It was during a quick tour of the Lismore Regional Gallery late last year that the reality of making and exhibiting art in a climate-changed world truly hit home for Courtney Gibson.
As the Mullumbimby resident, who was stepping in as the acting director of the newly-rebuilt gallery, walked around she noticed a large and unusually-designed window 13 metres above the ground.
‘I said “What’s the story with that window?”,’ Ms Gibson recounts.
‘And Ashley [Ralph], who I’ve temporarily taken over from, just said “Oh, that’s the boat window where a boat will come and rescue you if there’s another flood”.’
‘That definitely galvanised my attention in terms of what it means to be operating in a climate-changed world with that ever-present threat… and in a community that lives with that knowledge.’
Four years since 2022 floods
As the fourth anniversary of the Northern Rivers floods approaches, the Lismore Regional Gallery stands as a symbol of the region’s response to those life-changing events.
The gallery is a remarkable example of adaptation, resilience, and the power of art and creativity to bring people together and help them understand their world.
A key part of this is a clear-eyed acknowledgment of the need to be ready for whatever the future may bring.
‘Looking at it now, it’s quite hard to even conceptualise that the whole place was rinsed,’ the gallery’s curator Ineke Dane says.
‘It’s a two-storey building and the floods went nearly to the top of the second floor… 14.4 metres… There’s actually a marker on one edge of the building which shows how far up it went.
‘The collection was stored on site and so it was obviously catastrophic for that.’
Four years and $5.1 million later, it’s clear from even a quick walk-through that, while the vibrant creativity of the gallery remains, the physical space has changed significantly.
The sealed concrete and epoxy floors give the space a freshly-waxed quality, perfect not only for withstanding water exposure but also for facilitating quick exits for the precious artworks and other materials.
‘It’s not just a case of whipping everything upstairs because that’s not above the flood level,’ Courtney says.
‘All of the shelving and furniture is on wheels. It’s like a speedway. If there is another flood incident we’re ready to get everything out of there quickly.’
These physical changes are just part of the adaptations that have taken place at the gallery.
Creating pathways forward
In many ways, the venue is at the cutting edge of research and development into making and exhibiting art in the age of climate change.
‘A whole lot of good things came out of the wreckage and lessons were learnt in terms of what it means to be operating a gallery in a climate-changed world,’ Ms Dane says.
This includes creating a new emergency manual, storing the gallery’s permanent collection at a climate-controlled facility off-site, and choosing works to suit the environment.
‘We’re also showing much more video work, especially during the cyclone season because those works are much easier to ship in and out,’ Ms Gibson says.
A key theme throughout has been the vital role that art plays in understanding the world and healing from trauma.
‘Almost immediately after the initial clean-up, what came through was the value and importance of art and creativity in the aftermath of a life-changing catastrophe,’ Ms Dane says.
‘It was about helping to build community wellbeing through creativity… Giving people an opportunity to express themselves creatively and also helping people to understand and conceptualise what happened.’
Within a couple of months of the waters clearing the gallery was collaborating with other locals to put on nights featuring experimental art, music, and performance.
Soon after, a temporary gallery space was set up on Magellan Street, which hosted exhibitions and events, including a regular ‘Collage Club’.
‘In the aftermath of the floods the gallery became a critical hub,’ Ms Gibson says.
‘People were coming in who might not have spoken to other people for days. But they came and connected with other people. It became a very strong centre for social cohesion for healing and recovery. People really needed one another… That’s the power of art and the esteem in which a gallery like ours is held.
‘We’re back in the building now, but we’ve retained those support networks and relationships within the new space.’
The gallery is also keen to attract visitors from the wider Northern Rivers community and beyond.
‘We are really a gallery for the whole Northern Rivers region,’ Ms Gibson says. ‘The Quad is back. We’ve got the Library, NORPA’s new space, and the Conservatorium. We have a powerful role and it’s way beyond just a gallery.’
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