tbC’s exhibition practices include the presentation of artworks in formal and informal spaces.
For example, the studio allows young artists to present artworks in development. These works are hung (often salon-style) for family, friends and the local community to view. This less intimidating experience provides young artists with important feedback as they explore artistic mediums and materials. It also prepares the young artist for more formal exhibition opportunities.
Outdoor spaces provide artists with opportunities to present work more publicly. tbC artists regularly present work throughout Melbourne’s CBD and the city’s inner and outer suburbs. Again, while these experiences are generally less intimidating and feel less formal than the gallery space, they deliver the young artist significant visibility and recognition. This prepares the young artist for more formal artworld attention.
The gallery is harder for the young artist to gain access to. Young tbC artists report that their limited artistic biographies and records of practice hinder access to gallery spaces. Nevertheless, the gallery plays an important role in the professional development of young artists. tbC’s response to this exclusion is to collaborate in building sophisticated bodies of artwork that appeal to gallery managers. This has resulted in tbC being granted exhibition opportunities in several formal gallery spaces, including; Burrinja Gallery in Upwey, Footscray Community Art Centre’s Roslyn Smorgon Gallery, Noosa Regional Art Gallery, Muswellbrook Regional Art Centre, Stirrup Gallery in Sydney, fortyfivedownstairs in Melbourne and the (e)merge Art Fair in Washington D.C. (curated by Connersmith Gallery).
tbC artists welcome the critical feedback from these varied presentation experiences, arguing that early exhibition practices result in earlier professional development.