Art About Town

A snapshot of arts activity happening around the Maitland community.

1

Artist Collective

The Hunter Artisan Gallery & Café in East Maitland was awarded the MRAGM Artist Bursary (for an artist collective) in mid-2021 in support of its ongoing contribution to the local creative community. The hard worker at the helm of the collective is Jenni Nichols, self-described “Owner, Curator, Artist, Chief Cook & Bottlewasher”, who launched the Gallery in late 2017. The story behind the Hunter Artisan, which has grown over four years to a collective of some 60 primarily local artists, is that it was very much an “unexpected venture”. After “a few dreadful years of personal loss and despair,” Jenni says, she closed her previous business, The Old George and Dragon Restaurant, put the building up for sale and started a Diploma of Visual Arts at Newcastle Art School in mid2017. Some months later, inspired by conversations with fellow art students (and with the building still not sold), Jenni decided to launch an art collective gallery “to give up and coming artists their first step on the ladder.” She established a program of solo exhibitions with 3-week runs, group exhibitions, regular art classes, and workshops run by collective artists, giving them the opportunity to gain confidence and experience as tutors. Jenni takes a small commission if a work sells but realised early on that she would

also need to run a café (a 10-seat space) to make the Gallery sustainable. The Hunter Artisan is an all-inclusive collective, showing the work of emerging and established local artists working across diverse media and subject matter, with many artists affected by mental or physical illnesses. Jenni says, “For some reason the gallery is seen as a place of great acceptance and healing; as a place without ego where everyone’s story is important.” 48 Melbourne Street, East Maitland thehunterartisangalleryandcafe.com

Maitland Art Galleries

BOLTspace 395 High Street, Maitland Open Fri-Sat 9.30am-3pm The Hunter Artisan Gallery & Café 48 Melbourne Street, East Maitland Open Thu-Sun 9am-3pm The Levee Art Gallery 282 High Street, Maitland Open Wed-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 10am-2pm Morpeth Gallery 5 Green Street, Morpeth Open Thu-Sun 10am-5pm Studio Amsterdam 321 High Street, Maitland Open Fri-Sun 11am-5pm WordXimage 445 High Street, Maitland Opening hours occasional and by appointment

*Opening hours subject to change. Maitland Portrait Prize

The sitter for the 2021 Maitland Portrait Prize, which is in its 5th year and open to members of the Maitland Region Society of Artists, was muchloved and respected local chef and Slow Food movement advocate Amorelle Dempster. Amorelle was a driving force in establishing the Slow Food Earth Market in The Levee, is owner of the Reader’s Café and Larder in East Maitland and was Maitland Citizen of the Year in 2017. An exhibition of the 20 entries was held at The Hunter Artisan Gallery in July, with the Prize going to Susan Webb.

IMAGES 1 Jenni Nichols at The Hunter Artisan Gallery & Café in East Maitland, 2021 (Photo: supplied) 2 The winning portrait of Amorelle Dempster for the 2021 Maitland Portrait Prize by Susan Webb.