An exciting new art gallery showcasing South Australian artists will open at Adelaide’s Bowden urban development.

The $1 billion Bowden development incorporates a lively cultural scene and colourful street life in its vision for South Australia’s first large scale higher-density, mixed-use urban development.

Arts Minister, John Hill has announced that the Fontanelle Gallery and Studio has won the public tender to create a creative hub at the near-city location.

Earlier this year the Land Management Corporation (LMC) in conjunction with Arts SA called for expressions of interest from the arts community to establish a temporary arts hub in an empty Clipsal warehouse within the Bowden development site.

Minister Hill said the new gallery, studio and workshops will be a key ingredient for Bowden.

“Filling a vacant warehouse with artists, exhibitions, workshops and other community activities will not only contribute to activating the identity and character of Bowden, but will also encourage other creative activities in the area,” Mr Hill said.

LMC Chief Executive Wayne Gibbings said, “Eventually the former warehouse will be redeveloped, and if this venture is successful we want to find it a permanent home in the finished development.”

The 16-hectare redevelopment of the former Clipsal and Origin industrial sites over the next 10 to 15 years will accommodate more than 3,500 people in more than 2,200 homes. Around 500 construction jobs are expected to be created during its development.

The new studios and Fontanelle gallery will be established in former Plant 9A, a 1950s ‘saw-tooth roof’ warehouse at 26 Sixth Street, Bowden.

The group will move in and start to fit the space out early in November, with an official opening scheduled for early 2012.

The budding arts precinct has already accommodated leading South Australian youth circus company Cirkidz, which is holding regular classes and events in a nearby warehouse.

The Fontanelle team includes local artists Brigid Noone, Benjamin Leslie, Annika Evans and Mary-Jean Richardson.

All have had experience managing artists’ studio spaces and in coordinating workshops and community events including FELTspace gallery in Adelaide CBD.

Adelaide artist Brigid Noone said she was excited about the prospect of opening Fontanelle.

“The overall vision for our creative hub is a dynamic, vibrant, accessible and multi-use art centre for creative individuals and the wider community.”

“This project will provide a space for supporting individual artists and connect with the wider community through shared facilities, exhibitions and a variety of workshops for children and adults,” Ms Noone said.

Note to Editors:

Fontanelle Gallery and Studio: Interested individuals who would like more information about this artist-run initiative are encouraged to contact [email protected]

The Bowden development will incorporate medium-to-high-density residential, commercial and retail development, pioneering a model for highly amenable, vibrant inner-city living, focusing on ‘walkable’ distances, an active community and sustainable outcomes. Work already has started on preparing almost one hectare of land in the Sixth–Seventh street section of the former Clipsal site for the first ‘super lot’ release to the development industry in early 2012. Off-the-plan sales are expected to commence by late 2012, depending on market conditions.

The Fontanelle Gallery and Studio will occupy almost 1,200 square metres of usable space, including expansive floor space, offices, amenities and three-phase power. The site will eventually be subject to redevelopment as part of the Bowden project.