This week Art Piece Gallery in Mullumbimby celebrates ten years of exhibiting the work of our local artists. It is a significant achievement in an industry where galleries open and close as quickly as eyes can blink. Art Piece director Nadine Abensur spoke with The Echo about her 10 years in the biz.
What are you proudest of when you reflect on Art Piece Gallery?
I am a good beginner/instigator, so daring to start at all (when everyone thought I was nuts) was the biggest step of all.
Ten years in a business renowned for struggling to stay open – what’s your secret?
I just keep going, keep breathing, keep falling apart, keep picking myself up, keep crying, keep laughing, keep going. Perhaps I am a stuck record! And to keep loving that art is a bit of a miracle, seen in the context of the modern world. But it’s about as good as we’ve got and it’s one of our saving graces, so I love people who make art and I love to support them. I keep going by treating the gallery as an arena in which to deal with very personal issues. So whatever happens, I bring it all back to me. I think that makes me much more resilient than I would ever have imagined. I don’t concern myself too much with how I’m supposed to do it and less and less with the opinions of others. I just do what sits well with me and trust that it finds resonance with enough people to make it viable, relevant and worthwhile.
What have you learnt along the way?
Magical things happen in the gallery and subtle transformations. Even when people think they ‘just’ want to decorate their homes, they are driven by deeper needs. The true role of a gallerist, curator, whatever you want to call it, apart from the obvious one of putting things together that work together, is to act as a conduit between the art and the person buying the art. So I’ve learnt to feel deeply into a piece, as though I had painted it myself.
What role do you see Art Piece Gallery having in the region?
It has kept a strong, visible artistic presence in the Shire. It means that visitors from all over the world take home an impression of the Shire as a creative oasis, which it has become. Many, many people over the years have told me that they have moved here and specifically to Mullumbimby because of the gallery. And of course, especially in the early days, it gave dozens and dozens of artists somewhere to show their work, often their first solo show, and now it’s a place in which to continue to show their developing practice. It’s the very public face of art in the Shire. It could be a lot bigger!
What are your plans for the future?
Stop hiding away. Stop being a lone ranger. Stop sitting! Curate more shows. Write more. PAINT more! Create stronger relationships with city galleries.
Create dynamic partnerships with artists and their supporters!
Come and celebrate 10 years of Art Piece Gallery (in Mullumbimby) on Friday with a glass of wine, a bite to eat, some art, and music by virtuoso Si Greaves!
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