The Woollahra Gallery is a new contemporary art space which has opened in Sydney’s East in the historic 122-year-old St Brigid’s building, just behind the popular Redleaf harbour pool.
It is led by Gallery Coordinator Sebastian Goldspink who is a proud descendant of the Burramattagal people of Western Sydney. Goldspink cut his teeth as an independent co-founder of ALASKA an art project space in a parking lot in Sydney’s Kings Cross, and in 2022 he will be the Curator of the Adelaide Biennial at the Art Gallery of South Australia.
Much like the new art gallery, which some will remember fondly as a library, Goldspink has had a few lives and reinventions, for example in his 20s he was an actor on the Aussie soapie ‘Heartbreak High’. So it’s fitting that Goldspink (who loved to read here as well) will pay homage to the building’s past with the inclusion of a small library comprised largely of books from the collection of highly regarded art dealer, Eva Breuer, 1943 – 2010. On the lower level artists will benefit from rent free unfurnished studio spaces as part of the Woollahra Artist in Residence Program, with the first guest Penelope Cain celebrating human-plant relationships in community space.
The inaugural show at Woollahra Gallery is the 20th Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, with the 2021 prize winner announced as artist Rhonda Sharpe. The Luritja woman and Yarrenyty Arltere artist will take home $25,000 for her work Desert Woman with Mustache, Cooloman and Pretty Clothes in the acquisitive award. As well as this, there are 51 other works to enjoy which in their own way respond to themes ranging from today’s politics, the COVID-19 pandemic, our relationship with the natural world to identity, which you can purchase online. In addition to this year’s prize there will also be a display of the past 19 winning works!
Some events to look forward to on their calendar include exhibitions by artists Belynda Henry, Fraser Pollock, Nicholas Samartis and Emily Portman.
The Gallery opening hours are Wednesday – Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday – Sunday, 10am-5pm. Admission is free. Click here for more information.