Grounded in Art at Studio One Noosa
A bold new curatorial direction and a pretty good cause. Jodie Cameron discovers what’s hanging at Studio One Noosa.
Studio One Noosa has built a reputation for exhibitions that bring artists together around a shared theme, turning its Noosaville gallery into a place where fresh ideas, familiar faces and new discoveries regularly meet. Now, the gallery is taking an important next step with Hallowed Ground, the inaugural exhibition in its new Curator’s Choice series.
The series will mark a shift in direction for Studio One Noosa. Rather than presenting a broad collection of artists under one theme, exhibitions under the series will introduce a select group of artists exclusively represented by the gallery.
For collectors, it creates a trusted place to discover and revisit current works by artists they admire, both in the gallery and online.
It is a confident move for Studio One Noosa, which has grown from an online platform supporting local creatives into a physical gallery, workshop and exhibition space with a growing reputation among art lovers, interior designers and collectors.
The Curator’s Choice series gives the gallery a clearer artistic identity, while offering its featured artists an ongoing home for their work.
Running from 25 August to 26 September, the entry statement for Hallowed Ground reads: “Every gallery has exhibitions. Few have a heart. Hallowed Ground is ours.”
The statement sets the tone for a collection connected not by medium, style or subject matter, but by a shared commitment to authenticity, excellence and a strong sense of place.
The title Hallowed Ground speaks to that sense of belonging. Like the landscapes that inspire so many of the featured artists, the exhibition is intended to be enduring while still evolving.
The Curator’s Choice artists who will be launched at Hallowed Ground line-up includes Noosa-based abstract artist Michael Bond, whose expressive work explores rhythm, colour and emotion; and Saint Chalom, whose atmospheric pieces draw from the misty landscape of Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges. There is a sense of mood and movement in both artists’ work, each offering viewers space to pause, look closer and form their own connection.
They are joined by acclaimed wildflower oil painter Jasmine Veronique, whose vivid works capture the character and detail of native flora; and Bronwyn Barton, known for richly layered botanical compositions. Fiona Bastow’s refined oils on linen bring another visual language to the exhibition, while Sarajai Luana’s untamed yet elegant aesthetic reflects the beauty, diversity and enduring traditions of island cultures.
Resident artist and Studio One Noosa co-founder Juanita Van Den Bergh also features in the exhibition. Her ethereal abstract works explore atmosphere, light and emotion, creating a natural link between the gallery’s own creative foundation and its future direction.
“I wanted this first exhibition in the Curator’s Choice series to feel spiritual,” Juanita says. “So much of the work in this show comes from a reflective place. When you walk into some of these artists’ studios, you can feel it before they have even said a word.”
That sense of connection is at the heart of Hallowed Ground. The collection has been designed as more than a one-off group show, with the featured artists becoming the stable of names that collectors can reliably seek out through Studio One Noosa.
As new works arrive, the gallery will continue to exhibit them in person and online, creating an evolving collection for people who want to follow an artist’s practice over time. For collectors, that continuity matters. It means knowing where to find work by a particular artist, seeing new collections as they emerge and building a relationship with a gallery that knows the artists and their work.
For the artists themselves, it provides a dedicated platform and a gallery that is invested in their growth. Each artist brings their own story, technique and visual language, but together they form a collection that feels bigger than the sum of its parts.
Once Hallowed Ground wraps, Studio One Noosa will shift gears for the return of Pretty in Pink, the popular fundraising exhibition and auction for the McGrath Foundation. From 29 September to 31 October, more than 60 artists from around Australia will donate original works to fill the gallery with colour, creativity and generous gestures, raising funds for an organisation that supports people and families experiencing all types of cancer.
“It feels like a natural crossover,” Juanita says. “A few of our Hallowed Ground artists are also part of Pretty in Pink this year, so the two exhibitions sit side by side.
“One is about depth and focus, and the other is about generosity and community.”
Together, Hallowed Ground and Pretty in Pink show two sides of Studio One Noosa: a gallery establishing itself as a destination for serious collectors, and a creative community willing to put its energy behind a cause that touches so many lives.
IN THE STUDIO
CURATOR’S CHOICE: HALLOWED GROUND
25 August to 26 September
PRETTY IN PINK: TERRA NOOSA
Fundraising exhibition and online auction for McGrath Foundation
29 September to 31 October
OPENING NIGHT
Friday 2 October from 5pm. Free entry.
FINALE & AUCTION
Saturday 31 October from 5pm.
Bids close 6pm SHARP. Free entry.
Visit www.studioonenoosa.com.au to register your interest and start bidding.
Studio One Noosa
10/64 Gateway Drive, Noosaville
