DRAW Space

Contemporary drawing in Newtown

The gallery creates space for artists, curators, and the public to work with drawing as a legitimate contemporary medium. It operates as an inclusive venue, thinking broadly about what drawing is and encouraging ongoing experimentation with its possibilities. By positioning itself within Newtown's arts scene, DRAW Space has helped shift how drawing practices are understood and valued across Australian and international art.

The gallery sits on the unceded ancestral lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and DRAW Space acknowledges the traditional custodians of this place. The location makes it easy to reach Sydney's cultural precinct and Newtown's vibrant artist community. As a newer space focused on contemporary drawing, DRAW Space stands out because of its artist-driven programming, which sidesteps the typical gallery approach.

Artist-led curation and drawing practices

DRAW Space is run by eleven co-directors, all of them practising artists, curators, or writers: Monika Cvitanovic, Sarah Eddowes, Kristy Gordon, Melinda Hunt, Eva Nolan, Lisa Pang, Daniel Press, Jeremy Smith, Amanda Solomons, Fiona Verity, and Belinda Yee. Having artists actually making the decisions means the exhibitions and programming are shaped by what the community itself values. The group's experience spans contemporary, abstract, figurative, and realist drawing, so the gallery can show the medium properly, in all its forms. They've done shows like LIVES DRAWING that looked at artists who've sustained serious practice over decades.

The gallery's serious about access and diversity. It actively works through its exhibitions and community programs to push for better representation in the arts. By taking a broad view of what drawing can be, from traditional media through to experimental and hybrid work, there's room for both emerging and established artists. Running things this way, with artists calling the shots, means drawing gets treated as a proper primary medium instead of just something secondary.

Exhibitions, talks, workshops, and residencies

DRAW Space goes well beyond hanging exhibitions on walls. The program runs artist talks, performances, workshops, and residencies that pull the community in and keep conversations going around contemporary drawing. You can check the gallery website for what's on now or coming up, and all the past shows are archived there too. There's also the DRAW Store, where you can buy work straight from the artists and help them out financially. It makes drawing more accessible and gives practitioners a better shot at making a living from their practice.

Being artist-run, DRAW Space relies on exhibition fees from artists to keep the lights on. The crew here understands that's a tough ask for emerging artists, which is why they've set up a community donation program to help shoulder the load. It shows what the space actually cares about. The gallery runs on volunteers who work as sitters, keeping the doors open and embodying the collaborative ethos that makes DRAW Space what it is.

A community space for contemporary drawing in Sydney

Drawing gets short-changed in Australian and international art. Most people see it as something preliminary, not the main game. DRAW Space pushes back on that. The whole point is to treat drawing as a serious medium worth exhibiting and talking about. You've got the co-directors running the place, both working artists themselves, which keeps the program grounded in how artists actually work. It means decisions come from real conversations with the drawing community, not marketing departments. You'll find artist talks, workshops, openings, and residencies. It's all geared toward getting people and artists in the same room to actually engage with the work.

The exhibitions cover everything. Representational work sits next to abstract pieces, figurative drawings next to experimental stuff. You might see oil on timber alongside texta on paper in the same show. The space welcomes artists from different backgrounds with different visual approaches. If you want to see what drawing's really doing in Sydney right now, DRAW Space is the place. The work gets shown by artists who understand what they're doing, which makes a difference.

Visit DRAW Space

{"text":"DRAW Space is at 31A Enmore Road, Newtown, NSW 2042, and opens Thursday to Friday 11am to 5pm, Saturday 11am to 5pm, and Sunday noon to 5pm. They're on Instagram and Facebook as @drawspacesydney. The place is deliberately accessible and welcoming to artists, collectors, and anyone curious about Newtown's art community. If you're keen on contemporary drawing, it's definitely worth a visit."}.