the art life

Sydney arts community rallies to save one of the city’s most important venues for emerging and experimental art

Recently named by Creative Sydney as one of the cities’ top ‘Creative Catalysts’, Firstdraft Gallery - Sydney’s oldest Artist-Run Initiative, has been giving big breaks to budding artists since 1986. Some of Australia’s top young artists got their start at Firstdraft. Now we need your help.

Firstdraft lives in a building that has been served with a compulsory Council fire order. In the coming weeks and months, we must undertake significant renovations to our much-loved space in order to keep our doors open to the public.

Firstdraft will be rebuilding, rewiring and providing disabled access to our 3 galleries and 2 studios. And for that we need money we don’t have. Imagine if Firstdraft were to close... future biennale stars, gallery curators and the next generation of up-and-coming artists may not get the start they need.

That’s where you come in. Firstdraft is holding an emergency fundraiser auction at the gallery on Thursday 3 September 2009 to raise $20,000 for the cause. Former Firstdraft directors and artists, as well as fellow galleries, are rushing to donate artworks for auction in support of one of Sydney’s most important venues for emerging and experimental art. The auction will be hosted by Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, Director, Museum of Contemporary Art.

We need your support too. Come along and snap up some killer bargains. Tell your friends. Get involved! Every dollar raised will go to keeping alive a space that has added to the cultural vibrancy and creative spirit of Sydney for over two decades.

Who: works have been generously donated by artists and galleries such as: Del Kathryn Barton, Mike Parr, David Griggs, Lauren Brincat, Christopher Hanrahan, Sarah Goffman, Simon Kennedy, Brett East, Tom Polo, Agatha Gothe-Snape, Michaela Gleave, Mikala Dwyer, Helen Hyatt-Johnston, Jake Walker, Christine Cornish, Jessica Maurer, Rachel Scott, Mitch Cairns, Penelope Benton, Jess Oliveri, Sonny Day, Rod Jacka, Lionel Bawden, Jumaadi, Will French, Kate Scardifield, Tom Polo, Shane Haseman, Gallery 9, Gallery 4a, Breenspace, Stills gallery, Anna Schwartz gallery and Kaliman gallery, plus many more to come.

Labels: fund raisers, press releases

This entry was posted on Monday, August 31, 2009 at 4:46 PM.