Local art has a new home

AN EXCITING new space has emerged in Torquay with the intention to revitalise the local art scene.

Located at the former Quiksilver headquarters, Fine Thanks Gallery has catapulted onto the scene with a full house celebrating opening night with the talents of Torquay artist Peter Webb.

Gallery director Xavier Davies said the first exhibition titled Time Tough was the perfect way to introduce the community to the new and emerging creative space.

As a nod to the ongoing pandemic, the exhibition showcases Webb’s consistent use of colour and boldness to express optimism during challenging times.

“Webby has such a history with that building, he was one of the first designers hired at Quiksilver around 30 years ago, so we could not have picked a better artist to kick things off,” Mr Davies said.

The June 24 launch was capped at 72 guests as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, with Mr Davies needing to circulate crowds in order to keep up with the demand.

While Mr Davies is often directing group art shows across the world, he said being grounded by the pandemic has had its benefits.

“I have been working with the owners of the new development on Baines Crescent, and they came to me and sort of asked me to take the zone and fill it up with art,” he said.

“I have done a lot of organising group shows with local surfer artists, but it has been really hard to find a decent venue.

“A few years back there was Tigerfish, a little store on Bell Street that had a good vibe but there is really nothing available at the moment for this kind of thing.”

The multifunctional space will feature rotating exhibitions as well as be available for hire by other artists.

“I knew there was a bit of a gap here and something that would be cool for the town,” he said.

“That building and its history was such a creative hub as the global HQ for Quiksilver, so we are trying to bring back that vibe for the next generation.”

While Mr Davies said logistically the launch has been easier then getting different collections to Japan and Los Angeles, he admits COVID-19 had slowed down the process.

Despite some setbacks, Mr Davies has a mixture of local and interstate artists pencilled in to make use of the space, with the next exhibition already scheduled for August 5.

To visit contact [email protected].
Fine Thanks Gallery is located at 27 Baines Crescent, Torquay.