Cannery Arts Centre general manager Katie Witt with the gallery shop’s handcrafted items. Photo: Kate Driscoll.
The Cannery Arts Centre officially opened its gallery shop last week for a six-month trial, giving local artists another opportunity to showcase and sell their work.
Cannery artistic director Alex Desebrock said it was about celebrating the regions’ artists while providing them with a platform to develop their careers.
She said the local response had been great so far, with several sales already.
“It’s such beautiful work so it’s its own little exhibition in itself,” Ms Desebrock said.
“I guess we’re the only space that sells purely artists’ work which I think collectively makes it an overall promotion of local artists.”
Ms Desebrock said the Cannery had committed reserve funds for a shop assistant and would determine whether it was financially viable to continue sales at the end of the trial period in January.
“We hope for locals it will be the place to go,” she said.
“We also get a lot of tourists coming through so it’s providing a clear opportunity for tourists to purchase locally made work.”
Cannery volunteers Rani Fankha, Tammy Andrews and Kathleen Nettlefold were the main drivers behind the project.
The shop’s “fit out” is supported by Southern Ports, the Mt Burdett Foundation and the Esperance Rotary Club.
The shop will be open in line with the Cannery Art Centre’s gallery hours.
General manager Katie Witt said the shop would be closed on Sundays during the trial unless the gallery was open.
