Four Northern Rivers artists were tired of juggling making art with running a shop. So they teamed up, pooled their resources, and opened their own gallery in the heart of Lismore.
The Art Vault Gallery and Shop, at 8 Club Lane, is the joint venture of founding artists Mario Sanchez, Jaclyn “Jax” Fiddes, Elena Marie Matiussi, and Samantha Curno.
Everything on the shelves is handmade by the four artists, who share the costs, time, and work of keeping the doors open.
The idea came from Sanchez, a leatherworker and visual artist who ran The Leather Shop on Kyogle’s main street for almost nine years.
“I was spending so much time making things that the idea of also running a shop, meeting the overheads and committing to regular opening hours was becoming more and more difficult,” Sanchez said.
“By doing it together, we can share that load and spend more time doing what we actually love: making things.”
It is a familiar problem for independent artists. Between designing, creating, and producing their work, running a retail space can become a second or third job. Markets help, but they are often too infrequent to provide a reliable income.
The Art Vault takes a different approach. Rather than operating as a traditional retailer, it acts as an agent for its founding artists. It takes a percentage of each sale to cover running costs, and the rest goes straight to the artist.
What started as Sanchez’s brainchild has grown into a genuinely collaborative venture, and all four founders are Northern Rivers locals.
“We see Lismore as the heart of the Northern Rivers,” Sanchez said.
“It made sense as a central meeting point for all of us, and we also felt the city needed a space like this.”
“Everything we sell is made by the people behind the counter. It’s about making a direct connection between the artist, the work and the person who takes it home.”
The collective hopes The Art Vault will grow beyond its first four members, creating opportunities for other local artists and creative projects.
One idea on the table is The Window Project. The Leather Shop ran the community arts project in Kyogle for more than a year, giving artists a rent-free chance to exhibit their work in an unconventional public space.
The founding artists are:
- Mario Sanchez, leatherworker and visual artist, @studiosanchez
- Jaclyn Fiddes, ceramic artist, @spiral.earth.pottery
- Elena Marie Matiussi, visual artist, @3lena.marie
- Samantha Curno, artist and maker, @seaofteef
The community is invited to the official opening this Friday, with refreshments provided.
Official opening details:
- When: Friday, 13 November, 5pm to 7pm
- Where: 8 Club Lane, Lismore, the same lane as Bank Cafe and 36 Chambers Skate Shop, just off Molesworth Street
- Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday, 9.30am to 3pm, and Saturday, 9am to 2pm, with an extra weekday to be added in the coming weeks
- Website: www.theartvaultgallery.com
- Email: sayhi@theartvaultgallery.com
- Instagram: @theartvaultgallery
The aim is to give Lismore and the wider Northern Rivers a grassroots connection to local artists, while building financial stability in the creative community. And if it works, Mario Sanchez hopes others will follow.
“This is partly an experiment,” Sanchez said. “If it works, I would encourage other artists to create their own collectives; the world needs more art and less struggling artists!”
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