“Art Month is like a gateway drug,” says artistic director Glenn Barkley. “You go to Art Month to work out what happens behind the scenes and get some pointers. Then the rest of the year becomes like Art Year.” In other words, it’s an exercise in art enthusiasm? “Exactly, it’s really not hard to do,” he says.
Only a few days out from Sydney’s month-long celebration of contemporary art, Barkley is busy but excited. The theme for this year’s festival is ‘Where Art Happens’. Many of the events examine the role of public art, emerging arts spaces, and the international grasp of the 21st century collector.
“From a broader perspective, the theme came about from seeing how artists have been squeezed out of the city,” says Barkley. “I’m interested in letting people know that artists live and work in the city. I want to engage with artists as much as the art world.”
Perusing the program for Art Month 2015, there are more events than are humanly possible to attend. Venues include a number of established Paddington galleries and a scattering of emerging arts spaces in the Inner West. There is also plenty to see at major sites around Kings Cross and Chippendale.
The Art At Night series focuses on three different precincts with galleries extending their opening hours. If you’re unsure about how to behave at art parties (hint: it’s usually about cheap booze and looking clever), this is an ideal starting point. Or if you fancy diving in at a grassroots level, ARTcycle tours are a fun and friendly way of getting acquainted with local spaces, gallerists and artists.
In the lead-up to this year’s festival, Barkley has been busy forging links with more isolated art scenes. While the inner city tends to be well connected with the Western Suburbs, it’s not often that the North Shore enters the equation. “There are amazing spaces out there, which I’m not sure people even know about, so it’s been great to draw on those,” he says. “[Willoughby’s Workshop] Arts Centre and the Incinerator Art Space are terrific – they’re very community-engaged and have been for a long time. The Willoughby Arts Centre was built according to a socialist ethos, so it’s really beautiful. And the Incinerator Art Space was designed by Walter Burley Griffin; the show that’s going to be on there is called Intersections: The Art Of Architects.”
Aspiring collectors can jump on an informative tour or get a glimpse of some private acquisitions. “The Collectors’ Space is going to be a standout exhibition, I hope,” says Barkley, rattling off the highlights. “It will be a great show for people to be inspired by. It will also give a good sense of different pathways and how easily you can become obsessed.”
A series of public talks will also take place across the city. From the funding of public art to the resurgence of ceramics in contemporary art, there’ll be a range of thought-provoking topics. According to Barkley, one discussion that will deal with a significant change in the art market is I Can Do That! The Rise Of The Makers. “I think there’s this whole community making things who are becoming successful businesspeople in their own right,” he says. “Using the internet, they’re developing alternative business models for creative people and I think that’s quite interesting to look at.”
On the whole, the festival should have a broad appeal, aimed at reeling in everyone from veteran gallery-goers to first-timers. “I think you need to see Art Month as an open exhibition that takes place across the whole city,” says Barkley. “I would just encourage people to get out, feel welcomed, and support artists.”
Art Month 2015 takes place Friday March 6 – Sunday March 29. For more info head to the Art Month Sydney website.
