There’s a new space in Margaret River called Gallery Tom Hoye Studios or Gallery_ths for short.
This is a welcome addition to the ‘artscape’ of Margaret River. A space made by artists for artists, otherwise known as an Artist Run Initiative (A.R.I).
Most surfers of the region and surfing world, know of Tom Hoye and his craftmanship, he shaped boards out of this space, the waiting times for a board were long- you got it when Tom said. And he made beautiful objects i.e., surfboards. That ethos of craft and time allowed are being held close in the reimagining of this space located on the edge of the light industrial area.
Titled OPEN- sidetracks + crossed paths – the inaugural opening was held on October 25th featuring works by co-creator Shayne Hadley along with designer Merinda Garrett, and also featuring Christopher Young, Elisa Markes-Young, Paul Witzig, Jon Tarry, Jane Tangney, John Ogden, Melissa Boughey, Brian Yates.
Christopher Young at Gallery THS
In the gallery there are spaces within the space. A long rectangle, a white square with high ceilings, a corridor and a small bespoke room off to the side. All feature gallery lighting on tracks and white walls and clean floors. Letting the art do its thing uninterrupted. This is a much-needed breath of air up from the commercially driven arts agenda currently dominating the Southwest. Not all art makes money because not all art is an easily consumable product for purchase, a type of praxis acknowledged by various grant bodies and one that is judged on the depth and breadth of the idea put forward by the artist(s). Acknowledging this, Gallery_ths will have artist studios out the back for hire and this income generating model is designed to support the galleries running’s.
Congrats and best of luck!
@gallery_ths (Instagram)
(Gallery_ths website coming soon)
By Jenny Potts Barr
L.A.P. 