About Us
Local creatives
The Hunter Artisan Gallery & Café is a permanently housed artisan collective, featuring the works of some 30 independent makers from across the Hunter and surrounding area. We encourage creativity to connect, inspire and empower the creative community; this is our simple aim and at the heart of what we do.
Home-style cafe
The small gallery café offers a very simple menu of hearty home-style meals, tasty toasties and home-made cakes and sweets. As far as practicable, we endeavour to use local produce and 'made on the premises' condiments. We are fully licensed and offer a small range of Hunter wines.
More than a gallery...more than a cafe
'A Creative Space and a space for creatives'.
The building, located at 48 Melbourne Street, East Maitland (the former George and Dragon Inn, originally built in 1837) is unique and beautiful and filled with a history that spans across 180 years. As well as gorgeous art, we have beautiful giftware, jewellery, homewares and vintage china. Our creative space also offers drawing and other art workshops, special individual and group exhibitions and a wonderful meeting place for writers and poets.
Photo Gallery (Sample of current works)
Upcoming Events & Exhibitions
'POETS IN RESIDENCE' - EVERY SATURDAY & SUNDAY
Poets have been inspired by works of art for centuries. The art of writing poetry about paintings is known as 'ekphrasis' - which basically means a verbal description of a visual work of art, whether it is real or imaginary. Our gallery is proud to have two poets in residence every Sunday as part of Maitland City Library's 'Verses' programme. Our poets write works in response to the art produced by our 'creative collective'
CREATIVE NETWORKING
Keep an eye out for information about our next Creative Networking Event. We get together on a regular basis for coffee, wine and nibbles, or an evening 'pot luck' dinner to hang out with other creatives, to find our what others have been doing creatively, learn about events and meet new friends. The best way to keep up to date with these gatherings is to like our 'Creative Coffee' facebook page.
'THE ARTIST'S TABLE DINNER'
‘An evening of art, poetry, music & food’…
An intimate gallery atmosphere, sharing a 3-course communal dinner of delicious slow-cooked dishes, enjoying great company & getting up close & personal with art...
Featuring: local poets,visual artists, musicians, writers, photographers and story tellers
Cost: $55/head (includes 3 course dinner and a complimentary drink)
THIS IS AN INTIMATE GATHERING HELD EVERY 3 TO 4 MONTHS AND PLACES ARE STRICTLY LIMITED TO 20 GUESTS.
The best way to find out when the bookings open for the next dinner is to like our FB page - The Hunter Artisan Gallery & Cafe
MAITLAND EMBROIDERERS INC DISPLAY & 'THE STRANDS THAT BIND US' TEXTILE & FIBRE EXHIBITION
In conjunction with a display by The Maitland Embroiderers Inc, the gallery will be curating an exhibition of textile and fibre art entitled 'The Strands That Bind Us'...Exhibition dates 9th - 19th August. The gallery will be open every day from 9am until 5pm during the exhibition.The gallery is located at 48 Melbourne Street East Maitland.
'THE STORY OF STEVE AND STELLA' - An Exhibition by the children of Our Lady of Lourdes School, Tarro
Karen Tucker is the Pastoral Care Worker at Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School in Tarro and recently she approached The Hunter Artisan Gallery with a wonderful idea….an Exhibition which showcased stories and artworks by the children, in particular…’ The Story of Steve and Stella’.
In collaboration with the gallery, this Exhibition will tell the story of how Steve and Stella (the school’s magical scarecrows) met and fell in love.
As well, the Exhibition will incorporate Cultural Yarns artworks, a selection of works from the school’s portrait and poetry competition and indigenous food. This is a fundraiser for the school and a ‘silent auction’ will be held for a sculptural piece completely designed by the children.
OFFICIAL OPENING: SATURDAY 22nd Sept, 2018 4—6PM
EXHIBITION DATES 19th –30th September 2018 Daily 9am to 5pm
'COUNTRY'...AN EXHIBITION BY HUNTER WOMEN ARTISTS & CMA (Contemporary Monday Artists)
Hunter Women Artists are based in Newcastle. This energetic group of vibrant and talented artists create a variety of works. This collaborative exhibition showcasing the many and varied artforms of this accomplished group of women will be held from 4th until 21st October.
OFFICIAL OPENING: SATURDAY 6th October, 2018 6—8PM
EXHIBITION DATES 4th - 21th October 2018 Daily 9am to 5pm
Featured Artists
Jennifer Nichols
My fascination is with the human form… with people and their stories. My work takes form utilising different mediums, particularly charcoal/pastels, inks, ceramic and acrylics, combined with the techniques of painting, drawing, ceramic-work, sculpture and print-making. I use whatever medium is appropriate to transform my ideas into reality, with a preference to using multi-medium, often with the combination of natural and man-made materials.
I am fascinated by the process of how we transform throughout life, the journey more so than the destination and how the stories of others can change us, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
My personal life journey has given me much insight. It has taken me from the depths of despair to the heights of happiness and peace and it is these constantly changing transitions between emotions that direct and inspire my work.
I love the beauty of the broken, the lost, the damaged, the forgotten, the sad, the disenfranchised, the imperfect… the perfection of imperfection.
My work is inspired by photographer Diane Arbus and painter Alice Neel, both of whom also embodied this narrative. Diane Arbus once said ‘The subject is more important than the picture’...a statement that I fully endorse.
Lee Pigott – Pappigo Images
A self-taught photographer, I bought my first DSLR just over two years ago and have never looked back. To practice and learn, I started walking around, camera in hand, wherever I happened to be and this developed into a real passion for street photography. In street photography, I draw my inspiration from photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Thomas Leuthard, Marcus Anderson and Lee Jeffries. I endeavour to express myself through photography, not to just capture a moment but to create a work of art.
I am a local photographer, I grew up in Maitland and still live here. As a member of RAW Artists, an international organisation aimed at promoting creative arts, I have showcased my work at their Newcastle events. My camera lens also turns towards other areas of interest to me such as events, surfing, sport and portraiture and I currently cover events for local company H Events producing their social media images. People fascinate me so you’ll often find me at local events looking to capture images that present viewers with my interpretation of the events atmosphere.
David Oberdorf
Artist David Oberdorf was born in Maitland, NSW. His artistic skills were recognised at high school when chosen to illustrate and draw cartoons for Maitland High School’s weekly news sheet, which extended over a two year period.
Following school he worked for 22 years as a press photographer before pursuing his passion for art full time in 1994 when he began drawing house portraits. An exhibition of his work was held at Maitland City Art Gallery that year.
Since this time demand has grown significantly for David’s house portraits, which he draws by hand in fine ink from photographs. Many requests are made by proud home owners or people wishing to give their favourite relative or friend a lasting and unique portrait of their home. Orders are also often taken for church portraits, to become a timeless gift and celebration of the wedding for the bride and groom.
David has completed numerous commissions for Maitland, Newcastle and Blacktown City Councils which included public buildings, hotels and tourist sites.
David’s photographically accurate and highly detailed house portraits have been featured on NBN television and in Better Homes & Gardens magazine.
'The Art of Words...Words in Art'...
'Change' - (suiga) (Mixed media ceramic, natural bark & wood by Jennifer Nichols
'Shouldering the burden
of wings emerging-
fear having bled the past-
hope now sends ripples
into a future bending
to the winds of change,
the power of flight.'
Poet in Residence
Pip Sheehan Lowther
4/2/18
'And Lemons' acrylic on canvas by Janelle Goldman
The Lemons
'They hang over the fence
I watch the globed fruit
hang into the sunlit air
with an assumed sigh
of disinterest
that belies the acid
juicing beneath
the tough skin.
I watch out the kitchen window,
I want them to ripen.
My iced water needs
something extra.'
Poet in Residence
Pip Sheehan Lowther
11/2/18
'Kinship' oil on linen by Skye O'Shea
The Shapechanger
'Sleeping, drifting, dreaming
Fey, virgin, vixen mother
leaning back into the earth.
Signs autumn before the winter'
Poet in Residence
Jan Iwaszkiewicz
18/2/18
'Drifting' mixed media on canvas by Bev Leggett Simmons
'Small grains of minutes
seconded from life's flow
drift past. here were are
at bedrock we think
but large chunks of reality
break off the continents
of family, work, friendships.
as mothers, days are measured
by skin-smell and small steps.'
Poet in Residence
Pip Sheehan Lowther
17/2/18
'Vineyards Slab Hut' acrylic on canvas by Renata Daniel
'Grandpop's barn
was made of
logs rough hewn and primitive
and corrugated iron rusted
to a piebald roof-skin
Grandma's roses
are long since overtaken
by prolific purple thistles.
Thinking of her scones,
sponges, lemon curd, and
fresh buttered mushrooms,
I am surprised
by a saliva rush
half a century later.'
Poet in Residence
Pip Sheehan Lowther
24/2/18
'Pauashell' Limited Ed. photographic print by Marie Foster
'Weeping
marine waves
leeched from the oceans
of light,
swim across
my soul's
salty pools.'
Poet in Residence
Pip Sheehan Lowther
24/2/18