22/04/2026
So appreciate ABC Gippsland getting behind our wonderful space!
CAN YOU HELP SAVE THE BRIAGOLONG ART GALLERY?
For 24 years, The Briagolong Art Gallery has provided an accessible and affordable grass roots local venue for emerging and established Gippsland artists to exhibit contemporary art work.
Drawing weekend tourist traffic, the volunteer run, multi-purpose building has hosted events, workshops, served as a studio space and shopfront for locally made artworks and artisan gifts.
The modest venue, owned by the late Bill and Rose Annears, was originally set up as an exhibition space for artists that were part of a local art workshop group facilitated by the late Pate Waters.
'Bill and Ros Annears were exceptional in allowing us to stay here for many years, they let us to what we wanted to do, they were very supportive of our art practice and our gallery', say Treasurer Fiona Reynolds.
But with the death of surviving property owner Ros Annears in September last year and the family's decision to sell the building, an ongoing tenancy has been in doubt.
In an effort to preserve the community asset, a fundraising campaign has since been set up by managing committee The
Big Gallery Inc, to purchase the building.
The committee have since been sourcing gallery member donations, applying for grants, staging raffles, artwork sales and orchestrating other community fundraising activities to reach the purchase price.
As a not-for-profit organisation, the gallery recently received status as a recognised charity, setting up a GoFundMe page https://gofund.me/79daca145 to help achieve their goals.
As one of the last main street buildings still open to the public in Briagolong, with most of the town's shops having closed down, Fiona says that community support for preserving the gallery has been encouraging.
'It's one of the few things apart from the pub on the corner that has sustained itself in the town' said Fiona.
'We operate on very little, but we put in a lot of volunteer time into keeping it going.'
