Nearly three years ago, a group of artists were seeking a way, in which they could work together to run an art gallery in order to exhibit and sell their artwork. This was the genesis of the Curious Art Minus Zero No Limit Co-operative Ltd, based on the riverbank in the small town of Chinderah Bay, just south of Tweed on the New South Wales and Queensland border.
The Curious Artists' Co-operative is now heading into its third successful year with a 20 strong membership. "It's worked well for us," says Michael Bryant, Founder and Manager of Curious. "This is an upwards spiralling growth area, with lots of new people moving in and we're poised to sell to the locals; in fact, that's were most our sales are coming from," he says.
"We've done the market research and growth in this area translates into cultural spending."
Members at Curious share the workload of the day-to-day running of the art gallery, and are expected to make weekly financial contributions to assist with gallery expenses. "It's to cover the overheads until we realise a profit from sales. The good thing is, we haven't had to borrow a cent," Michael says.
In return for their commitment and contribution, a portion of wall hanging space in the gallery is allocated to each member, along with a number of other benefits that the co-operative business structure allows.Michael is a passionate advocate of the co-operative business model "It's a great structure, it's flexible, as long it's based on sound business management principles and a democratic approach. We had a lot of help in the beginning from the NSW Registry of Co-operatives and Associations to set it up," he says.
Curious Artists' Co-operative has been an enormously successful vehicle in its own right. Fuelled by the enthusiasm, and the collective power of twenty people with a wealth of experience and life skills.
The Curious Artists' Co-operative has the potential to become a launching pad for new artists. Members have multiple benefits from being actively involved, because the co-operative culture generates additional motivation and inspiration for artists. The co-operative model has induced the birth of an art movement in Chinderah Bay, and Curious is looking to the future and alternative ways to market and expand the business.