GALERIE B AT BALINGUP
I am originally from Holland where
I worked for the Arts Council in
Amsterdam. When I came to
Australia, I completed a Diploma
in Visual Arts Management
and worked for a variety of art
galleries and arts organisations
in Perth for about 15 years.
In 2005, an opportunity came
up to buy an empty shop in a
small town in the south-west of
Western Australia: A town called
Balingup. It was the perfect space
for a small art gallery/studio. It was
a long-held dream come true.
I felt I was ready to leave the
security of a steady job behind and
take the plunge into the unknown.
As I am a practising artist myself, I
know that having your own gallery
space gives a real sense of freedom
... not having to rely on other
galleries and wondering whether
they might accept your work.
I knew it would be a tough
start, especially in a small town
like Balingup. For any gallery it
takes years to get established
and to find an identity.
I suppose it is a like being an artist
... you need to find a direction.
My initial thought was to exhibit
contemporary art only, but I realised
I was limiting my market and
needed to be more flexible and
yet maintain a certain standard.
I started sourcing local artists;
there are many in the south-west
region. Slowly I have built up a
stockroom with paintings, works on
paper, ceramics and sculptures.
In between exhibitions, I
usually show a mix of different
artists (including myself).
As Balingup is also a tourist
attraction, we get many visitors from
interstate and overseas. Tourism,