Love-in for bush artists and city dealers makes great business

Speed dating. Two strangers giving each other the briefest once-over in search of that magical, special spark. It's a new-ish fad in the dating scene but it's also a hit in the northern NSW town of Murwillumbah matching country artists and big city gallery dealers.

It's a clever way of addressing a simple problem of maths - too many artists, too few galleries and therefore few chances to make a decent living.

The idea is the brainchild of Lois Randall and Melitta Firth of Arts Northern Rivers in north-eastern NSW and brings together in the one room 30 local artists and art dealers from the neighbouring Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney.

Mullumbimby artist Robyn Sweaney is to exhibit her work in December at Sydney's prestigious Tim Olsen Gallery following what was clearly a most successful 'date'. "It was a great opportunity to test my work with the Sydney galleries. I certainly wasn't expecting such a quick response - being offered a show in Sydney this year. The four minutes I had with each gallery director may have been fast but it did the trick!"

Zom Osbourne was another artist who received multiple offers to exhibit. "Speed dating was a lot of fun. I met quite a few gallery directors in one evening and had the very good fortune to meet Charles Hewitt and be given the opportunity to show at his beautiful Sydney gallery."

For the city dealers, it's an efficient, effective way to make connections with artists they'd never meet in the normal course of business. Sydney dealer Iain Dawson: "I met several artists I thought would be commercially strong in the Sydney market. I also met artists whose work was on par with the most successful practicing contemporary artists internationally."

The Visual Arts Network was established by Arts Northern Rivers to create national awareness of the region as an emerging centre for contemporary art. Arts Northern Rivers' CEO, Lois Randall, says the experiment is working well. "Gallery directors get to meet a large number of artists in a short space of time which increases the chances of a successful match."

The next speed dating will take place at Grafton on 19 November.
Visit the gallery at www.visualartsnetwork.net.au or call 02 6628 8120

Artist Robyn Sweaney will show her paintings of classic north coast houses at the Tim Olsen Gallery in Sydney in December - thanks to clever match-making by Arts Northern Rivers. Photo: Des Sheridan



Love-in for bush artists and city dealers makes great business Speed dating. Two strangers giving each other the briefest once-over in search of that magical, special spark. It's a new-ish fad in the dating scene but it's also a hit in the northern NSW town of Murwillumbah matching country artists and big city gallery dealers. It's a clever way of addressing a simple problem of maths - too many artists, too few galleries and therefore few chances to make a decent living. The idea is the brainchild of Lois Randall and Melitta Firth of Arts Northern Rivers in north-eastern NSW and brings together in the one room 30 local artists and art dealers from the neighbouring Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney. Mullumbimby artist Robyn Sweaney is to exhibit her work in December at Sydney's prestigious Tim Olsen Gallery following what was clearly a most successful 'date'. "It was a great opportunity to test my work with the Sydney galleries. I certainly wasn't expecting such a quick response - being offered a show in Sydney this year. The four minutes I had with each gallery director may have been fast but it did the trick!" Zom Osbourne was another artist who received multiple offers to exhibit. "Speed dating was a lot of fun. I met quite a few gallery directors in one evening and had the very good fortune to meet Charles Hewitt and be given the opportunity to show at his beautiful Sydney gallery." For the city dealers, it's an efficient, effective way to make connections with artists they'd never meet in the normal course of business. Sydney dealer Iain Dawson: "I met several artists I thought would be commercially strong in the Sydney market. I also met artists whose work was on par with the most successful practicing contemporary artists internationally." The Visual Arts Network was established by Arts Northern Rivers to create national awareness of the region as an emerging centre for contemporary art. Arts Northern Rivers' CEO, Lois Randall, says the experiment is working well. "Gallery directors get to meet a large number of artists in a short space of time which increases the chances of a successful match." The next speed dating will take place at Grafton on 19 November. Visit the gallery at www.visualartsnetwork.net.au or call 02 6628 8120	Back to main newsletter