Around the time of Spiral Gallery's 10th Anniversary, I was asked by Jacqui Ryding to write about Spiral beginnings for the Gallery archives. Spiral membership is a fluid movement of some of the finest artists in the Bega Valley and there are many memories of that time. This is what I remember......
In 1996 I spoke with friend and textile artist Jude Lamb about the idea of forming an artist run gallery. A gallery that would encourage emerging and established artists to explore all manner of media, curate their own exhibitions, and in the process develop their own professional practice, while raising the profile of their art and the art of local and interstate artists generally. Jude knew of a space for rent at 209 Carp Street, and so the adventure began. We invited 3 practising artists to meet with us at this space – they were Moira Turnbull (ceramics) Tanja Riese (printmaking) and Liz Doyle (weaving). Liz was unable to commit at the time, but Moira and Tanja did, and we set about to develop the space ready for an opening in January 1997.
We investigated the name Spiral Gallery, and the closest name to that was Spiral Arm Gallery in Canberra, so we were able to register the name. During the Xmas break of 1996/7 we painted, sanded and varnished floors, connected the phone, electricity, and all those other things necessary to starting a business. At the same time we were all madly producing work for the opening, which took place on Friday January 24th 1997. We worked right up to the last minute, so much so that people started arriving before we managed to get the ladder out. So the ladder remained during Veronica O’Leary’s opening speech until Janette Crowe asked if it was part of the exhibition! It was a great start and, as is the case today still, Spiral openings became the highlight of the social calendar. Tanja became pregnant around this time, and with a toddler to look after as well, this meant that we were down to 3 active members who were able to man and do the day to day running of the gallery. The Gallery joined LETS so we could have sitters to replace us when necessary, and thus began the long relationship with gallery sitters, in particular Georgie Bourke. We also developed exhibitions where work could be sold on Sapphs to cover our LETS debts. These exhibitions were very popular.
The rent of the gallery was paid by the 4 members and the foundation of the gallery was built on this financial input, and commitment to making the gallery work. Jude and I also took on the rental of the flat and side rooms, so we could run workshops which were a part of Studio 209. The original intent of the gallery was to create a working artist space, where people could view the artist at work, as well as visit a professional art gallery. Although the stairs were a problem, the actual ambience of the gallery was special, and many an after party was held out the back in what was dubbed the Paris end of town. The exhibitions held in that first year were a great example of the quality and variety this type of gallery could bring to Bega, (Virginia Kaiser; Belinda Ramson; Cheryl Bridgart), and it has continued to this day. In 1998 Paul Callaghan developed the Spiral Gallery website, and many national and international Art magazines were aware of what was happening at Spiral. Spiral Gallery became one of the venues for the Meroogal Womens Art Prize Illawarra Tour. Due to the hard work of longstanding member Anna Senior, local people are now able to see the work of Women artists from the Illawarra Region.
These are the members of those first 2 years. Jude Lamb (textiles) Moira Turnbull (ceramics) Tanja Riese (printmaking), Liz Doyle (weaving)Jane dwyer (sculpture) Max Sparrow (metal) Caroline Ceylon (fabric printing) Karen Smith (ceramics), Sian Thomas (wood block prints) Kath McCann (drawing/ceramics), Anna Senior (textiles) and barb troughear crowden (paper/paper clay raku). In 1999 Spiral moved to 47 Church Street, and a ground floor space it occupies successfully to this day, and there have been many talented and hard working artists involved with Spiral over the years. It is definitely a "Jewel of Church Street."
Artist run galleries usually have a life span of 2 years. This isn't the case for Spiral. In 1996 a seed was planted and now look at it. 14 years on and it's a beautiful broadbranched sheltering tree. I am so grateful to all of the hardworking gardeners who have nurtured this tree over the many years of its growth. May it become a landmark, sheltering artists of all persuasions for many years to come.
barb troughear crowden/Founding Member and Director. 2006
Spiral Gallery website
barb troughear crowden - works in paper & paperclay raku
PO Box 440 Bega 2550 NSW Australia
0415273894
barbaracrowden@gmail.com
pulpaddictionpaper.com.au
© barb troughear crowden 2004