Inside Bangalow’s new art gallery transforming former newsagency

A new art gallery showcasing works by established and emerging contemporary and Indigenous artists has opened in the space that previously housed the newsagency on Bangalow’s main street.

The gallery is the third in the Nissarana Galleries network, which spans Australia’s east coast. The first gallery was established in Noosa in 2003, followed by a second in Richmond, Melbourne.

“We saw an opportunity to be in a beautiful heritage street with the perfect location,” Nissarana Galleries director Val Pasquale said.

Pasquale runs the galleries alongside her partner, Sunshine Coast-based Indigenous artist and photographer Philip Ayres, who exhibits under his Buddhist name, Visuddhacara.

“Philip was a Buddhist monk for 15 years in Sri Lanka and lived in a forest called Nissarana, so he has called all his businesses that name,” Pasquale said.

The Bangalow gallery features a diverse collection, including works by Northern Rivers artists Bianca Gardiner Dodd, Stephen Phibbs and Kapin Rothbury.

Nissarana Galleries Bangalow fine art consultant Melani du Jardin, who is also an exhibiting artist based in McLeans Ridges, said the new space complemented the town’s existing galleries.

“Nimbella has really set the bar for Bangalow as a fine art destination,” she said. “It’s quieter than Byron but still gets lots of tourists.”

She said the transformation of the site had been extensive.

“The space had been empty for a long while and when we took it over it looked very different,” she said. “We spent weeks and weeks getting the floor back to timber and did a lot of restorative work.

“The feedback has been really positive with people saying it’s a warm, welcoming space with beautiful art.”

Prices range from $250 for small original pieces to $25,000 for large-scale works.

A portion of the gallery’s profits supports Kusala Projects Inc, which funds the education of students at Elsa Primary School in Bodhgaya in India.

“One of Philip’s monk friends now helps the primary school, and we donate to that,” Pasquale said.

An official opening is planned in the coming weeks.