Thank You for Coming to our Auckland Grand Opening!

Wow, what a fantastic evening! The grand opening of The Little Gallery in Victoria Park Market, Auckland on Friday 2 September was a resounding success with a number of people who came to see our new gallery space. Clients often enjoy our events because we aim to display 'something for everyone' and there is a mixture of styles, techniques and mediums.  We also had a number of artists attend and it's was great opportunity to talk to them about their work and gain insight and understanding about a piece of art. 

We feel that Auckland is looking for an art space that is friendly and approachable - where the staff are knowledgeable, professional and not elitist or exclusive.Each piece is a unique work of art and we pride ourselves on being able to tell the story and give you an understanding of the work.

The wine was free flowing and so were the conversations and it was great to see so many people engaged in discussions about the art, what they liked and commenting on the layout of the space.  Victoria Park Market is in a fantastic location and has a great atmosphere which suits our style of gallery.As we are a unique business model that is run like a co-operative with artist manning the space, it means that we are a great fit for the artisan spaces that are being created in this unique location. 

Creating the space

It's been a fast and exciting process from signing the lease on Monday 8 August to opening night on Friday 2 September.First step was to get some lighting installed to really show off the work and ensure that it glowed white to give clients an accurate representation of the colours used in the work.Large spot lights were installed to ensure they covered the walls and not cast shadows.

Next step was to put together furniture to display the object art we have available - glass, sculpture and pottery - as well as a desk to work from and wrap your new piece of art on.We felt like furniture movers as we set up the space, trying pieces in different locations to ensure the space within the gallery remained open, free flowing and relaxed. We wanted to recreate the same atmosphere that we have in Tairua - where people feel comfortable to come in and discuss art, learn, appreciate and critique without feeling judged.

Then on to our new hanging system and the process of setting the gallery.  We hang in saloon style, which means we display a number of works on the same wall.  Each wall needs to display work in it's own right, without competing or taking away from the work beside it, without clashing but complementing each other.  The extra logistics of sharing the perlongs that hang from the skirting board above meant that hanging took three days, including labeling and filling the print rack. We are really proud of what we achieved, considering there are over 75 pieces of art on display.

A special thanks to my artists volunteers - who, without your help, we would never have been able to make it happen. This is really a unique space, with a friendly, professional and inviting feel and we hope you visit us and enjoy the work available as much as we do.  We hope you visit us soon and we would love to know what you think of the space.

 

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