushrooms, then this exhibition is one to see. Mycological Stories consists of photographs, models of built environments, sculptures and more, all relating to the fascinating mycelium. Showing at Grimshaw Architects, Carlton.

MUNDANE BEAUTY
Head to Oigall Projects in Fitzroy and you’ll find something that is anything but mundane – despite what the name suggests. This exhibition, presented by Ash Fischer, looks at how design can turn the huge amounts of waste we produce every day into bespoke products.

MMEETS: VISIBLE MENDING WORKSHOP WITH EILEEN BRAYBROOK
Join artist and textile designer Eileen Braybrook at the Queen Victoria Gardens on Saturday morning to learn how to mend clothes. Bring along your old knitwear that’s in need of some TLC and take home loads of super-nifty knowledge.

MMEETS: BLAKITECTURE: THE MANIFESTO
Over the course of three days next week, an array of ace speakers will delve into the topic of how Country, community and culture can be embedded into project outcomes within the built environment industry.

SHAREFOLDER FANTASY
A couple of months ago, Aussie designer Dale Hardiman and American artist and designer Mark Dineen invited folks from all over the world to make a vase out of any materials they fancy and to submit a snap of it. Now, you can view the hundreds of diverse and innovative submissions Dale and Mark received as part of the Shareholder Fantasy online exhibition.

TRANSFORMING DESIGN FOR DAILY USE
This ticketed event, held on Tuesday, will explore circularity in the world of consumer goods. Head to NGV to hear fashion industry leader Karen Webster, Seljak Brand co-founder Samantha Seljak, Great Wrap co-founder Jordy Kay and Sustainability Victoria interim CEO Matt Genever discuss tricky problems and solutions.

UP TO US
Presented by Sally Piskuric and Alison Lasek, Up to Us: Bringing women together to design the world we want is an exhibition that prompts 22 rad female designers to create a design response to female-centred problems. Coinciding with the exhibition is a series of talks, held over two weekends, in which the creatives involved in the project speak about their pieces, the collaborative process and the world they want.

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT: BASICS IN FURNITURE RESTORATION
These three-hour workshops, presented by business owner and restorer Edwin Fox, will give attendees a rundown on useful stuff like timber restoration (including stripping back, applying oil, repairs and re-finishing), basic upholstery, and timber care and waxing methods. Workshops are $10 and will be held on March 19 and 24 in Brighton.

Melbourne Design Week runs from March 17 to 27.