Making their mark on the local arts scene

New gallery & gift shop unveils new exhibition space for Limestone Coast artists

 

It was only two months ago that Little Blue Wren Gift and Art’s gallery and gift shop opened its doors yet last Thursday night, the Little Blue Wren team unveiled a new exhibition space as the region’s newest art space looks to showcase the work of local artists and makers (pictured below).

Gareth and Tabitha Williams (pictured above) are the couple behind the Commercial Street West venture. Tabitha is the artistic talent and Gareth provides the brains and brawn.

Yet to have clocked up 12 months in Mount Gambier, the couple have converted what was an online store into the new look gallery and gift shop.

“We decided to do something more in the physical space – let’s make it a full time gig,” Gareth said.

“…we just decided now was the time to get out of the ‘burbs and get away from the city. We found this awesome house in Mount Gambier and the timing was just right – everything lined up…” Gareth Williams

“…I had always wanted to do my own thing. I can’t believe I didn’t pull the trigger earlier. ..it is an awesome life to be living – to make your own decisions, paving your own way…” Gareth Williams

The search for that perfect space started with small shopfronts as purely a studio space but then its current site caught the eye and given its rapid expansion, it has proved a fortuitous decision. With a more spacious site secured, Gareth and Tabitha’s vision for a bricks-and-mortar project soon evolved from purely a space for Tabitha to create her own pieces

A visit to an Artisan Market at the Cave Gardens also inspired the couple, who saw first hand just how much artistic and creative talent was right on their new doorstep. “We thought let’s not just create, let’s starting exhibiting work,” Gareth said. “Let’s open up the space to local talent not just in Mount Gambier but in the region. Let’s give everyone a platform to exhibit their work and get their creations out there in the world.” Recruiting that local talent started with a social media campaign.

We made a lot of connections with artists and local makers and we just kept getting approached by more people,” Gareth said. “Securing this new space enables us to now provide three gallery spaces for artists to exhibit their work, and we have also created six dedicated studio spaces for artists to hire. It is our hope to establish a creative community space for artists to gather, share and collaborate.”

Sixty per cent of the gift shop items are locally produced and the gallery space is dominated by Limestone Coast artists, with Barossa Valley artist John Lean the only exhibitor from outside the Limestone Coast.

The gallery is open seven days a week and is currently exhibiting artwork by 12 artists – showcasing a variety of mediums – from the large oil paintings created by John Lean to mixed media masterpieces by Millicent artit, Jane McCumstie, acrylic still life paintings by local artist Della Gogall and photography by Ockert le Roux.

“We have a really big focus on pushing local talent, artists and makers, and giving the community the chance to buy local work,”

“…we want to smash all that together and come up with some really cool little events…” Gareth Williams

Gareth said. “It’s about making art accessible and getting it out there so the community can engage with it.” Plans for 2023 include establishing artist-in-residence opportunities.

“To break down the barriers between what you see on the wall and the process that goes into the creation of that work,” Gareth said. “Sometimes it takes months and months and people will also be able to see how artists develop their skills.”

And while Little Blue Wren is all about visual arts at this early stage of its development, Gareth’s passion is music and he is looking to make the space a cultural hub, including musical performances,

We want to smash all that together and come up with some really cool little events,” he said. Little Blue Wren has also partnered with local disability creative art program Dream to Create and showcases a different artist from their program on their much-loved artist easel in the gallery on a rotating basis.

At Little Blue Wren we believe that the arts have the capacity to brings us all together; it changes us and changes our communities. Therefore, we want the arts, and our space to be accessible to everyone,” Gareth said. “We are committed to creating a vibrant arts collective hub at the Wren and can’t wait to share our space with the community.”

“…let’s open up the space to local talent not just in Mount Gambier but in the region… let’s give everyone a platform to exhibit their work and get their creations out there in the world. ” Gareth Williams

Originally from the UK, Gareth said the move from the suburbs of Adelaide to a reginal centre was always on the cards.

“I’m a country boy at heart,” he said. “We just decided now was the time to get out of the ‘burbs and get away from the city. We found this awesome house in Mount Gambier and the timing was just right – everything lined up.

this place. You are near the coast, the river, hills, mountains and even a volcano. Geographically it ticks all the boxes and it is a really nice place to raise kids.”

Tabitha had previously run a small gallery in the Barossa,while Gareth brings 25 years of manufacturing experience on the factory floor to the table.

“This is a whole new journey for me,” Gareth said. “I was used to getting flogged on the floor for someone else but I had always wanted to do my own thing. I can’t believe I didn’t pull the trigger earlier. It is an awesome life to be living – to make your own decisions, paving your own way.”

Little Blue Wren is open seven days a week and information about their workshops can be found on their website: www. littlebluewrengifts.com

For information about exhibiting in the Little Blue Wren Gallery or hiring artist studios, please contact Little Blue Wren Gifts & Art.