Neil Beedie, Installation View. Courtesy of LAILA Gallery, shot by Dimitri Tricolas

Now that lockdown restrictions are easing, Sydney’s local arts community is coming back stronger than ever with six new galleries opening up around the city. Often making use of vacant or unused commercial spaces, these new galleries have seen opportunity in times of uncertainty. They are all proving the determination of our grassroots arts community to persevere through difficult circumstances.

1. Prop Gallery

Image courtesy of Prop Gallery

Prop is a non-profit, artist-run initiative for artists to present ideas through exhibitions, performances, talks and community activations. Located in what used to be a retail shop front, Prop boasts large street front windows for exhibitions in and out of business hours. Prop will be holding exhibitions year round, so look out for their upcoming shows!

Opening times: Thursday – Sunday, 10 am -4 pm

Where: Wangal Country, 1/361 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield, 2131

2. Sketch Collective Gallery

Image courtesy of Sketch Collective Gallery

Sketch Collective Gallery is a unique, hybrid space that operates as half-art gallery, half-media agency. The space is located in a refurbished terrace house on Crown Street in Surry Hills and focuses on promoting emerging Australian artists.

Caroline Heslop, the Founder and Director of Sketch Collective, has led the initiative with an aim to make commercial art more accessible, both for emerging artists entering the art market, and for first time art buyers. Artworks at Sketch Collective start from $350 with nothing priced higher than $5000.

Opening times: Monday – Friday 10 am-4 pm, Saturday 11 am-3 pm

Where: Gadigal Country, 420 Crown Street, Surry Hills, 2010

3. LAILA

Image courtesy of LAILA Gallery

LAILA is a new commercial art gallery that aims to showcase contemporary Australian and international artists. Tucked away in a refurbed commercial space in Chippendale, this curated exhibition program values rigorous and critically engaged artistic practices, aiming to provide a new space for artist-led encounters from an exciting generation of artists.

LAILA hopes to depart from antiquated and exclusionary commercial models. LAILA sees the good work of a new generation of gallerists situated in Sydney, and hopes to make a contribution to the development of art gallery culture in the city.

Opening times: Friday and Saturday 12 pm-6 pm

Where: Gadigal Country, Suite 301, 27 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale, 2008

4. Tiles Lewisham

Image courtesy of Tiles Lewisham

Tiles Lewisham is an artist-run initiative offering affordable artist studios, printmaking facilities and exhibition spaces for early-career artists. Located in another refurbed shop front, Tiles aims to use the space to build a creative community through workshops and exhibitions.

Tiles’ artist studios are currently home to artists Christopher Burton, Andriana Carney, Troy Donaghy, Marcus Dyer Harrison, Monica Rudhar, Olga Svyatova and Heather Tralaggan, alongside collectives Paradise Journal and Stolon Press. Their launch exhibition presenting their studio artists will be announced in mid-April, so watch this space!

Opening TBA! Stay tuned via Instagram @tiles.lewisham

Where: Wangal Country, 24 Victoria Street, Lewisham, 2049

5. Sydenham International

Brought to you by local artists Brendan Van Hek and Consuelo Cavaniglia, Sydenham International is a new artist-run initiative that will be operating as an experimental art space. The gallery is independent and non-profit, located in a refurbed commercial space situated in Sydenham’s warehouse precinct.

Opening times: Launch exhibition Saturday, 2nd April, 2-5pm

Where: Wangal Land. 81 Sydenham Road, Marrickville, 2204, NSW

6. nano gallery

Image courtesy of nano gallery

From the team behind the late ‘Point Five Gallery’, ‘nano gallery’  will be an artist-run gallery initiative housed at Join the Dot studios. In what founder Adriana Beach has described as a “a big sexy juicy year” the space will be promoting emerging artists, featuring exhibitions of experimental practices. The space will also be hosting pop-up events for local collectives, publications and record labels to showcase work, promoting independent, emerging, creative communities and the diverse disciplines they operate in.

Opening times: TBA, follow on Instagram @nanogallery_

Where: Wangal Land. 102 Victoria Road, Marrickville, 2204, NSW