The GACCI committee saw the gallery as an avenue to support and promote local artists in Gloucester.

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An empty room on the ground floor of the School of Arts was quickly refurbished with the help of the committee and volunteers.

“Everyone pitched in to help,” Leanne Barrett, the first Art Director of the gallery said.

The gallery adopted an “Art for All” motto, wanting to involve all artists, including primary and high school students.

“The gallery gave Gloucester a new way of seeing itself and the people who lived here,” said Leanne.

Over the gallery’s 25-year history, it has hosted several memorable exhibitions.

One particularly noteworthy exhibition was “Yarning Our Country”, which took two years to develop and involved over 200 knitters creating an Australian landscape from wool.

“The exhibition attracted 5000 viewers and travelled to Port Macquarie and Hornsby,” Leanne said.

“It was a huge success and one I am personally proud of.”

While supporting local artists remains the primary focus of the gallery, it also attracts practitioners from outside the area.

Leanne remembers showcasing photography famous Australian lensman Max Dupain had taken while holidaying in Gloucester.

We are privileged to have a range of artists wanting to exhibit in the gallery,” said Charlie Lethbridge, the current Arts Administrator of GACCI.

The gallery has exhibitions locked in until 2026.

“A great achievement for a regional gallery,” she said.

Charlie highlighted the annual “Pix in the Stix” photographic competition, running in the Gloucester Gallery for 23 years.

“The significant number of entries from young people this year bodes well for the future of photography in Gloucester,” Charlie said.

Currently on exhibition is the Gloucester Artists Spring Exhibition followed by ‘Unnatural Natural’, a series of works by local artist Dimity Bowden featuring Sally and Ella Riordan.

By Wendy BUSWELL