The Tate at Glebe’s renowned hotel, The Toxteth, is the latest addition to the inner west’s visual arts scene. Comprising of a rent-free, commission-free gallery space as well as a set of no-rent art studios, The Tate will house a curated family of artists from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, with the objective of re-invigorating Sydney’s arts and cultural scene.
The Tate is another initiative from the team behind Sydney’s Lo-Fi Collective: co-founded by Peer Group and Riversdale Group and co-curated by Marty Routledge and Christopher Loutfy.
As the gentrification avalanche tumbles down the hills from the Eastern Suburbs, the known creative precincts of Surry Hills and Darlinghurst are being pushed further to Redfern and Darlington. Following the success of Lo-Fi, as well as The Standard, Go Font Yr Self and Self Est., the founders see The Tate as yet another step in the process of addressing the distance between Sydney’s arts education system and the art industry, as well as bridging the physical gap between Sydney’s inner west and the inner city.
The Tate will hold new openings weekly, embracing grass roots talent from within the establishment by means of draft picks from our arts education system. The Tate applies the same free gallery structure as its sister gallery, Lo-Fi Collective, serving as a stepping stone space for 2nd year graduates to host their first solo or group shows.
The Tate’s five no-rent studios will be made available to artists of varying experience and ability working across a range of mediums and formats, selected on the basis of applications. The Tate’s curators work closely with faculty members of the universities specialising in visual arts such as COFA, SCA, UNSW and ENMORE TAFE, developing unique opportunities for students to work and exhibit off-campus in a uni-friendly environment.
Artists can apply for shows and spaces by emailing their CV and examples of work to chris.loutfy@peergroupmedia.com.
Located on the top floor of The Toxteth hotel at 345 Glebe Point Road, The Tate also lays claim to an historic pub, meaning bar and food on site. Drawing on Sydney’s burgeoning creative community (both physical and online) and running a full program of events, The Tate hopes to expand this community and build pathways for young artists to further develop their creativity.
The landmark Toxteth Hotel was recently acquired by Riversdale Group. One of the fastest growing publican groups, Riversdale Group is known for re-injecting energy into Sydney’s forgotten venues and heritage sites.
“With each of our venues, we try hard to understand the community that we’re in and create something that reflects that community’s own personality”, explains Paddy Coughlan, CEO of Riversdale Group.
“When we took on The Toxteth at Glebe, a gallery upstairs struck me as a great way to continue to support young artists and engage with Glebe’s student population”.
A core objective of Riversdale Group is to reinvigorate Sydney’s arts and cultural scene. Supporting partner, Peer Group Media shares this aim, having executed several key visual arts projects in Sydney over the past 3 years. These include: Go Font Ur Self, a 2-year old nationwide tour of type-based artworks by both local and international typographers; Self Est. (self established), a 4-day micro-festival in Surry Hills comprising a series of small events, exhibits and talks and Lo-Fi Collective, a weekly showcase of low-brow artists in a huge, inner-city New York-style attic space.
Riversdale Group’s other venues include: Lo-Fi and The Standard at the Kinselas Building, Taylor Square; The Bellevue, Paddington; The Unity Hall, Balmain and the Peakhurst Inn.
The Tate @ The Toxteth will hold its inaugural launch exhibition on Wednesday, March 14th
