Can you tell us about how PARKER Contemporary came into existence?
If I had to sum it up in three words, I’d say passion, timing and opportunity. PARKER Contemporary grew out of my time in printmaking studios during art school, where working through materials and processes became a way of exploring ideas. Being surrounded by peers and mentors who encouraged experimentation had a lasting impact on me. Alongside that, I’d spent more than a decade in arts education management, which gave me a broad, interdisciplinary grounding and continues to shape how I approach the gallery today. Those two experiences alongside my university degrees in fine art and business came together in September 2024 and it gave me the confidence to take the leap and open a gallery. At the same time, I saw a clear gap: incredible contemporary artists were working in print and paper, but they weren’t being broadly represented. PARKER Contemporary was founded to give them that platform.
Pictured: Edition One Installation View, (Matthew Hurdle and Tim Mosley)
This year marks the gallery’s first anniversary. Looking back, what have been the most memorable moments from PARKER Contemporary’s inaugural year?
Launching the gallery at Sydney Contemporary in 2024 and opening my South Brisbane space was such a milestone. I still don’t know how I pulled it off while finishing my honours degree working in lithography at the same time, but here we are! Being in the cultural precinct and creating a permanent home for exhibitions and conversations about contemporary printmaking felt really special. Doing three art fairs in my first year was another highlight, especially going international to Auckland. But more than all of that, it’s been about seeing our artists’ work out in the world, connecting with new audiences, being collected by leading institutions, private collectors and watching people really resonate with it. That’s the part that stays with me.
Pictured: PARKER Contemporary, Sydney Contemporary 2025, Installation View
What advice would you give someone looking to start their art collection?
Go to exhibition openings, visit art schools and head along to art fairs to start getting a feel for what you’re drawn to. I think the most rewarding collections come from works that engage on multiple levels. Of course, an artist’s aesthetic is important, but learning about the materiality and the ideas they are working through gives the work greater meaning so talking to artists and gallery directors is key. It means that as your collection grows, you are building something with more substance, where pieces speak to one another in richer ways. Contemporary print and paper practices can also offer long-term value, and there is a collective feeling when you acquire a work that is part of an edition. That shared context can strengthen provenance in the future while also connecting you to a wider community of collectors.
Starting your collection doesn’t have to be a scary and expensive endeavour, an art collection is about relationships too, take the leap, acquire something from a gallery or artist and see where the journey takes you.
Pictured: Fred Genis, Marks of a Master, Installation View
What’s next in the world of PARKER Contemporary?
We have three more exhibitions to come in 2025 after Edition One, including an incredible new body of work by Dr Tim Mosely, projects from emerging Brisbane artists and an end of year group show for Summer. Hopefully then a brief break but I’m already planning for 2026 with exhibitions that will spotlight both established and emerging artists in print and paper practices. I also see PARKER Contemporary becoming more of a cultural hub in South Brisbane, a place people think of as a place for connection and a destination for contemporary art in the city. At the core it is about keeping that community orientated printmaking studio ethos alive, encouraging experimentation, showcasing practice-led research and giving ideas room to grow. That’s what drives PARKER Contemporary forward, and I am excited for the next ‘edition’ ahead.
Pictured: Edition One Installation View, (Freyja Fristad, Ross Woodrow, Daniel Clifford, Pat Hoffie)
