The gallery showcases a fascinating array of artworks in various genres, techniques, and media—from textiles and wearable art to jewellery, printmaking, painting, sculpture, leather, resin ware, ceramics, metal, wood, and glass.
“T’Arts” is short for “Textile and Arts.” Unlike many collectives, it has been operating almost without a hitch for all this time—an amazing result for such a large group of creative, independent women and men. It works because of the enormous effort put in by individual members and the goodwill that the group itself generates, both for its member artists and for their many loyal customers.
T’Arts is a not-for-profit organisation managed and operated by its 34 members—at the moment, 32 from South Australia and 2 from interstate. This means, amongst other things, that the commission it charges on members’ work is minimal (20%) and designed only to cover the costs of operation of the gallery, promotion, and marketing. The absence of paid staff, and the equal sharing of rent, makes this possible. Membership is by selection, and successful applicants must commit to a full year of membership, pay their share of the rent, work in the gallery shop one day per month, belong to very active working committees, and attend planning meetings.
Each year, some members leave and new ones begin. The gallery also changes displays approximately every two months, giving member artists and invited guest artists a window display that is different each month. One of T’Arts’ attractions is that every time you come into the shop, there are new things to see, and there is always one of the artists on duty to answer any questions you might have.
It’s located in the heritage-listed Adelaide Arcade, a ‘destination shopping’ locale with many other niche outlets. Quality assurance applies to all art on show, and the selection of new members is based on a detailed inspection of the level of skill and creativity in their work. Thereafter, a quality assurance policy enables the Collective to keep an eye on everything that is brought into the gallery to assess its suitability.
10g Gays Arcade, Adelaide
