10 years' of Space Gallery celebrated with art exhibition in Whanganui

Sarah Williams celebrates 10 years of Space Studio and Gallery. Photo / Paul Brooks

It has been 10 years since Midweek first interviewed Sarah Williams, the recently graduated art student who had teamed up with fellow graduate Aaron Gash to create the evolving entity that was Space Studio and Gallery.

Sarah graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Distinction) majoring in painting. The first Midweek story was published on April 18, 2012.

The gallery officially opened on Saturday, April 28 in what would be the first of three premises for Space. First at 64 Taupo Quay, then to the corner at 66 Taupo Quay, in the place originally built as the Metropolitan Hotel in 1896, and now at 18 St Hill St, a 1907 building which was the original home of the Dalgety and Company warehouse and head office.

To celebrate, Sarah is holding a birthday exhibition.

"It's a big old anniversary line-up," she says. "We've got a solo exhibition from an artist who was our very first exhibiting artist in 2012. Alice Fennessy is her name.

"She's going in the Pop-Up Gallery. Then we have a group exhibition in Gallery 1 and 2 for invited past and present studio artists and exhibiting artists. That harks right back to Aaron Gash, who I started the gallery with."

Aaron is putting in a piece for the exhibition. "It actually has Thomas Cruz in the work, who was a previous exhibiting and studio artist. He is living in London now and can't provide a piece for the show, so it's kind of a double whammy piece, in a way."

Sarah says she had no trouble contacting the artists and asking them to send something for the show.

"They were all really happy to come in and celebrate and are excited by the milestone."

Covid conditions could have made it difficult but Sarah says she's ready to start moving on.

"We've had quite a hiatus on events while we got through the community outbreak, so we're going to start easing back into some of these things." Being unable to hold events has been challenging for the business and for the artists.

Sarah is aware that while there are people wanting to get on with their lives, there are others feeling frightened and vulnerable, and less likely to attend events. Space is a big, multiple gallery area with room for social distancing and careful behaviour.

"In terms of exhibitions, everything is catalogued online so people can still support the event from home. We are seeing people looking and buying online.

"It should be a relatively busy week getting it all ready ... with a big group show there are a lot more moving parts."

There are artists who have been with Sarah since the first days of Space and she has seen their work progress over the decade, from "emerging" to "established". She has supported their art through exhibitions and, in doing so, has had close friendships develop.

Throughout the evolution of Space Studio & Gallery, Sarah is grateful to her father, Jon Williams, and his wife Sandy.

"They have been pivotal in my journey and I wouldn't be here without them."

Space Studio & Gallery Turns 10! exhibition opens on Wednesday, April 13 and runs until April 23 at 18 St Hill St.