Cafe owner Tracey Simmonds is giving young artists a space to be seen and get a foot-hold in the vibrant local arts scene.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Since opening her Lydiard St North cafe The Local, Ms Simmonds has made sure the works of young local artists have been hanging on the wall to reach a wide audience.
It’s a personal mission, fuelled by admiration of her daughter’s artistic talents.
“My daughter is an arts graduate from the Victorian College of the Arts and needed a bit of encouragement to exhibit,” she said.
“If you don’t have the contacts or confidence, how do you get your work out there?”
With that thought in the back of her mind, when she was renovating the former grocer’s store that opened as The Local 19 months ago, she ensured local artists would take pride of place on the walls.
“I just wanted to showcase local art from young artists and give them an opportunity,” she said.
“The space is perfect, and I made sure I painted it white and put up art tracks to really promote young artists.
The three artists with work currently on display are all VCA graduates who grew up and were educated in Ballarat: Lindsay Matthews, Ebony Gulliver and Raaimi Simmonds.
Matthews’ fine art drawings are of mostly botanical works, while multimedia artist Ebony Gulliver also has a botanical edge to her work which is drawn from the flora around the Blackwood region where her family grew up.
Print maker Raaimi Simmonds, Tracey’s daughter, also has her favourite creations on the walls.
“Right from the beginning the customers have loved it, and they know I’m pretty passionate particularly about art work and supporting young graduate artists who don’t have the confidence or contacts to get out there,” she said.
The Local is one of dozens of cafes around Ballarat using their walls to hang the creations of local artists.
“Ballarat is amazing art community, especially in the Soldiers Hill area it’s outstanding and the quality of artists we have in this region it really, really untapped.”