Paddington galleries come together for First Saturday event

Saturday 5 February 2022 is set to be a big day for Sydney’s Paddington Art Precinct, with nine highly regarded galleries launching their first shows of the 2022 season simultaneously.

Dubbed the ‘First Saturday’, exhibition openings will take place on the day across Annette Larkin Fine Art; Australian Galleries; Fox Jensen Paddington; Fine Arts, Sydney; Justin Miller Art; Martin Browne Contemporary; Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sarah Cottier Gallery, and Wagner Contemporary – all located within a two-minute walk of each other in the leafy Trumper Park area of Paddington, a stone’s throw from Edgecliff Station.

“It is almost always impossible to coordinate openings,” commented Emma Fox, a director at Fox Jensen Gallery/ Fox Jensen Paddington, emphasising the uniqueness of the day planned for the first Saturday of Februrary.

Showcasing the best of Australian historical and contemporary art, international painting and sculpture, the First Saturday event will promises art enthusiasts a full itinerary of exhibitions to attend. A coffee cart will additionally offer refreshments, pastries and small cakes, and certain galleries will have art books for sale.

Since the 1960s, Paddington has operated as Sydney’s key hub for commercial art galleries, home to numerous iconic fine arts institutions as well as many artists themselves.

“It has been marvellous to be in Paddington for the last 15 years, in amongst other galleries,” said Sarah Cottier, director at Sarah Cottier Gallery.

“The feeling of community is sustaining, and it is great to be part of such a lively and diverse art circuit.”

The following exhibitions will be launched on the day at the respective Paddington galleries:

Annette Larkin Fine Art – Summer 2022: a group exhibition of contemporary Australian art drawn from Australian private collections and including Michael Johnson, Robert Klippel, Susan Norrie, Janet Laurence and others.

Australian Galleries – Summer Exhibition.

Fine Arts, Sydney – a solo show of new paintings by Prudence Flint.

Fox Jensen Paddington –  presents a selection of works by Todd Hunter, Tomislav Nikolic and Aida Tomescu.

Justin Miller Art – Modern Australian Masters.

Martin Browne Contemporary – Morning Came and Morning Went by Michael Vale; Works from the Estate by Freddie Timms.

Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery – Lina Bo Bardi – A Marvellous Entanglement by Isaac Julien.

Sarah Cottier Gallery – Haines & Hinterding.

Wagner Contemporary – Rhythms of the Monaro: Kelton Plain Artist Residency featuring work by David Collins, Elisabeth Cummings, Belinda Street, Sally Stokes and Leah Thiessen.

This article was originally published 17 January 2021.

Image: Sarah Cottier Gallery.

Featured image: Michael Vale, ‘The Spinning Wheel’ (detail), 2021. Oil on linen, 122 x 152cm. Courtesy: the artist and Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney.