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A new art retail store and not-for-profit gallery is set to open in Melbourne’s bohemian enclave of Fitzroy.
Junior Space provides an accessible platform for emerging artists to showcase their work and creating a welcoming space for the community to experience and/or purchase original artworks.
While studying art curatorship, Bec Capp, Curator and Founder of Junior Space, identified an opportunity to open her own gallery space: “I found traditional art galleries were often foreign and uncomfortable places for people who were not active within the industry, despite having a curiosity about art. I wanted to make a space, that took on the concept of an art gallery – so as not to devalue the work – but was accessible for a diversity of audiences,” Capp said.
The physical design of Junior Space plays to this vision. The layout hosts a retail shop on the street front, with stairs leading to a traditional gallery space at the rear. Capp hopes that this makes both the process of buying and selling art more accessible. Artists do not need a catalogue of work to sell in the store, while buyers can feel comfortable browsing within a familiar retail space.
The Junior Space vision means artists’ have the ability to exhibit without gallery representation or without having to produce a complete body of work. The store/gallery have works available from Melbourne artists including Minna Leunig, Antra Svarcs along with titles from Bloom Publishing.
Not limited to exhibitions, Junior Space will also play host to a variety of all art forms such as film screenings, theatre, workshops and talks, which are all set to commence over the coming months.
Junior Space will open with ‘Launch’, a group exhibition of emerging and established photographers, both local and international, on Thursday 12 May. The exhibition has a specific focus on artists who shoot in film format. With no thematic boundaries each photographer has been able to choose freely from their catalogue. This ties in with the Junior Space philosophy – a broad definition of art. All artists are exhibiting previously unseen limited-edition works, which will be available for purchase on the night. Artists include: Nicholas Wilkins, Luke Van Aurich, Emma Perry, Kate Molenkamp, Antonella Tignanelli (ARG), Kimberley Dhollander (BEL), Kenny Hurtado (USA), Jordi Huisman (NLD) and Jenny Hueston (CAN).
Images:
Junior Space interior
Kimberley Dhollander (BEL), Dreamy colour palette
