One For All at Studio One Noosa
A one-of-a-kind gallery dedicated to showcasing local art in unique ways, Studio One Noosa is a creative force for good. Rebecca Jamieson Dwyer discovers the passion and care that goes into creating each exhibition – and why you simply shouldn’t miss the next one!
When professional artist and printer Juanita Van Den Bergh moved into her Noosaville studio space, she had an epiphany — instead of just hanging her own art on the wall, why not create an artists’ collective where she could help showcase and promote the work of other talented local artists, lifting them all up in the process?
This spirit of community is the driving force behind Studio One Noosa – the gallery that Juanita and her partner Richard Donelly run, which is fast becoming known as the go-to spot for experiencing both highly acclaimed and emerging local talent in exciting new ways.
Studio One Noosa runs a number of solo exhibitions every quarter, giving artists the space to present their work as a whole, rather than just exhibiting a few pieces here and there. Both originals and prints are available to buy, and the exhibitions are a way for artists to share their work, attract a new audience, and be part of this wonderful community that Juanita and Richard have created. But these aren’t your ordinary exhibitions.
Rather than giving the artist the blank wall space and leaving them to it, Juanita and Richard are creatively involved in every stage of the process, using their excellent design eyes and many years of industry experience to create something truly special and unique that reflects each artist.
“We’ll often take whatever is the trademark of an artist and create graphics for the walls and the floors to help the exhibition come alive,” explains Juanita. “For Colin Passmore it was birds all over the walls, while for Debra Hutton’s Italiano exhibition we had Positano pouring down the wall and the Mediterranean Sea on the floor.
“We’ll have the television running and it might be showing a timelapse of the artist’s painting or talking about the inspiration behind their work. So we’re doing these quirky things that make it feel a little bit more of a show and more engaging than your classic exhibition.”
A highlight for Juanita is the artists’ reactions when they see the finished space for the first time.
“They’ll often walk in and say, ‘Oh, wow, I’ve never seen my art like this before’,” she says. “We take a huge amount of pride in how we curate their work – if the artist wants to work with us during that process they’re more than welcome to – or we’re happy to take the reins to create something amazing.”
Every exhibition has a buzzy, fun launch night where anyone is welcome to head along, browse the work with a glass of bubbly in hand, meet the artist to hear about their process, and just generally soak up the creativity, community and camaraderie that Juanita and Richard have facilitated.
“We’re bringing together the artistic community, but we’d love to see everyone come along and experience our exhibitions – our aim is to get as many people as possible through the doors to be uplifted and amazed by the enormity of our local talent,” she says. “Whether you’re a long-time art lover, new to the world of art appreciation or just looking for something different to do of an evening, we look forward to welcoming you to our space!”
Studio One’s mission is to put Noosa firmly on the map as an art destination, and they’re currently looking for more professional artists to join their collective by signing up to the Artist Subscription plan.
Not only do artists receive help showcasing and selling their work (both originals and fine art prints), but they also receive a host of other benefits, including professional photography for reproduction of work, printing on demand with flexible payment portals, printing of artist magazines and catalogues, and so much more.
Painter Bronwyn Barton, who recently had her bright and beautiful exhibition Pink Pears at Studio One Noosa, loves being part of their collective.
“Richard and Juanita curated my solo exhibition and I was absolutely over the moon with the result,” she says.
“They’re both very passionate and innovative, and they’re just so enthusiastic about helping and promoting artists.
“Plus being part of the collective means that I’ve connected with lots of other local artists that I’d heard of but hadn’t met before, so we can all work together and help support each other.”
Juanita and Richard are currently working with the McGrath Foundation to produce an exhibition in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month – running from 1 to 26 October – called Pretty in Pink, showcasing a series of pink work from a range of local artists, with submissions open now.
As well as making exhibition magic and nurturing their artists’ collective, Studio One Noosa runs their popular Sip & Pour – Colour Chemistry workshops, where you can head along with a group of friends or colleagues for a thrilling arts extravaganza where you’ll create your own amazing acrylic-poured masterpiece under Juanita’s supportive eye.
Our team totally loved this class — it was so much fun and even better, we love the creations we made which proudly adorn our office walls! So, if you’re looking for somewhere to be inspired — Studio One is the one.
DON’T MISS!
Dallas Lesley
9-20 July, launch party 12 July
Jen Jay Art – Jeanette Smith
23 July-3 August, launch party 26 July
Tara Spicer
6-17 August, launch party 9 August
CALLING FOR ARTIST SUBMISSIONS:
Studio One is curating pink-hued works for a Pretty in Pink fundraising exhibition to be held in October for McGrath Foundation. Phone 0481 155 287 for more.
Click HERE for local art, workshops or exhibition details.
