The newly launched Studio & Co. in Moorooduc on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula immediately captivates the imagination. A project of the heart by glass artisan Leisa Wharington and financial entrepreneur Nadia Hughes, the creative hub proffers a palpable sense of community, creativity and collaboration. Each visit allows you to meander differently through individual spaces, and as you gently navigate each artisan’s zone you can’t help but be absorbed and enthralled by the essence of the resident creative forces.
The inspired and considered design of the interior allows for a journey of exploration of local artisans whose works have been displayed so poignantly throughout. From the sculptural succulent garden nursery by Colin Hyett to co-owner Leisa Wharington’s glass studio and hot-shop, to printmakers, resident artists, jewellery designers and the stylish collection of artisan wares curated by Sue Clement of Pomme, the offering is enticing and thought-provoking. Even the food and coffee offering from Jones Corner Kitchen & Store is inspired by local produce.
For Kelli Lundberg, whose gallery is set at the heart of the collaborative space, the launch of kellilundberg.art evolved in a serendipitous moment. One of her close friends, Sue Clement, owner of Pomme, was relocating from Mt Martha Village to the newly established Studio & Co, and she suggested Kelli research the new space to learn about what it was intending to offer the community. Kelli discovered that there was a dedicated, as yet unoccupied, gallery space. Upon chatting with Leisa Wharington about the intended occupant, Leisa instinctively knew that the space was destined to be Kelli’s first gallery and immediately offered her the opportunity.
Staying true to her lifelong passion for art and the artists behind the art, Kelli has stepped into her role as a gallery owner with passion, zest and an authentic desire to showcase the work she loves. Explains Kelli, “This has been a well thought out decision, not spur of the moment, every step has come from what has come before it. The gallery evolved because of a community that has organically formed around us and that we are so grateful to be a part of. The gallery is a start up with a 30-year run up. I’ve been thinking about this for a very long time.”
Kelli grew up in Perth and completed her Honours in Fine Art at UWA which then led to working in a gallery which cemented her passion for art and artists. She moved from Perth to Melbourne in 1994 with her partner and now husband David and began exploring work opportunities with Melbourne’s esteemed art galleries. “I walked into the Robert Lindsay Gallery in Flinders Lane. Robert saw me and enquired about the CV in my hand which I timidly handed over, and whilst he had just employed someone, he introduced me to Guy Abrahams, Director of Christine Abrahams Gallery.”
The rest is (art) history. Kelli joined the esteemed gallery and served as Associate Director for over a decade before moving with her young family to San Francisco. And now, with more than 30 years of experience, Kelli is an influential force in the art world. She harbours a deep understanding of shifting social and cultural complexities that define art galleries as vital touchstones within today’s global cultural fabric.
In 2010 Kelli and her family returned to Melbourne. “We found a home that we knew we could make our own with our art and the special pieces we had collected, but it was when we met Kate Walker and engaged her as our interior designer that the story of our property known as Lempriere really unfolded. Eight years and three stages of design later, it has evolved into what it is today, with our dream, and with Kate’s vision.”
Today, as a long-term resident of the Mornington Peninsula, Kelli has crafted a metaphorical bridge between the Peninsula’s abiding and ever-flourishing artistic qualities and those that have rendered Melbourne one of the world’s most impressive creative cityscapes. Kelli is a registered Art Valuer for the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program and a member of the Art Consulting Association of Australia.
kellilundberg.art is a contemporary art gallery, visual art consultancy and artist-in-residence program dedicated to the enduring engagement of art in its captivating myriad of forms. Representing a cross-section of eminent local and international, emerging and established artists, kellilundberg.art is a luminous north star within The Studio & Co.’s considered creative constellation.
The gallery presents an alchemy of richly engaging multi-disciplinary works which are shown as part of a meticulously curated annual program that includes group and solo exhibitions from an evolving stable of artists, satellite shows and artist talks. Anchored by the understanding that a gallery is only ever as good as the artists it represents, kellilundberg.art nurtures and showcases the work of a stable of inspiring practitioners defined by the captivating quality of their work.
“Above all, I want to support the artists I believe in. I don’t align with the traditional gallery/artist model. I am committed to representing the artists I work with in the most fair and egalitarian manner, and I select works that I believe in and that are perfect for this context. The artists still own their practice, they can promote their own work and own their own practice, which is as it should be. It engenders a sense of freedom. The artists exhibiting in the inaugural group show included two VCA graduates, three local artists with very strong collector bases and one internationally recognised artist. I love curating their work at the same level so they can peer promote and support each other and so my clients can have access to these artists. I am invested in building their careers and in offering them the opportunity to exhibit at least every 18-24 months.”
This agility ensures a seamless consultancy process where Kelli can efficiently respond to procurement scopes by leveraging her understanding of each artist’s practice. She can draw from a comprehensive selection of archival and speculative works, while tapping into a far-reaching network of framers, couriers and hangers to present, acquire, transport and install pieces across residential, corporate and commercial sectors.
Kelli’s artist-in-residence program grants talented emerging artists a fully subsidised studio within the gallery for three to six months to explore their craft whilst provided with guidance, mentorship and exposure to the surrounding creative precinct. More than a studio, the residency space is a light-drenched sanctuary where artists can become immersed in the spirited creative ecosystem in their orbit. At the culmination of their residency journey, their work could then be included in a gallery showcase to celebrate the creative evolution that has undoubtedly taken place and propel their career into the next chapter.
The psychology of the way people interact with the gallery space is so important. “I want each person who walks through the space to recalibrate, to feel welcome and at ease, to sit, absorb and feel comfortable, to enjoy and to enquire about the art we have on display and available in our stockroom that is an open space for everyone to enjoy. I am in awe of our stable of artists which not only showcases the immense depth of talent we have right here on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, but extends across Australia and beyond our national and international borders. I am excited to help build these artists’ careers, and to provide a beautiful space for them to exhibit their work. I am also excited to present an annual studio collaboration series supporting the artists of Studio & Co. I believe in artists who are cultivating their practice, exploring their work and are as committed to their art as I am committed to representing them in the most authentic way.”
To come back full circle, some 30 years later, to a gallery space that includes Sue Clement who Kelli worked with at Christine Abrahams Gallery at the beginning of her art journey, feels in simpatico. All involved with The Studio & Co. agree the space will morph and grow, and become what it is meant to be, driven by the communal spirit and the authentic nature of those residing within.
The gallery is supported by the creatively curated retail space of POMME, jewellers MILLIE SAVAGE and MATILDA FOLEY artist studios and workshops including JACKIE GREEN, JULIE HAMILTON, textile designer ROSE & BYRON, NATURALIGHT photography and artisan glassblower LEISA WHARINGTON, JONES CORNER KITCHEN AND STORE, UNFAIR ADVANTAGE ACCOUNTING, The Studio & Co. Concept Store , and plant nursery by internationally acclaimed landscape designer COLIN HYETT.
kellilundberg.art featured artists include:
Baden Croft, David Bromley, Robert Delves, Emma Davies, Vanessa Ferriggi, Michelle Hamer, Jo Lane, Matthew Johnson, Michael Johnson, Debbie Mackenzie, Sharon Monagle, Grace Murphy, Sarah Nedovic, Max Patte, Maria Radun, Phoebe Rolleston, Daniel Shipp, Alex Slattery, Liam Waldie, Neil Williams, Elena Zhao and Ben Sheers.
CREATIVES @ THE STUDIO & CO:
https://www.instagram.com/c.h.d.nurseries
Photography – Amber Marie @itsnaturalight
The Studio & Co.: 545 Mornington-Tyabb Road, Moorooduc Vic