4 minute read
Ex-Student Spotlight: Allison Bellinger
DIRECTOR, A.K. BELLINGER GALLERY
Ex-Student Allison Bellinger (Munro, 1987)
If we look back at your time at school, when did you attend PLC Sydney, and what did you plan to do/ what did you study after Year 12? I attended as a boarder from 1983 to 1987. It was a very happy time in my life. I was a Prefect and Boarders’ Vice-Captain. When I left school, I went on to study law and work in a couple of law firms in the cty. I also travelled extensively and lived & worked overseas for a time in Germany and the UK.
What have you gone onto do after school? In 2002 I married and relocated from Sydney to be with my husband, who was farming near Inverell in northern NSW. I then spent six or seven years working side-by-side with him on the property. It was a wonderful time, and we had great fun meeting people in the district together.
What does a typical "work" day look like for you? A typical day for me begins at 6 am preparing my son for school and checking emails. I travel into town (which is a 50 km drive), and I am in the Gallery four to five days a week. Most days, I do a Pilates class before going into the Gallery. The day typically involves me taking couriers and responding to enquiries from clients. I also spent a lot of time researching new artists for the Gallery and communicating with our current artists. A good part of my day is spend with visitors to the gallery, whether social or commercial. I have two assistants in the Gallery, a part-time bookkeeper and an IT assistant.
I usually leave work by about 3.30pm to meet my son at the bus. When I am home, my 'online' workday continues responding to emails followed by the usual domestic undertakings. I am often working with media to provide interviews and press work regarding the Gallery too.
To date, what has been your proudest moment? I’ve had many proud moments in my life, from graduating in law, opening night in the Gallery and having two beautiful children. My children make me proud every day as I believe they are fine young people. My son has a disability which makes some undertakings difficult for him. Recently he ran in the primary school cross country race and gave it everything he had. I think that was my most recent proud moment. My daughter bravely went off to boarding school at 12 and took to it like a duck to water. I am proud of her courage. Regarding the Gallery, I feel proud and humbled often by my achievements attained in that space. Often it is the more simple things that give me pride, like knowing that I am making a difference in the life of my painters by showing and selling their work or just by being there for them as a mentor and friend. However, it would be remiss of me not to mention that in the second year of the Gallery, I attended the Archibald with one of my artists, who was a finalist in arguably Australia’s most prestigious art prize.
Could you tell us about a mistake you have made and what did you learn from that mistake? I have made many mistakes. Ultimately, I think life is a great teacher and tends to sort things out for us via our mistakes and the directions that result consequently. Holding back for so long to follow my passions was a mistake; most likely, it was a lack of confidence. In truth, I never really enjoyed studying law but felt that it was a safe place for me to be when the reality was that my passion and interest was more in the arts and creative field.
What advice woudl you share with someone starting their own business? My mother (Suzanne Denison OAM (Brown, 1960) always instilled the value of community service & generosity. I think she might say that these values were also instilled in her from her time at the College. The Gallery is an exciting cultural hub for the regional community, and it's a destination that is open to all. I will often host a function in the Gallery, with guest speakers, so that the local community can enjoy the space and the joy of art, even if they are not in the market to purchase. I also sponsor local art prizes and regularly donate paintings to charities for special fundraising. Recently my Gallery raised nearly $10,000 to donate to UNHCR following the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. This was an initiative led by Ben Quilty and one which I feel very strongly about supporting. On a more practical note, my favourite saying is that there is 'more than one
