Newcastle Art Space - NAS

New Year 2016

New Co-Directors

New Committee and Volunteer Members

New Directions 
‘8 by 10’

NAS First Exhibition 2016 

Gallery 1 and 2

January 21 to February 7

Our new Co-Directors for the Newcastle Art Space gallery, Melissa Bull and Jordan Fardell have hit the ground running with the first show 8 x 10.  With the opportunity to submit one work in a gallery space with an outlay of only $20 for the entry fee, the exhibition has attracted an influx of new faces as well as regular contributors to our exhibitions. What other space in Newcastle permits artists to step into in the art world or test their work to an art audience in such a way.  

L to R works by Michelle Schmitzer, Sharon Williams, Cherie Wren, Sharon Risdale

There is a strong display of ceramics in particular, some exciting photographic works, accomplished works in mixed media and a significant range of works across all media.  Although small in scale they are large with inventiveness, commitment and energy. Small works are popular with buyers as it is far easier for an art collector to fit a number of 8” x 10” works on a wall or to squeeze another small work into an almost overflowing space.  

L to R Dorothy Compton, Christina Frogley, Christine Hogan, Chris Byrnes

A perfect marketing tool (can't quite believe I am actually saying that!) for an artist to showcase a small sample of their work to perhaps gain commissions to make larger work as well.
Small works are popular with buyers as it is far easier for an art collector to fit a number of 8” x 10” works on a wall or to squeeze another small work into an almost overflowing space.  A perfect marketing tool (can't quite believe I actually said that!) for an artist to showcase a small sample of their work to perhaps gain commissions to make larger work as well.

L to R Nadia Waugh, Vanessa Lewis, Gina Ermer, Simone Pilla


Official Opening is Friday 22nd January from 6pm and the exhibition runs until Sunday 7th  February

Some thoughts about small scale possibilities.

The notion of small scale works provides an opportunity for artists to work on a small scale, perhaps outside their usual scope and perhaps allows for a quicker achievable work ready in the New Year.  Small works have proven popular across art history with a notable early example being the 9 x 5 Impressionist Exhibition held in August 1889 in Buxton’s Rooms, Swanston Street Melbourne.  Several artists from the Heidelberg School, Charles Conder, Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, and Frederick McCubbin took part where artists painted on wooden cigar-box panels 9” x 5”.

In more recent time Linden Arts in St Kilda has included an annual event in their exhibition programme, the Linden Postcard Prize.  While we have no prize this year, we decided to show our own version with our postcard size scale set to 8”x10” to allow artists a little more freedom with scale.  For your interest you can view works from the Linden Arts Postcard Exhibition at:  http://lindenarts.org/exhibitions/linden-postcard-show--2015

The winner of the 2015 Portia Geach Memorial Award for female painters was Natasha Bieniek for her smaller scaled work, Sahara (self portrait), oil on wood.  Natasha in interview on a recent ABC Arts Programme, talked about  using a smaller scale that drew the viewer  into the work, to step up close to see and connect with the work.

Earlier in the year Natasha Bieniek's Biophilia won the Wynne Prize and is the smallest ever winning entry at only 9cm x 9cm.  Natasha stated "Because it's so small you have to get up so close to view it accurately, creating this intimate one-on-one "I want to pull [viewers] in to experience the subject ... Source: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/melbourne-artist-natasha-bieniek-wins-wynne-prize-with-miniature-landscape-20150717-gietz5.html