Little Gallery Uki
From Small Things Big Things Grow
Words Andia Cally
Nestled in a cozy corner of the historic Buttery building in Uki is a vibrant artist-run space called Little Gallery. Home to 12 diverse artists local to the 2484 area, this small and dynamic space offers an array of bi-monthly exhibitions and monthly feature walls.
Our petite gallery is packed with an eclectic array of art forms, including glass, photography, painting, printing, mixed media, ceramics, jewellery and wearable art. As well as offering tourists and locals affordable and unique artworks, visitors love to chat to the creators behind the artworks, who take turns in managing the gallery.
Working as an artist is incredible and often isolating. This is why I love being part of an artists’ collective. Working alongside 11 other artists is an amazing source of inspiration, information, and a safe space to test new ideas.
Being part of a creative collective stretches all of us to move beyond our comfort zones. This often happens when we choose our group-themed exhibitions that provide artistic challenges, such as working with certain colours or quotes.
Last year we each had a hand in designing a new gallery sign, with every artist creating a letter in their signature style. The completed sign (as pictured top right) is a beautiful, bespoke reflection of what each of us brings to the gallery.
One of Little Gallery’s founder’s Michele Bevis shares how a series of synchronistic events led to establishing Uki’s first dedicated gallery. “In 2022 I was looking for an artists’ studio. When one of the shops at the Buttery became available that year, I put my hand up. I ended up finding a house that already had a studio space. Meanwhile, the Uki Café closed, which had offered a gallery space. I approached the Uki Residents Association, who own the Buttery, with the idea of turning the vacant shop into a community gallery, they were keen. We rounded up all the local artists we knew and launched in April 2022 on the same weekend as Uki’s annual Easter art institution — Images of Uki.”
The gallery has spurred some amazing artistic collaborations, some intentional, others accidental. Our resident mosaic artist recently turned obstacle into opportunity after accidentally breaking another artist’s ceramic piece and incorporating the broken pieces into a gorgeous joint work.
In the spirit of collaboration, our June and July feature walls will both
be joint offerings. June’s feature,
“Detritus,” is a collaboration between artists Judy-Collins Haynes and Christine Mellor, which focuses on “imagining the potential in discarded and decaying objects to give them new life and bring out their hidden qualities.”
Our July feature wall showcases 3D works from artists Michele Bevis and Marlena Basser in their exhibition— Stalactites and Stalagmites: Where heaven meets earth. This exhibition of sculptures combines painted blocks, glass, ceramics, metalwork and upcycled readymade objects. “The works will rise from the ground and hang from the ceiling, speaking to the aspiration that we live in alignment with our higher selves, thereby creating ‘heaven on earth’.
Little Gallery opens Wednesday—Sunday 10-3pm. We run regular workshops, art demos and tasters. Keep an eye on our Facebook page, Little Gallery Uki for event details and follow us on Instagram
@littlegallery_uki.
Andia Cally is a multimedia artist who works in the mediums of photography, painting, collage and stitching. She is one of the 12 local artists at Little Gallery Uki and manages the gallery’s communications and promotions.
