Melaleuca on Mitchell Recommends Darwin’s Art Hub

What you imagine when you think about Darwin is probably the famous animals and climate that make the town an icon for rural Australia; crocs (the killer reptile kind, not the fashion suicide kind), insects, red dirt and life draining heat.

But Darwin is much more than the Crocodile Dundee of Australia.

With a super creative and culturally alert art hub just outside the CBD, Darwin’s youth and art culture reaches beyond traditional aboriginal dot paintings and torturous Aussie battle rap.

3 art studios all operate at Harriet Place, a small U-shaped road that also accommodates a few small local businesses and a pleasant little park. With 3 studios operating in such close vicinity of each other you would think their would be an air of violent competition between the three establishments, however that is not the case at all.

Harriet Place is Darwin’s very own art precinct with regular events put on the same night by all three studios, this allows enthusiasts to absorb three separate exhibitions and styles all the while filling the street with art lovers and creating a cosy little cultural community and maybe a bit of a cheeky block party.

Darwin’s Art Warehouse is the most prominent on the street with a wide variety of exhibitions from baby dolls heads to a mural of backsides painted on the building itself and it’s owner Carol Phayer is running for parliament this year.

Next up the Mayfair art studio is perhaps the most popular with a jam-packed itinerary of events and workshops from ‘Bogan Yoga’, a super relaxed yoga class for anyone and everyone to ‘No Lights No Lycra’ a pitch black dance party which is held every Wednesday night. Owner David Collins is also looking to put up a few artist in the rooms out the back of the property so that the studio can have regularly rotating bodies of work.

Paul Johnstone Gallery is the fancy contemporary art studio a few doors down from Mayfair and are committed to only showcasing works from community art centres, effectively giving the lime-light back to the locals.

Check out Mayfair art studios Facebook page for their latest events or have a look at the exhibitions showing now at Paul Johnstone Gallery: wwwpauljohnstonegallery.com.au