the vinyl lettering…..OPEN sign arrives!

Our vinyl lettering arrived! Here’s a picture of Mel putting our ‘OPEN’ sign together…

for display in our little corridor so that people wandering through the complex can see us as they look down from the main corridor.

Now we can get rid of the tatty bits of printed A4 paper…..

bits and pieces

After being caught up in the distractions of admin around the setup of the space…things like installing a phone line (phew -that was a trial and a half), merchant facilities, bank accounts, machinery setup and location, sourcing of a fridge (to store the milk for our daily expresso coffee), creation of a press release (thank you Tara! – and also for your help with setting up this blog!), design of studio card, design of display units, contracts for exhibitions by invited artists, insurance, door signs, wall signs, lighting, fixing up the door, working out where the garbage bins are (and ladders and air con switches and, and, and!) and having our alarm system installed, we’re almost there and itching to get back to the bench to get stuck into creating some work! We’ll be updating you with photos as we go.

steep learning curve

We’ve been open four weeks now. what an experience! We’re still defining the space and playing with what works for us visually – and now we’ve discovered merchandising!!!

Studio opens

Turning a savvy art space inside the renowned Danks Street galleries into a seductive retail and creative haven has been the work of two of Sydney’s emerging contemporary jewellery and object designer/makers and a local photographer.

The designers, Bridget Kennedy and Melanie Ihnen ,are mirrors of each other, their work and their personalities complementing. They have joined their extensive talents and skills to create a space that celebrates contemporary art and design, and the work of the maker. The tiny blended studio gallery, a first for the pair, pays homage to the Waterloo postcode in which it’s situated.

Although well known for its sophisticated art offering, the Danks Street galleries are now, courtesy of the award-winning Bridget and Melanie, home to a thriving workshop where visitors are encouraged to watch the work unfold. Merging gallery with workshop, Bridget and Melanie offer not only beautifully designed and crafted pieces, they can also explain the inspiration, creation and birth of their work. The work is complemented by a changing display of work by local Photographer, Ross Buchanan.

Studio 20/17 is destined to also become an interactive space, with a select number of clients being offered the rare opportunity to build a piece of contemporary jewellery alongside the artisans. The experience is being considered a chance to merge design, art and craft, and gives a new vitality to the viewing and enjoyment of the delicately ethereal pieces.

Bridget and Melanie are keen for this energetic new space to be viewed as a broader extension of the human body – the studio is ‘adorned’ with pieces of its own. Studio 20/17 will be inviting selected artist jewellers to exhibit their work of contemporary wearables, objects and small sculptural pieces.

Currently showing:

Bridget Kennedy – Ring Ring (cocooned)

rings enclosed in beeswax objects